Electircal Test Bench.

[lhughes39]

Hi. We are having a discussion with our safety department about our electrical test bench here at work. Safety thinks we need to have the wires in the attached picture coming from the locked disconnect incased in conduit. We do not think they do since the disconnect is locked out unless it is in use and the drive that is connected is there for testing purposes only and will be returned to stores.

My questions are:
1. Can we use a maintenance lock that only the qualified / authorized personnel have to lock this out?
2. Do the wires need to be protected in any way since they are locked out unless in use?
3. Do the wires between the top disconnect and the bottom disconnect need t be protected?
(it is hard to see, but the wires are protected by chase nipple)
4. Anything I am missing?
5. Is there a specific section of the code that deals with this scenario (temp wiring maybe)?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Larry

p.s.s I tried searching for this info, but did not find anything. Sorry if it has already been discussed.

 

[kentirwin]

OSHA 1910.305

OSHA 1910.305

OSHA will have some problems with your setup. Single conductor wiring is only allowed for temporary wiring and only if fastened at ceiling height. So your wiring either has to be in conduit or replaced with rubber cord. Any conduit or cord entries to enclosures have to be via approved fittings. All other openings to enclosures have to sealed by approved means.

Wiring methods violations are the 6th most cited of all OSHA violations in general industry, electrical or otherwise.

 

[GoldDigger]

This is a tough one, in that attaching either rigid or flexible raceway to each unit under test and then removing it is hard to justify.

My personal preference would be to make up several short adapter cords, either loose wires or stripped SO type cable, which could be wired into the units under test and then plugged into a fixed receptacle wired to the back of the bench.

That would make it clearer that the loose wires were part of test equipment and not part of the building wiring.
It would also make it a lot simpler to trim and re-strip the wire ends as they got damaged during attachment and re-attachment.

 

[wbdvt]

of course there is the issue of connecting the wires which I assume are bare wire ends going into a terminal block on the drive under test:

• even though the disconnect is locked open, the wires should be tested dead prior to handling and connecting
• so what is the PPE required for that as I do not see an arc flash label on the disconnect.

 

[GoldDigger]

of course there is the issue of connecting the wires which I assume are bare wire ends going into a terminal block on the drive under test:

• even though the disconnect is locked open, the wires should be tested dead prior to handling and connecting
• so what is the PPE required for that as I do not see an arc flash label on the disconnect.

Note that using a pigtail cord with a plug on the end will take care of both making the leads visibly dead and any arc flash hazard (except maybe at the terminals of the device under test if you screw up the wire attachment before you plug the pigtail in.)

 

[kentirwin]

Note that using a pigtail cord with a plug on the end will take care of both making the leads visibly dead and any arc flash hazard (except maybe at the terminals of the device under test if you screw up the wire attachment before you plug the pigtail in.)

Cord and plug also satisfies OSHA's lockout tagout requirements. You would no longer need to lock out the disconnect. Just unplug the test cord and OSHA is happy.