ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues 110.3(B) Installation and Use, 2023

At first glance this section seems to simply say that instructions may now be retrieved using QR codes printed on the label. Seems pretty innocuous.
Whoa, Nelly! Back up to 110.3(A)! The language there appears to restrict “suitable” equipment to items labeled / listed by the manufacturer for the particular use.
Listed. Labeled. Manufactured. Think about that.

Ours is a CONSTRUCTION trade. We MAKE things. This section is a back door to someone coming around and saying “you are not allowed to make anything yourself.”
We all made “luminaires” in shop class. Today’s code specifically says we can’t do that anymore.
What about extension cords? Power centers we’ve cobbled together for job-site power?

My personal favorite is the 40MM ammo box I made into a charcoal-fired oven for heating PVC conduit. Code says to use “identified” equipment, so I took a Sharpie and wrote “PVC Heater” on it. There, it’s “identified.” Is 110.3 now hinting I’m not allowed to do that anymore?

I doubt it is a coincidence that folks from U/L and NEMA sit on the CMPs. They sell manufactured products and people pay for listings.
Nobody at U/L is making money if you build something in the field.
It is true that a lot of AHJs and life safety departments will say, if you replace the cord cap on an extension cord or a line cord, it is no longer listed. It begs the question,"why sell cord caps at all"?

We were not allowed to replace cord caps at IBM. We had to order the whole cord assembly, with a NRTL tag on it. That was one reason the C13 connector became an industry standard. You could just swap cords.