ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Custom machine. Where does NEC requirements stop?

Regulations: NFPA 79 vs. NEC

Virtually all systems employed in manufacturing plants or industrial facilities are subject to the provisions of the NEC, unless they fall under the specific scope of the NFPA 79, the Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery.

The scope of NFPA 79 is defined as: “The provisions of this standard shall apply to the electrical/electronic equipment, apparatus, or systems of industrial machines operating from a nominal voltage of 600 Volts or less, and commencing at the point of connection of the supply circuit conductors to the electrical equipment of the machine.”

Further, under Section 1.5 of NFPA 79, Specific provisions not made in relation to NEC “On any point for which specific provisions are not made in this standard, the provisions of NFPA 70 shall be observed.”

Additionally, per Section 1.4, Specific provisions other than 79 “…the wiring between component machines of and industrial manufacturing system shall be covered by NFPA 70” with the “Exception: that wiring of component machines of an industrial manufacturing system that is supplied by the manufacturer as an integral part of the system is adequately protected and supported and meets the requirements of this standard.”

Given the above, one would conclude that any field wiring installed and terminated at the manufacturing site – unless done so by the OEM operating under NFPA 79 – would be subject to the provisions and requirements of the NEC, and only field wiring wholly inside the manufacturer supplied electrical or electronic equipment would be subject to NFPA 79