Life Safety Essentials: Temporary Electrical Wiring

Learning Objective: To know that temporary wiring must be removed at the end of a project.
 
By Robert Trotter, CBO, CFM, MCP - Manager, Sr. Life Safety Specialist
 

Temporary electrical power and lighting during periods of construction, alteration, and rehabilitation commonplace in the built environment. On a regular basis life safety surveyors are discovering temporary electrical wiring for power and lighting located above suspended-grid acoustical tile ceilings. In many cases the temporary wiring is supported from sprinkler piping which is not permitted by NFPA 25, Standard for Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems or The Joint Commission. Regularly the wires extend through walls and are often cut leaving exposed conductors that are potentially energized and creating a fire and life safety hazard.

            The Building Services section of the occupancy chapters in NFPA 101^®, Life Safety Code^®, 2000 Edition, require utilities to comply with provisions of Section 9.1. The electric provisions of 9.1.2 state “Electrical wiring and equipment shall be in accordance with NFPA 70, National Electrical Code [1999 edition], unless existing installations, which shall be permitted to be continued in service, subject to approval by the authority having jurisdiction”. Article 305 of NFPA 70, Section 305-3 (a) states “Temporary electrical power and lighting installations shall be permitted during the period of construction, remodeling, maintenance, repair, or demolition of buildings, structures, equipment, or similar activities.” Section 305-3 (d) states “Temporary wiring shall be removed immediately upon completion of construction or purpose for which the wiring was installed.”    
           When using The Joint Commission’s 2011 Hospital Accreditation Standards to address this type of condition apply LS.02.01.50 Element of Performance 12 since the hospital would not be meeting this provision of the Life Safety Code^® for building services.