Appliance. Utilization equipment, generally other than industrial, that is normally built in
standardized sizes or types and is installed or connected as a unit to perform one or more
functions such as clothes washing, air conditioning, food mixing, deep frying, and so
forth.
Approved. Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
See the definition of authority having jurisdiction and 110.2 for a better understanding of
the approval process. Understanding NEC terms such as listed, labeled, and identified (as
applied to equipment) will also assist the user in understanding the approval process.
Listed equipment will more readily be approved by an authority having jurisdiction
where the authority accepts the laboratory's listing mark. Other options may be available
for the jurisdiction to approve equipment, including evaluation by the inspection
authority or field evaluation by a qualified laboratory or individual. Where an evaluation
is conducted on site, industry standards such as NFPA 79, Electrical Standard for
Industrial Machinery (if applicable), should be used.
Arc-Fault Circuit Interupter (AFCI). A device intended to provide protection from the
effects off arc faults by recognizing characteristics unique to arcing and by functioning to
de-energize the circuit when an arc fault is detected.
Askarel. A generic term for a group of nonflammable synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbons
used as electrical insulating media.
Informational Note: Askarels of various compositional types are used.
Under arcing conditions, the gases produced, while consisting predominantly of
noncombustible hydrogen chloride, can include varying amounts of combustible gases,
depending on the askarel type.
Attachment Plug (Plug Cap) (Plug). A device that, by insertion in a receptacle,
establishes a connection between the conductors of the attached flexible cord and the
conductors connected permanently to the receptacle.
Standard attachment caps are available with built-in options, such as switching, fuses, or
even ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection.
Attachment plug contact blades have specific shapes, sizes, and configurations so that a
receptacle or cord connector will not accept an attachment plug of a voltage or current
rating different from that for which the device is intended.
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). An organization, office, or individual
responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving
equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure.
FPN: The phrase “authority having jurisdiction,” or its acronym AHJ, is used in NFPA
documents in a broad manner, since jurisdictions and approval agencies vary, as do their
responsibilities. Where public safety is primary, the authority having jurisdiction may be
a federal, state, local, or other regional department or individual such as a fire chief; fire
marshal; chief of a fire prevention bureau, labor department, or health department;
building official; electrical inspector; or others having statutory authority. For insurance
purposes, an insurance inspection department, rating bureau, or other insurance company
representative may be the authority having jurisdiction. In many circumstances, the
property owner or his or her designated agent assumes the role of the authority having
jurisdiction; at government installations, the commanding officer or departmental official
may be the authority having jurisdiction.
The important role of the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) cannot be overstated in the
current North American safety system. The basic role of the AHJ is to verify that an
installation complies with the Code. The definition of authority having jurisdiction and
the accompanying explanation (the FPN) bring a sense of uniformity to the Code, since
this exact definition has appeared in many other NFPA documents for quite some time.
This definition is very helpful in understanding Code enforcement, the inspection
process, the definition of approved, and 90.7 and 110.2.
Automatic. Performing a function without the necessity of human intervention.