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Disconnect switches and the NFPA79

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I've got a question for those of you that are well-versed with US electrical regulations. The place I work for set up a piece of equipment as a standalone workcell, that was removed from a larger system. There are three electrical panels for controls, as well as a couple robot controllers and another small enclosure that is attached to a packaged piece of machinery. My question is about the three control panels. None of them have any sort of disconnecting means on the outside, but have manual rotary switches in them. Two of them are fed by a bussdrop cable that goes overhead and drops down about 100' away at a load center near another piece of machinery. The third panel is fed from one of the two mains-fed panels. So here's my question.. Is there any requirement about how close the disconnect switch must be to the supplied panels(s)? Does the voltage of the circuit affect this? One of them may only be 120VAC, but I'm sure the other one is 460 3ph. Is it acceptable for there to just be a placard showing a map of the floor that says "Lock it out over THERE"?

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Sounds like you are looking for NFPA 70 - 430.102 "An individual disconnecting means shall be provided for each controller and shall disconnect the controller. The disconnecting means shall be located in sight from the controller location"

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That sounds like what I'm looking for. Although that doesn't mention distance, the load center that feeds this equipment is not in direct line of sight of the control panels. Part of another workcell is blocking it. Thank you!

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Check 2007 NFPA 79 - 5.3.1.3 "The supply circuit disconnecting means other than attachment plugs and receptacles shall be mounted within the control enclosure or immediately adjacent thereto." "Exception: Externally mounted supply circuit disconnecting means, whether interlocked or not interlocked with the control enclosure, supplying machines totaling 2 HP or less shall be permitted to be mounted up to 6 m (20 ft) away from the enclosure providing that the disconnecting means is in sight from and readily accessible to the operator."

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A little further down from NFPA 70 - 430.102: "(B) Motor. A disconnecting means shall be located in sight from the motor location and the driven machinery location. The disconnecting means required in accordance with 430.102(A) shall be permitted to serve as the disconnecting means for the motor if it is located in sight from the motor location and the driven machinery location. Exception: The disconnecting means shall not be required to be in sight from the motor and the driven machinery location under either condition (a) or (b), provided the disconnecting means required in accordance with 430.102(A) is individually capable of being locked in the open position. The provision for locking or adding a lock to the disconnecting means shall be permanently installed on or at the switch or circuit breaker used as the disconnecting means. (a) Where such a location of the disconnecting means is impracticable or introduces additional or increased hazards to persons or property (b) In industrial installations, with written safety procedures, where conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified persons service the equipment FPN No. 1:Some examples of increased or additional hazards include, but are not limited to, motors rated in excess of 100 hp, multimotor equipment, submersible motors, motors associated with variable frequency drives, and motors located in hazardous (classified) locations. " Note the exception. If it's lockable, it can be almost anywhere (not behind locked doors). I hate the installation where they force me to put in disconnects next to the vfd controlled motors. Invariably, they start calling because the vfds are being executed by folks yanking the disconnects...

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