ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Tamper Resistant Devices: My Experience

The TR devices have a place, mainly child care type facilities.

Mandating TR as the Code now does,is IMHO unnecessary.

But, it is 'code' and we have to live with them.

It's the disease of this era - "You better keep plowing ahead with new safety devices, OR ELSE! We don't care if they're not actually reducing injuries or if they're making your life hell."


You have to wonder why the majority isn't stopping themselves and asking "What the Sam Hill are we doing to ourselves?"

The TR recepts are obviously a specialty device, to the unbiased observer. They're receptacles with a permanent child safety feature - no one else is going to be "tampering" with a receptacle, that doesn't deserve the consequences!

Put TRRs in childcare centers and anywhere else young children will be indefinitely present... and require them nowhere else.

All in all... the TRRs are a perfect example of the poor state of codewriting, manufacturing and design principles. The basic forcing function (a design buzzword) of the receptacle is built on sheer ignorance. Even very recent polarized plug prongs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, likely half of which don't play well with TRRs. The same goes for grounding prongs, to an extent - they are not always the longest prong.

If I was going to play devil's advocate, I would say TRs might actually be more dangerous to a child who makes a conscious effort to defeat one. It requires them to have an object in both sides of the circuit, probably one in each hand.

Greg:

I wonder now that you put the above on the table, IF anyone thought of that!

I could see a child in a resi setting have more oppertunity to follow your scenario, then a child in a supervised child care facility.

A curious child, presented with a puzzle can be a powerful force.
I feel the same way about trigger locks on guns.

Small device motion is a positive attractor for toddlers.

In economic terms, TR receptacles are a total loser.

GFCI make more sense.

There's an ad campaign that asks us to look at various social issues through the "lens of liberty."

Let's apply that to the NEC. Just how much of it would pass that test? How much is well-meaning fluff that we can do just fine without? How much of the NEC is dedicated to correcting messes brought about by the NEC itself?

Let's get these TR requirements off the books.