I have been reviewing changes in the 2002 NEC and had a question that I would like to get the Board's input on. Section 404.8(B) notes that if two devices (a snap switch and another device such as a switch or receptacle) are installed in an enclosure and there is greater than 300V potential difference between the adjacent devices, a barrier between the two devices must be installed.

A Code Change book that I was reading then gave an example of a switch (use to switch a 277V lighting circuit) installed next to a 120V receptacle. It indicated that the voltage between the two devices would be greater than 300V (277V + 120V). However if you were to put a voltmeter probe on one of the conductors of the 277V circuit and the other voltmeter lead on a wire from the 120V circuit, the voltmeter would read 0V because the two supplies are isolated from one another. I have read two different "2002 NEC Change" books and they both provide a similar example. What is your take on this?

I could understand that if two, 277V circuits were switched from two switches in one enclosure there would be a potential difference of 480V between the switches assuming that two different phases were used. However I don't interpret 404.8(B) the way that these two Code Change books have.

You will read voltage becuse the systems are not really isolated. They grounded conductors of both systems will be tied together by the grounding system.
Don(resqcapt19)

With a common neutral/ground the voltage you get between a 277V hot and a 120V hot will depend upon which phase of each system is present. It will certainly exceed 300V in some combinations.