Electrician
- Thread starter yucatan4
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
You can "tag it out", I suppose, but what is missing is the "lock out" part of the Lock Out/Tag Out combination.
Even if it was in my sight the whole time, I would not feel comfortable working on the fixture unless I could figure out a way to at least lock the switch against casual operation.
If the work is covered by OSHA, no way!
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Nice. And the locked cover covers the screws that attach it.
No help for Decora or other odd style switches, and maybe a pain to attach as needed, but it does seem to satisfy the rules and be practical.
drcampbell
Senior Member
- Location
- The Motor City, Michigan USA
- Occupation
- Registered Professional Engineer
Turning off the switch does not assure that the wires in the light-fixture box are off. It's likely that one will remain hot.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
jumper
Senior Member
- Location
- 3 Hr 2 Min from Winged Horses
Or a constant hot for an EM fixture. Supposed to be an indicator but stuff happens...
And fixtures can be raceways at times so....it’s a bit of fun at times opening wiring sections.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
If the toggle switch is within sight how is this any different than a toggle switch being used as a disconnecting means for a piece of equipment?
drcampbell
Senior Member
- Location
- The Motor City, Michigan USA
- Occupation
- Registered Professional Engineer
Um, because it doesn't necessarily disconnect? (see above)
jtinge
Senior Member
- Location
- Hampton, VA
- Occupation
- Sr. Elec. Engr
Here is an OSHA interpretation letter on the subject.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
I agree. If you need to lock out even if within sight - that is beyond what NEC requires but a reality many have to face.
In a raceway wiring method the outlet box at the light could have other circuits within also that aren't even disconnected if you turn of the branch breaker that supplies the light.
If you are only working on the light the switch or the branch breaker for it may be all you need to turn off (and lock out). If you are working on other items in the outlet box then you very well may need to lock off multiple circuits.
romex jockey
Senior Member
- Location
- Vermont
- Occupation
- electrician
I had thought the 'means to lockout' were to be permanent re>110.25, but it appeasr the osha doc differs?
~RJ~
~RJ~
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
Looks that way.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
Correct for when NEC requires a lockable disconnecting means.
About only time NEC gets involved with lockable disconnecting means is situations where the disconnecting means is not within sight of the equipment it serves, yet NEC doesn't have a general rule for all remote disconnecting means to be lockable - just specific situations.
LOTO safety programs want things locked off in all instances, even if it means using temporary locking means, and usually doesn't matter if the disconnect is within sight or not.
The within sight disconnect NEC requires for motors- doesn't need to be lockable. Your safety program will want you to lock it if you use that to disconnect power to work on that motor or it's driven load though.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Where is the light located and what kind of light. Some fluorescents have a disconnect under the cover to disconnect the power to the ballast so I would not do anything else
MAC702
Senior Member
- Location
- Clark County, NV
It's called a wirenut. :lol:
Am I the only one that thinks the subject line is maybe just a little vague? :rant:
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
You have to have something in subject line to start a thread - he could have just put "E" I guess:ashamed1:
AKElectrician
Senior Member
- Location
- Soldotna, AK, USA
Don't forget the neutral in a MWBC.... The neutral the fridge shares in the break room, not fun when you get bit by the white one....
Knuckle Dragger
Master Electrician Electrical Contractor 01752
- Location
- Marlborough, Massachusetts USA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
One more:
There are a lot of MWBC on single pole circuit breakers.
I think that gadget could be useful, not perfect but neither are the cb lock outs.
No garranties that anything is safe to work on.
Remember treat every wire as if it is live.
There are a lot of MWBC on single pole circuit breakers.
I think that gadget could be useful, not perfect but neither are the cb lock outs.
No garranties that anything is safe to work on.
Remember treat every wire as if it is live.
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