Panic Hardware

[Chris3585]

NEC 110.26(C)(3) (2008) requires panic hardware on the exit door from an electrical room containing electrical equipment rated 1200 amps or more and over 6feet wide. Normally, this applies to switchgear. Would this also apply to a wiring trough fed with 1200 amps of wiring that is over 6 feet long?

 

[steve66]

No, not unless the equipment contains overcurrent devices, switching devices, or control devices.

Steve

 

[charlie b]

You might not need it even then. I don't have a copy of the 2008 handy (so feel free to check me on this), but what I recall is that you only need panic hardware if the exit to the working space is a door that is within 25 feet of the equipment. In other words, if the room is big enough (OK, so when would that ever happen? ), the doors can open inwards, and panic hardware doesn't work when they open inwards.

 

[Chris3585]

The wiring trough will contain fuesed disconnect switches connected to it and the wiring trough will be within 25 feet of the door. I could argue that a wiring trough is not technically equipment, but didn't know if anyone had run into this situation. I have located large wiring troughs inside rooms before, but not since the panic hardware requirement has been added to the code.

Chris Esslinger, PE

 

[charlie b]

I would argue that the component that "contains" overcurrent devices is the fused disconnect, not the trough. Since that component is not over 6 feet wide, the rule does not apply. An item being attached to another item does not cause the pair to become a single item of equipment.

 

[steve66]

I'd agree with Charlie, but would also like to add that, IMO, the 1200 amp rating would only apply to the fused disconnects, not the trough.

So if all the fused disconnects are less than 1200 amps, you have two reasons why the rule doesn't apply.