Is it legal to lock a main breaker box?

[genethurman4]

I have a friend who runs a business. Their main breaker is on the outside of the building right along a busy back alley. Inside the building directly behind that main breaker is the panel with all the individual breakers. The box looks similar to this:

If you look on the bottom, there is the tab that sticks out with the hole, which is meant for a small padlock. The problem is that the box, had a plastic tab. Why the manufacturer used a plastic tab (the rest of the box is metal), is beyond me. It had a lock on it, but the plastic tab broke off, and ever since people keep shutting off the power at least once a month. That affects all kinds of electronic equipment inside, and disrupts business. The business owner is a woman who dont understand all the technical issues, she just wants the box to be tamper proof. I told her I'd see what can be done, and will install something if possible.

I suggested drilling a few holes and putting a hasp on the box, with pop rivets and padlocking it, but I tend to wonder if there is any sort of legal requirements. I suppose in the event of a fire, the Fire Dept might want to shut off the power. This makes me question what to do. I'm also not sure who to ask locally about this? Maybe the power company?????

Anyone know anything about this?

One other thought was to drill a hole right below that slot and just use a cable tie through the slot and the hole. Anyone can cut it off, but it might be enough to discourage them. Right now all they need to do is lift the cover and shut off the breaker. At least a cable tie would require more effort by tamperers, and still be easily cut in an emergency.

Is this covered in the USA electrical codes? I dont have the book. (Are the codes available online?)

Gene

[gfretwell]

This comes under the definition of readily accessible. You are allowed to put disconnects and overcurrent devices behind a locked door to prevent access by unauthorized persons as long as all tenants have a key.

The fire department is not an issue. If they want in, they will get in.

The NFPA 70 handbook says "The definition of readily accessible does not preclude the use of a locked door for service equipment or rooms containing service equipment, provided those for whom ready access is necessary have a key (or lock combination) available."

[Ed Pawlowski]

If it was high voltage, even inside it would be required to have a lock. In this case, code or not, it world be locked.

[Ralph Mowery]

I think you may have it backwards. OSHA is concerned about locking electrical items so no power can be applied.

At work there are atleast 100 breaker panels. We put hasps on them to lock them. Later we were told that we could not do this and to take all the hasps off. Seems that it is not legal to lock a breaker in the ON position. We have to lock out each circuit in the panel when we work on them instead of locking some off and some on.

The rules are very 'funny' from one time to the next and maybe even in each city. While they probably will not know, it is best to check with someone in the electrical inspector department of the area you live.

[Tomsic]

The only code that matters is the one that has been adopted for your area. Enforcement of that code is up to the local electrical inspector. So, call the city or county office in your area and talk to the electrical inspector (no charge) and ask what you should do. If you can get something printed or written from the inspector's office on the subject, that's even better. It would be worth your while to go to the office and talk personally if that's possible.

Once you know what to do and complete the work, you may have to have it inspected and there could be a charge for that -- or you may even need a permit (not very likely) and there is sure to be a charge for that.

Anyway, work with the inspector who has probably encountered the situation before.

Tomsic

[Evan]

You are so full of shit, may AHJ's require total access to buildings protected by a fire alarm system which is connected to the fire departments dispatcher...

So yes, given the commercial occupancy access to the main utility cut offs no matter what flavor is something the fire department will have a say over...

A lock box containing keys which open the whole building is how a lot of those AHJ's define "readily accessible"...

[HeyBub]

Having a locked breaker box, and a secured lock-out box, might discourage a/c compressor coil thieves.

A lock certainly won't hinder the fire department. They'll rip the box off the wall in a nonce if they feel like it.

[Evan]

It sounds more like the business whose electrical service is arranged in this manner got hosed by the contractor which installed that particular style of enclosure given its location and the fact that it can be tampered with...

You should look at what possible replacements you could install which would be more tamper resistant... Installing an accessory padlock hasp on the particular enclosure you have now might only result in damage to the enclosure the next time the pranksters want to play at flipping the switch...

Is that the only means of service disconnect ? Is the meter can located adjacent to it ? Is the breaker panel inside main lug only or does it have an additional means of disconnect {a main breaker) also ?

It seems like the question to ask is why that specific type of equipment was installed... Was it required by the AHJ or was it just the best the contractor who installed it could cobble together ?

[gfretwell]

And your qualifications to call someone who quotes NFPA "full of shit" is ???

Cite the NEC rule that says the disconnect can't be inside a locked door.

[clare]

Darn thing should be INSIDE the building, for starters. In the office building where I work every morning, both the main transformer vault and the electrical service room, which contains a couple smaller transformers, main disconnect, several timers and 2 sub panels are under lock and key at all times. 2 other sub-panels are located in the kitchen. All 4 sub-panels have key-locks on the doors, but are not locked. This is in Canada - so could be different in the USA.

[Jim Yanik]

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in news:WKWdndpRJNlaH07SnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

In our TEKTRONIX field service center,we had a master cutoff button in the middle of the shop,easily accessible,that would shut down the entire shop's power,in case of someone getting "connected" while working on an energized instrument.

[TomR]

Is the National Electrical Code available online? -- Yes, here:

It is read-only and you can't print it out or cut and paste from the document, but it is free, and this link does not require people to set up a free account or log in.

Thanks for that answer. I am interested in the same question as the OP about whether it is okay to put a lock on this outside main cutoff.

From what you wrote, it seems like it is okay. Maybe also giving a copy of the key to the local fire department would be considered the appropriate protocol. But, if it is a small padlock, all local fire departments carry bolt cutters on their vehicles so cutting off the padlock in the event of an emergency would be no problem for them even without a key.

Do you happen to know where the citation in the NEC about this is located? The free online version of the NEC is a little cumbersome to use so finding the correct citation is sometimes a problem.

For those who posted that the contractor should not have put the main cutoff outside, that is a requirement in some areas for some types of buildings (commercial, multiple dwellings, etc). And, my understanding is that the purpose is so that the local fire department can cut off the power in an emergency.

[gfretwell]

Access to the service disconnect is in 230.70(A)(1) "(1) Readily Accessible Location. The service disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either outside of a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service conductors."

Readily accessible is defined in article 100

"Accessible, Readily (Readily Accessible). Capable of being reached quickly for operation, renewal, or inspections without requiring those to whom ready access is requisite to climb over or remove obstacles or to resort to portable ladders, and so forth."

[bob haller]

nZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]:

we had that at my technical school, a master safety off. the room has been reused for other things but the wood floor and that buttons box are still there unused.....

electronics has morphed into computers, my step son is taking that class......

good old AW Beattie tech school, now renamed career center

[Ed Pawlowski]

You can save it (all 840 pages) on your hard drive as a PDF file. Then, as you see below, you can copy and paste. Thanks for the link.

IMPORTANT NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS CONCERNING NFPA DOCUMENTS NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY CONCERNING THE USE OF NFPA DOCUMENTS NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides, of which the document contained herein is one, are developed through a consensus standards development process approved by the American National Standards Institute. This process brings together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on fire and other safety issues. While the NFPA administers the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its codes and standards.

>

[gfretwell]

That is translated to the code is written by a group of industry reps and building code officials and suggested changes come from anyone who wants to write a proposal. This becomes a model code that is adopted almost universally as law in the US and many other countries. Then the AHJs and legislatures make amendments. After that the AHJs decide what it means to them in their patch. Such is the business.

[trader4]

That's what I was thinking too. You don't necessarily need a strong lock on it. Just a small lock will discourage 99.9% of the problem. With nothing on it, any kid walking by can see it as an invitation for mischef and just open it and flip it off. With even a small padlock, they are unlikely to bother screwing with it.

Also, regarding the fire department in a fire emergency, around here they typically don't go looking for the disconnect. They go looking for the meter and pull it out. If the meter is outside and accessible, then I wouldn't worry about the fire dept not being able to cut power.

[Evan]

You are full of shit as far as this quote:

"The fire department is not an issue. If they want in, they will get in. "

By your own quotation of the the NFPA regs your statement of the above is bullshit as the fire department is one entity to whom ready access to the utility cut offs is mandatory...

The NEC is one set of standards which must be complied with, in commercial occupancies you can not get an certificate of occupancy unless the fire department also signs off, not just the wiring or building inspector... Having a lock on a main disconnect or having that disconnect located in a locked closet or room would not be "readily accessible" per NEC nor as defined by the fire department without providing a key which is secured in a fire department only accessible lock box...

So it seems that any proposed solution which does not need both the NFPA criteria as well as the NEC (or whatever local electrical code being enforced) for being "readily accessible" would not pass muster which includes any ideas which leave the fire department wanting for a key to the main shut offs of any utility...

[Evan]

What I said was, the contractor who located the main service disconnect outside should have used a more hardened enclosure... Anything made of plastic and exposed outside is not of a durable construction...

Also as to the local requirements to have a means of disconnect located outside, does that requirement actually require the main over current protection device to be that means of disconnect or would a properly sized and rated weather tight NEMA safety switch in the line between the meter can and the main panel also fulfill that provision of an exterior means of shut off...

[krw]

You're nutz!