How should traffic signal wiring be routed and treated according to article 100

[reidson]

I am a professional in the Dept. of Transportation and our devices are not quite covered correctly in the NEC or NESC. They are regarded in older versions of the NEC as " traffic signals serve their own safety functions and therefore merit special code consideration". In our industry we consider ALL wiring and devices after the Service Point to be Premise Wiring due to the fact that our crews install, are licensed to inspect, repair, and restore ALL devices up to the point at which the service drop connects either through crimp connections and or a service disconnect. Our practices have been to have the service drop connect to a disconnect, next route power to a meterbase and lastly route to our traffic signal or device. This method is incredibly safe for our workers and more efficient for repairs because the power company does not have to show up to disconnect power, all repairs are made and power is restored without the power company having to make a second trip to restore power. Should this be a policy kept only to our county or does this sound like a method that should be adopted and reflected within the NEC? The procedure mentioned above when used in conjunction with a meterbase that has a manual bypass lever allows engineers from the power company to remove an energized meter can without removing power to a traffic signal or device thus removing liability to the power company should an accident occur if the signal were momentarily dark due to a meter replacement. We have been using this practice in conjunction with our local EMC for 10 years now with 0 negative results. I would like to hear from professionals and get opinions regarding this practice. Our first question was "what is the #1 job on any jobsite = SAFETY! . Our second question was "is it safer to work on energized or non energized equipment? = NON ENERGIZED . These answers meant that it was better for everyone to have a method to remove power to ALL equipment after the initial Service Point. We do NOT want to become the power company but we do need to provide faster repairs to our equipment, safer ability to do our jobs and come up with a wiring standard that works for OUR unique field for all of our devices that can be considered Public Safety Devices.

 

[iwire]

Can you be more concise?

What is the specific question?

 

[mgookin]

I am a professional in the Dept. of Transportation and our devices are not quite covered correctly in the NEC or NESC. They are regarded in older versions of the NEC as " traffic signals serve their own safety functions and therefore merit special code consideration". In our industry we consider ALL wiring and devices after the Service Point to be Premise Wiring due to the fact that our crews install, are licensed to inspect, repair, and restore ALL devices up to the point at which the service drop connects either through crimp connections and or a service disconnect.

Our practices have been to have the service drop connect to a disconnect, next route power to a meterbase and lastly route to our traffic signal or device. This method is incredibly safe for our workers and more efficient for repairs because the power company does not have to show up to disconnect power, all repairs are made and power is restored without the power company having to make a second trip to restore power.

Should this be a policy kept only to our county or does this sound like a method that should be adopted and reflected within the NEC?

The procedure mentioned above when used in conjunction with a meterbase that has a manual bypass lever allows engineers from the power company to remove an energized meter can without removing power to a traffic signal or device thus removing liability to the power company should an accident occur if the signal were momentarily dark due to a meter replacement. We have been using this practice in conjunction with our local EMC for 10 years now with 0 negative results. I would like to hear from professionals and get opinions regarding this practice. Our first question was "what is the #1 job on any jobsite = SAFETY! . Our second question was "is it safer to work on energized or non energized equipment? = NON ENERGIZED . These answers meant that it was better for everyone to have a method to remove power to ALL equipment after the initial Service Point. We do NOT want to become the power company but we do need to provide faster repairs to our equipment, safer ability to do our jobs and come up with a wiring standard that works for OUR unique field for all of our devices that can be considered Public Safety Devices. View attachment 14953

I will not opine from a technical perspective on whether what you describe should be policy kept only to your county or a method that should be adopted and reflected within the NEC. There are people on here much more qualified than me in that field.

FYI - We just had a related discussion on this subject earlier this week.
Please see: http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=176547&highlight=traffic

I have considerable experience in codes of all kinds including code administration for what was then the building department for the 2nd fastest growing region in the nation for about 10 years running during the boom before the crash, so I'll opine in from a code administrator's perspective. You're asking, effectively, if every utility should be required to allow a disconnect before the meter and if every utility should be required to allow a meter bypass.

You stated your position well and you certainly are a qualified expert and an interested party. You make valid points. I just think you need the utility industry on your side. You make valid points in that it mitigates liabilities to the power company by having the bypass so they might jump right on ship. But will this come at the expense of stolen meters?

Let me ask you this: What is the problem which will go unabated if your suggestion does not become code? I think that needs to be answered. Are there workmen being injured and traffic crashes happening today due to how services are built at traffic signals? Just putting that out there for discussion.