Equipment labeling for non-industrial control panels

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CarlMc

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My first question for this forum...

Where can I find the requirements for the minimum markings for a piece of equipment that doesn't meet the definition of an industrial control panel? If a piece of equipment has a motor contained inside it (like a woodworking machine, for example,) is any part of that machine considered an industrial control panel? I keep being given NFPA 79 chapter 16, but I don't know where to find the requirements for everything else.
 
CarlMc said:
My first question for this forum...

Where can I find the requirements for the minimum markings for a piece of equipment that doesn't meet the definition of an industrial control panel? If a piece of equipment has a motor contained inside it (like a woodworking machine, for example,) is any part of that machine considered an industrial control panel? I keep being given NFPA 79 chapter 16, but I don't know where to find the requirements for everything else.
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The minimum markings for anything are described in the UL standard for that product.

For instance, minimum markings for industrial control panels are found in UL508a.

There are standards for powered hand tools as well.

A woodworking machine might be an industrial machine. It might not.

NEC article 670 defines what an industrial machine is.

NEC article 409 defines what an industrial control panel is.

Vague questions are very difficult to give definitive answers to.

Just curious. What the heck is a technical analyst?
 
petersonra said:
The minimum markings for anything are described in the UL standard for that product.

For instance, minimum markings for industrial control panels are found in UL508a.

There are standards for powered hand tools as well.

A woodworking machine might be an industrial machine. It might not.

NEC article 670 defines what an industrial machine is.

NEC article 409 defines what an industrial control panel is.

Vague questions are very difficult to give definitive answers to.

Just curious. What the heck is a technical analyst?
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So much for that veil of anonymity... :)
Thanks for the references; I'm checking those out.
I work for a large company in the Seattle area doing R&D in a lab. The closest job title that makes more sense is engineering technician, but even that's pretty vague. All choices invite curiosity.
Prior to 2007, R&D and lab equipment didn't have to be listed for field evaluated according to Article 350. In 2008 the code began to change, so we have a bunch of stuff that needs tending to. I'm supporting that effort and a bunch of questions are coming up, obviously. In one of my previous careers I was an industrial electrician in another part of the country, so it's a topic I'm more familiar with than the average engineer or scientist whipping up a piece of equipment who doesn't really know much about this topic. There's some dangerous stuff out there, as you can imagine. The topic of placarding or identification plates has come up often enough that it was time to stop using my rusty memory and go look for the actual verbiage.
 
The code does not require updating of anything that was compliant when installed.

Article 350 has to do with liquid tight flexible metal conduit. Not lab equipment. I don't recall any special requirements for labs.
 
It could be under a UL listing, I would suggest going to UL and look for product guide. In the past it would be in the UL White book, but that has transitioned to an online guide. Look for a listing category for woodworking tools
 
If you are in WA, our AHJ had a provision in the state rules to allowing an engineering evaluation of equipment by a third party. Much less expensive than UL. The rules are in WAC 296-46A
A list of third party companies is at the LNI.WA.GOV website in the electrical section.
 
Back to the well of knowledge…

The equipment I’m inquiring about is a variety of two general classes of things. The first class is broad and can be things like power supplies, machine tools, laboratory instruments, radio equipment, and so forth that didn’t come with a NRTL mark when it was first made because 70e Article 350 didn’t require it at the time (a huge can of worms I’m not going into further here,) or it just wasn’t manufactured with a NRTL mark to begin with for a variety of reasons. The other class is custom built or modified equipment that may or may not fit into any other class of equipment, such as a shop made control panel that sits on a desktop or a capacitor bank. All kinds of stuff. I’ve been crawling around the UL looking for some general guidance about markings, and of course, the more I read, the less confident I am that I’m giving out the right information. I haven’t spent enough time with those codes to have a general understanding. This effort is only part of my day job, so I’m far from an expert in any of this, hence the stupid questions. That’s what makes me a jack of all trades and master of none…
 
CarlMc said:
My company is taking advantage of OSHA 1910.399, definition of Acceptable, option (3) and choosing to do some of it ourselves, hence my tiny part of it.
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(3) With respect to custom-made equipment or related installations that are designed, fabricated for, and intended for use by a particular customer, if it is determined to be safe for its intended use by its manufacturer on the basis of test data which the employer keeps and makes available for inspection to the Assistant Secretary and his authorized representatives.
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I don't think you understand what OSHA means by "test" in this context.
 
Getting a Field Evaluation Body to test is the correct answer (especially for WA), but it is a costly one. Having hundreds of items to evaluate, especially when the evaluation costs as much as the item in the first place, doesn't make sense. So they try a solution of self approval due diligence testing for the legacy items and only try to meet OSHA requirements, not particular state requirements.
 
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