ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Light fixture needed?

There is going to be a new well house built in my area. This well house doesn't pump water but it pumps raw sewage. The wet well is about 27 feet dep and there is 2 sumpmersible pumps in there. There is a ladder going down into the pump area so people can maintain these pumps. The question becomes, Is there a code that says there has to be a light fixture inside the wet well? There are 2 large "bilko" steel doors over top of this well pit. The people who are building it say that lights aren't required because you would not go down inside the pit at night. Any work done inside would be done during the day. Anybody see any code sections that would require these lights? One reason they don't want to put lights inside of pit is because they would have to be explosion type lights.

Harold

Check Article 110 for the rule that covers Illumination, or use 110.3(A)(8).

NFPA 820 covers the types of locations you described.

Bottom line, the llumination is necessary for safety.

Joe

[This message has been edited by Joe Tedesco (edited 08-30-2002).]

Joe,

In my state (NJ) I do have the right to quote sec. 820 of the NFPA. I have used this before because the town didn't want ventilation or gas detectors in a wet well. I quoted from the section of NFPA 820 citing where it is required. I kep thinking of the people who have to maintain these buildings. Just imagine the area filled with methane gas, the guy goes to open the door to see why a pump has failed, turns on the switch and POW! He will be blown over to the next county. I will review NFPA 820 this weekend on line and see what I can find. Thanks a lot. Have a great weekend.

Caper

Harold, (and Joe)
We have the right to quote ANY NFPA, ANSI, ACI, etc. standard by Va USBC. Wouldn't NFPA 70E cover this situation as well? I do not have mine at home naturally, but I do believe it has a section on illumimation.

But another source would be OSHA 1926 I think, maybe 1910 also.

George,

In NJ the state tells me under the Uniform Construction Code, (UCC) what sections of the NFPA I can quote. I can't qouate the whole code book, however I can quote certain section. Section 820 of the NFPA is one of the sections that I do enforce. I was just wondering if there was a code section ( chapter and verse) In the NEC or NFPA that says, lights ARE required in a wet well. I can just hear th moaning now from the engineers and electricians that "Do you know how much explosion proof fixtures are?" They are going to try and talk their way out of this requirment. So my boss is going to want a code section that states that "lights are required." and not just a section that says, Up to the AHJ.