From the ROP
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1-149 Log #1760 NEC-P01 Final Action: Reject
(110.26(D)(1) (New) )
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Submitter: Michael A. Anthony, University of Michigan
Recommendation: Add new text to read as follows:
(110.26(D)(1) (New) ) Illumination Emergency Power. An emergency
lighting system shall automatically illuminate the areas around electrical
service panels greater than 200 amperes for a duration of not less than 90
minutes.
Substantiation: This proposal is intended to provide an illuminated path for
rescue personnel that leads toward the electric service equipment in the event
that an electrician is injured. In many cases, an ingress toward electric service
equipment is not the same as the egress path and that path could be dark and
delay first responders getting to the electric service equipment because, after
all, the accident at the service panel caused the outage in the first place.
This safety concept originated in Proposal 1-218, Log #2401 of the 2005
National Electric Code cycle by David Williams, Chief Electrical Inspector of
Delta Township, Michigan and has been shopped around for the past six years
by the submitter to the NFPA 70B, 70E and 101 committees. All of these
committees think that this requirement belongs in another document. The
substantiation for the most recent rejection by the NFPA 101 committee is
reproduced here for the convenience of CMP-1:
Committee Statement: The purpose of the Code is to facilitate evacuation from
the facility, not to facilitate repairs during a power outage. Service personnel
can carry portable luminaires (flashlights), if needed.
So there you have it: a near-perfect circle of fingers, each committee pointing
to another committee or another document. This seems to be a clear case that
the IBEW and other interest groups would want to strengthen the safety net for
electricians. A companion proposal will be submitted to the committee working
on Article 230.
Panel Meeting Action: Reject
Panel Statement: It is not reasonable to require emergency lighting of all the
equipment listed at a particular facility. There is insufficient technical
substantiation to make this a general installation requirement. The Panel notes
Panel 13 has purview over Article 700 in the NEC where the concern of the
submitter can be addressed. The Panel requests the Technical Correlating
Committee forward this proposal to Panel 13 for information.
Number Eligible to Vote: 12
Ballot Results: Affirmative: 10 Negative: 2