Distribution block inside panduit???

[Jhawks]

Greetings all,

I work in a panel shop and we had an electrician install a 3 phase dist. Block inside a piece of panduit in order to make it 'finger safe'.

I'm told it's to code, but I have been taught never to have connection points inside of a panel's duct. Which this seems to violate. I've also never heard of components being placed inside a panel's duct before. It's still got panduit for the wires all around it. Just a big 6in wide peice of duct that the din rail is screwed to.

I've been searching for documentation in nec or ul 508a that says wire connections inside of panel duct are not to code. But haven't found anything conclusive.

If someone could point me in the right direction, that says whether this is or isn't right, that would be great.

 

[tom baker]

If this is a UL508A app, the NEC does not apply. Why not use a finger safe block?
There are many types available.

 

[petersonra]

I don't think you're going to find anything. I don't think that I have a problem with what he did. It's a little unconventional but it's no different than putting a homemade plastic cover around The distribution block.

Personally I am not a huge fan of trying to make things finger safe. It implies you are trying to help some future person avoid proper PPE. I personally don't believe that putting the distribution block inside a piece of wire away eliminates Open energized wire conditions. So I'm not sure what you gain.

Having said that I have been known to design control panels that have junction boxes inside them where I have had things installed that I did not want exposed like CT wiring.

 

[Jhawks]

I originally bought the mfg's covers for the block which I thought was fine. But even with the covers I'm told, by my electrician, that because someone's finger could curl into the wire insertion point, that they are no good. This still feels like a reach to me, but I went with it.

Now because of that we ended up with a "finger safe" in duct on a non UL panel, which is becoming a practice on panels I have to UL list.

I can't find anything in ul508a that says it's technically wrong, but it feels very unorthodox and I wanted more evidence that it was kosher before I started UL labeling panels like this.

 

[petersonra]

I originally bought the mfg's covers for the block which I thought was fine. But even with the covers I'm told, by my electrician, that because someone's finger could curl into the wire insertion point, that they are no good. This still feels like a reach to me, but I went with it.

Where in the ul508a standard does it say that there is any requirement whatsoever for finger safe design. This is a design choice not an electrician choice. you need to get control over the design of these things. It's your job to design them not his.