HP
REGION II
REGION II
Region II Officers
2009—2010
Region II
Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 1
January 31, 2012
ADVANCING THE PROFESSION
Region Vice President (RVP)
(2008-2010, 2010-2012)
James G Gallup, PE, CSP
jg@jamesgallup.com
A REGION II SUCCESS STORY - SAFETY FEST 2004-2012
foundational work that makes it successful
along with about 28 founding partners and
their contributions which can include managing sessions and providing speakers. A remarkable expansion from the original URS
and OSHA Alliance.
Deputy RVP & Area A Director
(2008-2010, 2010-2012)
Harold Gribow, MS, CSP, ARM
harold@gribow.com
Area B Director
(2009-2011, 2011-2013)
Michael F. Lorenzo, MS, CSP
michael.lorenzo@pinnacol.com
URS/SRC Members deserving kudos for their
many dedicated hours tying so much of this
together include: Willie Piispanen, Michelle
Steeler (vendor Mgn.), Susie Vader (Chapter
President-Elect), Holly Garcia, Margaret Phelps
and Brad Giles (ASSE Fellow and URS VP EH&S).
TREASURER - Region II
Denis White, CSP, CPCU
deniswhite916@msn.com
Inside this issue:
Sharing the solutions;
2
Spotlight on a Region II
Success Story, from P.1
Jim’s RVP Message;
Student Leadership &
Safety in Pictures
ROC Schedule, RII
WEB Site;
3
Standards Updates;
4
Scaffolding Safety A10.8
2011, OSHA quick
takes; BIG SKY PDC;
ASP/CSP Class (SRC)
Technical Corner “Silica Update” &
CRANE Inspection
check list link
Technical Corner “Class I Hazardous
locations with the
NEC”
5
&
6
7
&
8
(Above right) Willie Piispanen, CIH, CSP, CEA, CMIOSH Senior Director ES&H, URS Corporation, former
RII Area B Director and member of the Snake River
Chapter shown with a 2010 registrant.
The initial Safety Fest was announced in
2004 and was attended by 189 registrants,
mostly local (i.e. Boise area), filling 416 seats
for the 26 classes offered. Registrants for
the 2012 Boise “Fest” ending this January
27th totaled just under 1,100 registrants, an
increase of a remarkable 682%. The number
of classes offered in 2010 had increased to
45 (+273%) and filled 1,652 seats (+497%)
covering 8 States. (2012 final numbers
won’t be available in time for this issue.)
The Boise event has served as model for additional
Safety Fests in four other cities in Idaho plus Montana, Oregon and in 2012, the first Safety Fest of
the Pacific in Dublin, California.
Six Snake River Chapter (SRC) members
currently work for URS and play key roles in
planning, organizing and the doing the hard
PLANNING and other components = Success:
Management Structure of Safety Fest:
 Management team of URS, OSHA Boise Area
office, and Idaho Department of Technical Education.
 Planning Committee made up of volunteer Partners. Partners take responsibility for classes and
solicit or nominate instructors that they know
and coordinate speaker’s participation in the
event.
Logistics and site support:


Planning Committee includes URS ES&H and IT
depts. Last year URS added a employee from
Their Boise General Services as a committee
member to facilitate communication and logistics
support.
Volunteers for the event come from Safety Fest
Partners and URS office Safety Committee
members who provide all on-site event support.
(Continued top of page 2)
EDITORS CORNER - Important Vote for RVP - 2012-2014
The final slate for 2012 elections have been set and their
platforms will be published in
the February PS Journal including our two very fine RII Candi-
dates for RVP, Michael Lorenzo
and John Braun. Voting commences March 1st ending on the
31st. I would urge everyone to
look at Michael and John, not as
1
your local regional area “guy”
but as the next 2012-2014 Regional Vice President to lead us
over the next 2, maybe 4 years.
Be a voter! - Ernie Harper, Editor -
Region II Newsletter
Page 2
NEWS AROUND REGION II —Spotlight on Safety Fest - 2004 to 2012
(Continued from page 1)
 Vendor coordinator is managed by a Michelle Steeler, past
President and former Chapter Delegate for SRC.


The building owner, American Resurgence Management, provides building operations support and security with maintenance employees participating in training classes.

Trade show is two days and includes vendor bingo for door
prize drawings for donated items from vendors (very popular). All tenant employees of the multi- building complex can
participate in the trade show even if they are not registered.
Vendors participate in a 2 day trade show for $250 fee. Fee
income is used to offset event costs. This is the only income
of the event; no grants or subsidies are used in funding.

Coffee and snack breaks were donated by event-recognized
sponsors but all class rooms had bottled water provided.

Vendor display tables and chairs are donated by a Partner.
Advertising is direct mailing (URS donates mailing costs) with
a web site registration process (designed and administered by
URS) plus limited radio and news public service announcements. Founding partners distribute flyers directly to employees, clients and others and promote the event directly.

The facility food management service (a partner) provided a
$2.50 food voucher to each attendee and $5.00 lunch
voucher to each working event volunteer. Restaurant (the
Ram Brew Pub) across the street (a partner) provided 30 %
off vouchers for all attendees.
Venders and Advertising:


class and collects the class evaluations.
Instructors prepare their own material but for some infrequent cases, financial support for purchased class material
(flagger books as an example or scaffolding rental charges)
was provided by a partner donation either direct or in kind.
Venue of Event:

Multi Day event with half day opening session in URS auditorium (no charge for facility).

Concurrent classes offered daily at URS. Some offsite facilities
including Boise State University and the AGC Boise office are
used. Parking lot and loading dock are available for equipment
training. URS provides all audio-visual support.

Each class includes a class monitor who manages class logistics
including bottles water and note pad, records attendance,
assists speaker, delivers certificates of completion at end of
Measures of Successes: (See extra “Heavy Equipment
photo” from the 2010 class on page 4, bottom.)

Numerous requests for repeats of classes that are offered
demonstrate the desire and need for quality safety training.

Class offerings included compliance driven classes such
OSHA 10 hour, HAZWOPER, fall protection, rigging etc.
plus non-compliance classes in topic such as training techniques, substance abuse management, first aid/CPR, environmental regulations, industrial hygiene, noise monitoring, ergonomics, and chemical management issues, etc.
(Continued below left)
Share the
Region II & Local News—Advancing the Profession (Cont’d)
Solutions  Participating government officials incaptured in the annual event waiting list helps to fill classes to assure
reports along with photos
full capacity (a bit of a challenge to
cluding Dirk Kempthorne, former Sec.
and News
(professional photographer manage).
of Interior; Edwin Foulke Jr., former
Advancing
is use which is one of the
Assist Sec. of Labor; Butch Otter,
Spanish language classes are poorly
the Safety
current Governor of Idaho and Dick
event direct costs.)
attended. Different avenues of advertisTerrill, OSHA Region X AdministraProfession
ing have been used without noticeable
 Cost per participant is
SPOTLIGHT
on
Safety
Fest
2004-2012


tor, Steve Manning, Idaho Department
of Health Safety Director, and Dean
Ikeda, current OSHA Region X Administrator).
Event included Spanish translation of
presentations for Spanish speakers in a 
designated section of the auditorium.
tracked and is exceptionally
low due to volunteer efforts
and in kind contributions and
sponsorships.
Vendor trade fair is well
attended but we do not
share attendee information
with vendors to prevent
marketing calls.
There are numerous anecdotal stories
of small and medium contractors taking advantage of opportunities. Event is
scheduled in peak slack construction
Challenges:
period to encourage participation.
Because the event is free, there are
Worker evaluation comments are
a large number of no shows but a
2
improvement. Now partnering with the
Mexican Consulate to see if this improves our out-reach success.
Printing certificates during class requires on-site technical support and
class monitor coordination. In a lot of
cases, workers enter their names illegibly on the sign in sheets which requires
re printing and mailing certificates.
Delivering certificates at end of class is
considered critical so that workers have
records in their hands and not having
to mail them to their employers. (End)
Volume 6, Issue 1
Page 3
A Message From Jim, Your 2008 - 2012 Region II VP
Jim Gallup, P.E., CSP
Senior Fire Protection Consultant with
Rolf Jensen and Associates (RJA)
http://
www.rjagroup.com/
rja/index.php
REGION II VP REPORT— January 22,
2012
Greetings to Region II!
We use this column to keep individual members
of Region II informed on the latest information
from the Region and the Society.
Please send as many of your students as
possible to the Region II Student Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City on April
20-21. It will be a great time for the students.
Because the ROC is at the same time, please
consider sending some extra Chapter Board
Members as an educational experience and to
interact with the Region II Students present.
(Cont’d from lower left)
reimbursement is available through
the NORA symposium.
Arrangements are made for student
lodging, registration and meals. The
conference is being funded by Region
II and through a grant from Society.
As a result, the only cost incurred
for attendees is the cost of travel.
Chapters are encouraged to assist in
funding the travel costs for student
members. Space is limited to 30
students. We expect to provide
additional webcasts for those who
are not able to attend but are interested in joining all or part of the
conference remotely.
Safety in Pictures
Have you looked at your facility
maintenance employee risk exposures
lately? This crane is lifting a very heavy
motor into an equipment bay’s narrow
opening guided by a site mechanicalelectrical technician.
Watch for updates including information about registration and lodging as the event draws nearer!
(http://www.mech.utah.edu/ergo/
pages/ASSE/SLC) Q’s, Contact Task
Force Chair, Andrew Merryweather
< a.merryweather@utah.edu >
See you in Salt Lake, Jim
***********************************
Editor - With appreciation to Michael Lorenzo, Area

B Director, we add the following:.
THE NEXT REGIONAL
OPERATING COMMITTEE
(ROC’s) MEETINGS ARE:
Dangerous? Not much doubt!
SLC - April 20-21, 2012
Code violation? Yes. It is non Boise - Fall 2012
STUDENT LEADERSHIP - April 20-21, 2012
 Phoenix - Spring 2013 TBD? compliant with OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.
23 (c) (1) which covers maintenance
2012 Student Leadership Conference (SLC) Pre-  TBD?
from elevated platforms. (Note platforms
sented by Region II of the American Society of
are interpreted as any elevated surface
Effective July 1st, 2011
Safety Engineers in Conjunction with the Spring
designed, used or required or allowed to walk on
Regional 2012 Operating Committee
CoPD: Trish Ennis (2009-2012)
or work from while performing assigned tasks.
Student Members of ASSE in Region II are invited CoPA: Diane K. Hale (2011-2013) Paraphrased from OSHA Instruction STD 1to join the officers of ASSE Region II in Salt Lake CoPS: George Pearson (2010-2012)
1.13.)
City, Utah for the Region II 2012 Student Leader- CoMRA: Kathy Seabrook (20112012)
ship Conference.
Question for the reader? The Crane
The conference will feature industry experts and
operator has full safety responsibility
ASSE leaders to address the attendees on relefor proper crane maintenance and
Have you tried our
vant topics that will be selected by student memoperation. If, the employee had fallen
bers in Region II.
Region II Website Yet? and was not an employee of the crane
company, would the operator or his
http://region2.asse.org
The 2012 SLC will be hosted by the Utah Chapcompany be held responsible? By
ter of ASSE at the historic Officers Club on the
code, no. In court, unlikely but always
campus of the University of Utah (http://
Questions or requests
possible.
www.universityguesthouse.com/Officers-Club).
for Region II’s Web Site
Students are also invited to attend and present in
Had there been employees “under”
contact our liaison,
the Annual NORA Symposium April 19-20, 2012
the load without provisions for their
as part of the experience (http://
safety (written plan) even if unharmed,
Holli
Merchant
www.mech.utah.edu/ergo/pages/NORA/
claims of negligence could complicate
nora_home.htm). If students choose to particieverything.
– Editor’s personal file &
hmerchant@ehsdocuments.com
pate in NORA, travel (continued above right)
comment 3
ASSE SOCIETY AND OTHER NEWS FOR THE SAFETY PROFESSIONAL
Standards
Updates
*******************
ANSI/ASSE A10.8-2011:
SCAFFOLDING SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS
NOW AVAILABLE
The A10.8 Standard has for
years been viewed as one of the
definitive documents used by
SH&E Professionals when
working with scaffolding related
hazards and exposures. The
A10.8 Standard has been newly
revised after ten years and
was approved as an American
National Standard on August 31,
2011 with an effective date of
February 13, 2012.
The A10.8 Standard has for
years been viewed as one of the
definitive documents used by
SH&E Professionals when
working with scaffolding related
hazards and exposures. The
A10.8 Standard has been newly
revised after ten years and
was approved as an American
National Standard on August 31,
2011 with an effective date of
February 13, 2012.
The A10.8 standard establishes
safety requirements for the
construction, operation,
maintenance and use of scaffolds
used in the construction,
alteration, demolition and
maintenance of buildings and
structures. It does not cover
permanently installed suspended
scaffold systems or aerial
platforms.
Tim Fisher and staff have put
together an extensive tech brief
addressing the standard
http://www.asse.org/
publications/standards/a10/
A10.8TechBrief.pdf
You can order the standard and
comparison document via the
URL below:
https://www.asse.org/
cartpage.php?
link=a10_08CPKG_2011
OSHA—”QUICK
PICKS,” a twice monthly
vides them to another employer-at
three of the four warehouses inspected. In this situation, both
employers are potentially liable for
violations of safety and health
regulations that are meant to prevent workers' injuries or illnesses.
The warehouse inspections were
prompted by complaints received
from Warehouse Workers United
and a worker's heat illness injury in
August 2011. The employer failed
to recognize the symptoms as heat
-related or address conditions that
led to the worker's illness. See the
news release for more information. - Editor note: Federal OSHA
regulations carry the same provisions
for safety non-compliance and severe
penalties.
publication is available via
email and often provides a useful means to track issues of
interest to the safety professional. You can check this out
by going to:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/quicktakes/
e_subscribe.subscribe
Cal/OSHA Issues $256,445 in
citations to warehouse operators
The California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA)
issued $256,445 in citations to two
companies in Chino, Cal., for violations discovered during warehouse
inspections that found unsafe working conditions. Cal/OSHA issued
citations to warehouse owner National Distribution Centers and its
temporary staffing contractor, Tri
State Staffing, for more than 60
violations at four warehouses. The
violations include lack of fall protection for high-rise pickers, unstable
storage stacking and unguarded
machinery. Cal/OSHA found a dualemployer relationship-where one
employer hires workers and pro-
New OSHA worker educational publication on protection from noise in construction
OSHA published a new educational
publication for construction workers, Protecting Yourself from Noise in
Construction. The booklet, written
for workers and employers, provides information on the hazards
of loud noise in construction, how
noise levels are measured, and
how to find out if noise on the job
site or from tools is loud enough
to cause hearing loss. It also gives
examples of administrative and
engineering controls employers
can use to reduce worker exposure to noise, as well as information on the proper selection and
use of personal hearing protection. To order copies of this or
other OSHA publications please
call 1-800-321-OSHA or 202-693
-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications Web page.
OSHA
educational
facts
sheets provide information
on preventing falls in residential construction
Three recent Fact Sheets published by OSHA address fall prevention during roofing operations
in residential construction. These
and other Fact Sheets can be
downloaded from OSHA's Publications Web page: Reducing Falls
During Residential Construction:
Roof Sheathing* Reducing Falls
During Residential Construction:
Installing Standing Seam Metal
Roofs*
Reducing Falls During
Residential Construction: ReRoofing*
More REGION II NEWS—Members & Chapters In The News
Intermountain Northwest Safety
Conference
April 4 & 5,
2012 Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, 1500
Fairmont Road, Fairmont, MT 59711
1.800.332.3272
Conference room rates: $96.00/night
plus tax if reserved by March 4, 2012
You may also register from the website
at http://bigsky.asse.org. Click the Intermountain Northwest Safety Conference tab on the left.
CEUs will be available. We have an
amazing line up of speakers and topics. Join us for some career rejuvenation, networking opportunities, and to
see the latest and greatest in safety and
health products and services!
.
4
You may also register from the
website at http://
bigsky.asse.org. Click the Intermountain Northwest Safety Conference tab on the left. CEUs will
be available. We have an amazing
line up of speakers and topics. Join
us for some career rejuvenation,
networking opportunities, and to
see the latest and greatest in safety
and health products and services!
SAFETY FEST PHOTO
(Too good not to insert from Safety
Fest 2010) Heavy Equipment Class.
ASP/CSP CLASS SUCCESS:
The Snake River Chapter of
ASSE co-sponsored a 10week ASP/CSP study class
in conjunction with the
Boise OSHA office and the
BSU Center for Excellence
for Environmental Health
and Safety (CEEHS).
Twenty students signed up
for the 2-hour classes that
included expert level instruction, problem sessions
and study questions, and a
class binder for handouts
and notes to help prepare
for the Associate Safety
Professional (ASP) and
Certified Safety Professional (CSP) examinations.
Students rated the course
very successful.
THE TECHNICAL CORNER
Silica Update:
U.S. Forest Service/Oregon State
University Libraries
Controlling dust from activities like
this was on the minds of those in
the Department of Labor in the
1930s, as silicosis, a lung disease,
was taking a toll on American
workers. Above, a worker jackhammers into rock in Lassen National
Forest in California in 1934, preparing to shoot explosives.
February 1, 2012
Any job that involves breaking up rock
or concrete or brick can potentially expose workers to dangerous silica dust,
and last year it looked like the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration was about to put stricter controls in place
to limit this health hazard. But for almost a year, the proposed regulations have been stalled at the White House Office of Management and
Budget. Worker safety advocates are growing increasingly frustrated. They say instead of having a public debate, officials are meeting behind
closed doors with industry stakeholders who want to stop new rules.
Breathing tiny particles of silica, which is basically sand, can damage the lungs and cause silicosis. Sufferers can't get enough oxygen; they become
weak. There's no cure.
Workers can encounter silica dust while doing all kinds of jobs, from mining to manufacturing to construction. Experts estimate that there's
thousands of new silicosis cases each year, and hundreds of deaths. Silica has also been linked to other diseases like lung cancer.
"It's almost unbelievable that we have allowed something like this to go on for so long, without an effective means of controlling it," says Tee
Guidotti, a physician in Washington, D.C., who specializes in occupational health.
The government does limit the amount of silica workers can be exposed to, he says, but that exposure limit dates to the 1960s. Guidotti says a
safe limit would be half of what's currently allowed.
So he was pleased when, last Valentine's Day, the Department of Labor sent the OMB a new proposal for regulating silica. That office has to
review the proposal before it is made public, and that review was supposed to take only 90 days.
It's almost unbelievable that we have allowed something like this to go on for so long, without an effective means of controlling it. - Tee Guidotti, occupational health expert
As the one-year anniversary approaches, many safety advocates wonder what's holding things up. Records show that officials have held nine
private meetings on the issue.
Guidotti went to one, which was requested by a medical group, the American
Thoracic Society. He says officials didn't ask too many questions. "But you could
tell from what they did ask that they were very well-briefed," Guidotti says. "So
they know about this. They know it well."
Most of the other meetings were with industry groups, like the American
Chemistry Council's Crystalline Silica Panel.
Jackson Morrill, who heads this coalition of companies and industry associations,
says they asked officials not to lower the level that workers can be exposed to.
Morrill says the current level is adequate to protect worker health and safety,
and that any changes could cost billions. In his view, the real problem is employers who ignore the current rules and the answer is better enforcement.
A worker sprays water onto a large circular saw as the machine cuts
sandstone in Sydney, Australia, in 2005. Applying water can help reduce
the amount of dust that makes it into the air
(Continued page 6)
5
(Continued from page 5)
"I think that's the way forward and if we can reach universal compliance, it's certainly our hope that that would lead to an end to the silicosis
issue," Morrill says.
One member of this coalition, the National Industrial Sand Association, also opposes lowering the current exposure limit but would support
some new regulations.
Mark Ellis, the head of the association, says they argued for mandatory exposure monitoring and medical surveillance at certain silica levels — the
kind of measures that his industry is already doing voluntarily.
"We have been using this program since 1977 and it's proved successful in virtually eliminating silicosis from our workforce," Ellis says.
Government officials also have heard concerns from representatives from the construction industry.
Robert Matuga, with the National Association of Home Builders, says construction sites shouldn't be regulated in the same way as mines or
manufacturing plants because in construction, silica exposures can change from day to day.
"One of the things about the construction industry is that the job sites are constantly changing," he says. "The tasks and activities are really variable as the project progresses."
But Scott Schneider, with the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America, says there are plenty of studies showing how to control silica
in common construction tasks. And he says there's a clear need to act: "You know, anyone that walks by a construction site, you can often see
someone cutting concrete or cutting brick or block and huge clouds of dust coming from the saw."
Schneider attended one meeting with officials at the OMB that was requested by union groups and safety advocates so that they could express
their dismay at the long delay.
Chris Trahan, with the Center for Construction Research and Training, was at that meeting as well, and she says their message was simple: Let
the Department of Labor go public with its proposal and start a real debate, rather than holding discussions behind closed doors.
"It's not consistent with transparency; it's not consistent with open government," Trahan says. "What would be consistent with that would be to
allow the agency just to propose it. And let the process move forward."
The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health issued a statement in December saying it was "deeply distressed" that the
proposed new regulations had been under review for so long.
"The current standard is many decades old and is insufficient to protect workers from this serious occupational health hazard," the advisory committee noted. "The silica rule delay is extraordinary and without explanation, and there is no indication as to when the review will be concluded."
Michael Silverstein, the chairman of the committee, says having the rule tied up behind closed doors is irresponsible. "Whether or not the current
standard is being entirely complied with — and it's not — does not change the fact that the current standard is too weak," he says. "The acceptable baseline needs to be lowered."
We have been using this program since 1977 and it's proved successful in virtually eliminating silicosis from our workforce.
- Mark Ellis, National Industrial Sand Association
Those concerns were echoed by Steven Fess, who serves as the chairman of the construction committee for the American Industrial Hygiene
Association.
"American construction workers shouldn't have to rely on 35-year-old science for protection," says Fess. "The standard is out of date, and OSHA
itself acknowledges that the standard is obsolete."
An OMB spokeswoman said the office doesn't comment on regulations under review, but it's not uncommon for reviews to be extended. She
said the office grants meetings to all parties and individuals who request them.
A Labor Department spokesman said that OSHA was working with the White House office "to address complex issues related to the costs,
benefits and economic impact analyses." This has required "extensive new analyses by OSHA" and additional review, he said, but OSHA would
"continue to complete the required steps in the rule-making process as quickly as possible."
(END)
New OSHA compliant SC&RA crane inspection checklists available
02 February 2012 - US international trade association the SC&RA has released two checklists to help fleet owners perform annual inspections of
telescopic and lattice boom cranes to ensure compliance with OSHA safety standards.
Each checklist contains over 150 item listings for inspection on a crane’s outriggers, boom, hoists and hydraulics, as well as a deficiency report and
a chart for recording load tests. For the Lattice Boom Crane Annual Inspection Checklist a section on wire rope inspection and testing is also
included. The SC&RA says that both the 165-item Telescoping Boom Crane Annual Inspection Checklist and the 189-item lattice boom crane
version conform to the latest OSHA standards in the Crane and Derricks in Construction final rule. (continued page 7) In addition the SC&RA
6
has updated its two-page Crane Safety Inspection Form for daily and monthly inspections, which contains over 100 item listings for safety checks.
All three forms are available from the SC&RA onine order form . Editor note: Costs for these pads and check list kits typically are under $20 (USD)
and may be available from other venders competitively.
Class I Hazardous Locations – Based on the 2011 NEC
Editor note - A number of significant changes have occurred since the 2008 National Electrical Code was issued. The following reflects
a few extractions within Section 500, 501 of the 2011 NEC and should not be relied on without verifying the specific code.
If an area contains ignitable gases, dusts, or other ignitible fibers or flyings, how do you install the wiring to avoid an explosion? Chapter 5, which
covers special occupancies, is the first of three NEC chapters that deals with special topics. What exactly is a “Special Occupancy?” It’s a location
where the facility or use of the physical facility creates specific conditions that require additional measures to ensure the “practical safeguarding of
people and property” purpose of the NEC, as put forth in Article 90
Conduit threads and fittings
The 2011 NEC includes extensive changes to the provisions addressing conduit threads and fittings. Threaded Conduit. All threaded conduits
must be made wrench tight to prevent arcing when ground-fault current flows through the raceway system and to ensure the explosion proof or
dust-ignition proof integrity of the raceway system [500.8(E)]. Equipment with NPT Threaded Entries. Threaded entries into explosive proof
equipment must be made up with at least 5 threads fully engaged [500.8 (E) (1)]. Exception, For Listed explosive proof equipment, factory
threaded entries must be made up with at least 4.5 threads fully engaged. - Editor note - NTP = National Pipe Thread Standard for thread taper.
Class I
If sufficient flammable or combustible gases, vapors, or liquids are (or may be) present to produce an explosive or ignitible mixture, you have a
Class I location. Examples of such locations include fuel storage areas, certain solvent storage areas, grain processing (where hexane is used),
plastic extrusion where oil removal is part of the process, refineries, and paint storage areas.
Article 500 contains a general background on hazardous locations, and it describes the differences between Class I, II, and III locations plus the
differences between Division 1 and Division 2 in each of the three classifications. Article 501 contains the actual Class I, Division 1 and Division 2
installation requirements, including wiring methods, seals, and specific equipment requirements.
Bonding of flexible raceway
Previous editions of the NEC stated that, in a hazardous location, “liquid tight flexible metal conduit shall not be used as the sole ground-fault
current path.” While this sounds like a great rule, it really doesn’t work. Why is that? Because of the definition of “ground-fault current path” in
250.2. Many things are “ground-fault current paths,” including the earth itself, although paths such as the earth certainly don’t achieve the goal of
this requirement. While the term “effective ground-fault current path” is better than the previous NEC language, the 2011 revision makes it even
simpler than that. It now tells you exactly what to do: use a green or bare wire in (or next to) these flexible wiring methods. Section 501.30(B)
has been revised to add clarity to the requirement.
Because of the explosive conditions associated with electrical installations in hazardous locations [500.5], electrical continuity of metal parts of
equipment and raceways must be ensured by one of the following methods, whether or not you install an equipment grounding conductor of the
wire type within the metal raceway [250.100]:
•
Threaded couplings or threaded entries on enclosures [250.92(B)(2)].
•
Threadless raceway couplings and connectors [250.92(B)(3)].
•
Bonding the raceway to an enclosure with listed devices such as a bonding-type locknut, bonding wedge, or bushing with a bonding jumper
[250.92(B)(4)].
Standard locknuts alone aren’t suitable for this purpose. 501.30(B) Bonding—Flexible Raceway. Liquid tight flexible metal conduit must have an
equipment bonding jumper of the wire type in accordance with 250.102. (Figure 501-30B0 01) Note that you need to size bonding jumpers per Table
250.122, based on the rating of the overcurrent device [250.102(D)]. Where installed outside of a raceway, the length of bonding jumpers must not exceed
6 ft and they must be routed with the raceway [250.102(E)(2)].
Flexible cords
Manufacturers are often asked to provide portable power carts (type of temporary portable assembly), consisting of such items as receptacles,
switches, and similar devices, for Class I locations. These carts are used during maintenance activities in areas such as refineries. The previous
Code language didn’t include a provision for this type of equipment to be supplied by a cord-and-plug-connection, due to the limitations placed on
flexible cord usage. Equipment such as this is now allowed, provided the individual components of the cart (or similar equipment) are listed for
the application [501.140(A)(5)]. While previously the NEC was clear on the topic of requiring seals on flexible cords in Class I locations, it didn’t
address cord connectors and attachment plugs.
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Even though it seems obvious that a cord connector/attachment plug in a Class I location would have to be listed for the application, the Code
didn’t clearly state this requirement. Now 501.140(B)(4) makes it clear that such a cord connector or attachment plug must be listed for the
location in which it’s installed. The change to 501.140(B)(5) is a correlating change to the one that occurred in 501.140(A)(5). When the temporary portable assemblies discussed in that section are used, the cord must be a single, continuous length.
Classes I, II, and III
Changes in Article 501 have similar counterparts in Articles 502 (Class II) and 503 (Class III). For example, the cross reference changes in 501.10
also show up in 502.10 and 503.10. Don’t just jump into any of these three articles. First, take the time to understand the relevant definitions and
concepts in Article 500. Article 500 is fairly long and detailed, and it contains many Informational Notes. So it can seem a bit much to digest.
However, not all of what’s in there is relevant to the Class you’re working in. If, for example, you’re working in a Class I location you’ll be referring to Article 501 and only the relevant parts of Article 500.
How hazardous is it?
A hazardous location is an area where the possibility of fire or explosion can exist due the presence of flammable or combustible gases or vapors,
combustible dusts, or ignitible fibers/flyings. Electric arcs, sparks, and/or heated surfaces can serve as a source of ignition in such environments.
Article 500 is the first of seven articles that address hazardous locations. It’s the basis for the other six. Articles 501, 502, and 503 provide the
requirements for Class I, Class II, and Class III locations, respectively. The class designations are defined by 500.5. Article 504 provides the requirements for “intrinsically safe” equipment used in Class I, II, and III locations.
Articles 510 through 517 cover specific occupancies; garages, aircraft hangers, motor fuel dispensing facilities, bulk storage plants, spray application, dipping and coating processes, and health care facilities [500.9].
Optical fiber cable
Composite optical fiber cable contains current-carrying conductors [770.2] and they’re capable of causing a dangerous spark that can ignite flammable atmospheres. In a hazardous location, you must install them the same way you install other conductors. On the other hand, nonconductive optical fiber cable [770.2] has no current-carrying conductors or metallic strength members. So it can’t ignite flammable atmospheres. Consequently, you don’t have to install it in accordance with Articles 500, 501, 502, or 503.
Threaded Conduit [500.8(E)]
This requirement ensures that if an explosion occurs within a raceway or enclosure, the expanding gas will sufficiently cool as it dissipates through
the threads. This prevents hot flaming gases from igniting the surrounding atmosphere of a hazardous location.
Keep in mind—it’s assumed that the flammable atmosphere outside the raceway will seep into the raceway system over time. The goal of the
Code is to contain any explosion that occurs inside the raceway so the event won’t ignite the flammable mixture outside the raceway system.
Editor note: While many safety professionals do not have a strong background in electrical or electronics many there are important electrical code articles
that are important to aid in recognizing electrical or product-related hazards and this is but one. The reader does not have to know “OHM’s Law” to learn
that exposed PRIMARY wiring including cord sets require two levels of protection (the bare wire insulation plus an outer insulation cover “if” not in a raceway.
Or that all switches and receptacles must be marked and otherwise identified and so on. Electrical hazards are one of the primary source of fires in the
United States both in industry and residential locations. Equipment disconnects must be within visual range of the operator and so on. Power strips
(Relocatable Power Taps) cannot be piggy-backed. Talk with your electrical experts and walk through the facility switchgear rooms and learn why combustibles cannot be stored in electrical rooms. Take electrical safety classes whenever possible, You may well be surprised by your eventual expertise in recognizing electrical hazards that you walk by every day now.
Earnest F. Harper, CSP, DABFE, DABFET, CFC
Editor
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