Comments Sought on Proposed TIA to Article 356 in 2020 NEC
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released a proposed Tentative Interim Amendment (TIA) to the 2020 edition of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code. Submitted by Megan Hayes of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the closing date for public comments on TIA Log No. 1502 is May 11 — anyone may submit a comment by that date.
The proposed change would revise 356.10(8) to read as follows:
356.10(8). Conductors or cables rated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of LFNC conduit shall be permitted to be installed in LFNC, provided the conductors or cables are not operated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of the LFNC.
The substantiation section of this TIA notes:
“The revision accepted by the panel in PI 1126 (submitted by NEMA) was incorrectly recorded in FR 7894. The highlighted text from the PI was not included in the FR.
“PI 1126 text (8). Conductors or cables rated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of LFNC conduit shall be permitted to be installed in LFNC, provided the conductors or cables are not operated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of the LFNC.
“FR 7894 text (8). Conductors or cables rated at a temperature rating of LFNC conduit shall be permitted to be installed in LFNC, provided the conductors or cables are not operated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of the LFNC.
“The text was correct in the task group report which is what the CMP reviewed at the panel meeting. The omission apparently occurred as the information was transferred from the WORD document to Terra and on to the written ballot. The vote on the FR was unanimous so it appears that the error was not noticed.
“The panel acted to accept a similar PI and FR for 350.10(4) for LFMC which is the same concept and where the proper text was balloted.
“350.10 (4): Conductors or cables rated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of LFMC conduit shall be permitted to be installed in LFMC, provided the conductors or cables are not operated at a temperature higher than the listed temperature rating of the LFMC per 110.14(C).”
This TIA also has an emergency nature, which is described below:
“The standard contains an error or an omission that was overlooked during the regular process. As currently covered in 2020 NEC 356.10(8), conductors of a temperature rating higher than that of the LFNC are not permitted. Such prohibition never existed, was never proposed, nor was it considered at any point in the process.”
Note: A TIA is tentative because it has not been processed through the entire standards development process. It is interim because it is effective only between editions of the standard. A TIA automatically becomes a public input of the proponent for the next edition of the standard; as such, it then is subject to all of the procedures of the standards-making process.