Flexible cord hanging from ceiling in manufacturing plant

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Davebones

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North Of Tampa Fl
We have various work areas thru out the plant that consist of tables in a " U " shape cell with various pieces of equipment on the tables. We have dropped down from a box with flexible cord to a 120V cord connector with a strain relief on each end .From the cord connector we have a 6 ft , 12-3 , 6 outlet power strip plugged in at the bench ,with various pieces of equipment plugged into it .The safety department is questioning if this is according to code !I understand if we do not have any power strips plugged in a daisy chain we are ok ! Any thoughts on this would be appreciated . The ceiling is open ....
 
I don't see anything in what you have described that would be in violation of the listing instructions from the UL Whitebook.

The Whitebook calls plug strips "Relocatable Power Taps" (XBYS).

The Whitebook prohibits daisy chaining the power taps together or connecting a power tap to an extension cord.

What you have described would, IMHO, be a pendant and considered a "Permanently installed branch circuit receptacle".

Chris
 
Question : If we mounted a 2 gang box with 2 duplex outlets on a table with a flexible cord end and plugged it into the flexible drop from the ceiling could we not then plug 4 power strips into the duplex outlets and be legal ???
 
Dave, I'd say that, if what you propose in the OP is Kosher, so is your second idea.

Just make sure you use an appropriate 2-gang box, and not a plain 4" square box.
 
I went thru this with an EHS here. Had to have the Maine state inspector come in. He claimed that the only time you could drop cord from the ceiling was from busways and even then only to portable equipment. 400.8 and 368.56 b
 
Dan coulstring said:
I went thru this with an EHS here. Had to have the Maine state inspector come in. He claimed that the only time you could drop cord from the ceiling was from busways and even then only to portable equipment. 400.8 and 368.56 b
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The inspector is incorrect.

400.7(A)(1) specifically permits flexible cord to be used for a pendant.

A pendant would be a length of flexible cord that terminates in a cord cap or a pendant box in accordance with 314.23(H)(1).

Chris
 
If dropping cord as a pendant from a 4 square box with a strain relief then it is okay as long as it is hanging in mid air, once you attach it to a box or piece of equipment then it becomes a substitute for fixed wiring

In your opinion is the cord allowed to come out of a box with a strain relief go four feet away and use a basket type strain relief attached to structural steel with a beam clamp.then dropped down. Or is the structural stell considered a building surface? 400.8 (4)
My argument was that (1) steel beams are not a building surface and (2) not actully attaching the cord only the basket strain relief.
 
Dan coulstring said:
If dropping cord as a pendant from a 4 square box with a strain relief then it is okay as long as it is hanging in mid air, once you attach it to a box or piece of equipment then it becomes a substitute for fixed wiring
Click to expand...

Now if I connect the pendant to a fixed piece of equipment then I would agree that it becomes a substitute for fixed wiring and not permitted.

In your opinion is the cord allowed to come out of a box with a strain relief go four feet away and use a basket type strain relief attached to structural steel with a beam clamp.then dropped down. Or is the structural stell considered a building surface? 400.8 (4)
Click to expand...

I would permit the pendant to come from a 4 square box over 4' then be attached to a strain relief such as a kellems grip supported from the build steel and then drop to the pendant box.

My argument was that (1) steel beams are not a building surface and (2) not actully attaching the cord only the basket strain relief.
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I think that I would argue that you are providing strain relief for the pendant.

Chris
 
The type of equipment we feed are not fixed in place . The " U " shape cells are often changed due to re-engeering of the product lines. The plant is open in these areas so theres no running conduit down walls . By doing the drops like this we can interchange the equpiment as they change things . We are trying to eliminate plug strips from being plugged in a daisy chain . We don't want to go to power poles because of the time it takes when we change areas around .
 
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