When working within which boundry are V-rated tools needed? LAB or RAB, I have conflicting information.

Thanks

lab, 130(d)(1)

Thanks!!! Thats what I thought but some training showed the RAB.

Insulated Tools

The NFPA 70E standard is very clear. It is LAB but OSHA is unclear. OSHA says, "working near" but leaves this undefined. NFPA 70E used to define working near in 2004 as LAB but dropped the definition for various reasons leaving insulated tools at LAB.

130.2(c)

What am I missing when I read 130.2(C) which states:

No qualified person may take any conductive object closer to exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts operating at 50 volts or more than the Restricted Approach Boundary set forth in Table 130.2(C), unless any of the following apply:...

You are not missing anything. What you picked up on is the source of some of the confusion.

130.2(C) says you cannot take a conducting object closer than the "Restricted Approach Boundary" which is 12 inches at 480 Volts

yet the following article states:

130.7(16)(D)(1) says use insulated tools and handling equipment when working within the "Limited Approach Boundary" which is 42 inches at 480 Volts

So if I have a conducting "object" I can get as close as 12 inches at 480 Volts but if I have a conducting "Tool" I can get no closer than 42 inches.

It is confusing, we train that if testing under power, PPE and Insulated tools must be used for any testing over 50 volts. The PPE (8 cal/cm² clothing with long sleeved shirts and pants, along with insulating gloves with leather protectors) is required the minute one is opening the door which is inside the LAB and close to the RAP. The PAB is considered to be the same as touching...

Logic

If we think about this from the stand point of logical, if I know I am going to interacting with the energized electrical equipment with a hand tool I will have the insulated hand tool in my hand immediately when I take it out of my insulated hand tool pouch/wrap whether I am inside the Limited Approach Boundary or not.

Terry Becker, P.Eng.
ESPS Electrical Safety Program Solutions INC.
terry.becker@espsi.ca
403-465-3777

Logic?

Too bad LOGIC and CODE don't always coincide!

I would interprete this to mean that you could use an insulated tool to take a conductive object between the RAB and the LAB. You could use insulated pliers to hold a wire 14" from an energized 480V bus.

But why would you want to just hold a wire in that scenario?