Regl. 5293, art. 516-2
shall comply with the applicable provisions of Article 501.
Cite as Reglamento Núm. 5293, Art. 516-2
(b)* Wiring and Equipment - Vapors and Residues. Unless specifically
listed for locations containing deposits of dangerous quantities of flammable or combustible vapors, mists, residues, dusts or deposits (as applicable), there shall be no electrical equipment in any spray area as herein
defined whereon deposits of combustible residue may readily accumulate,
except wiring in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, Type MI
cable, or in metal boxes or fittings containing no taps, splices or terminal
connections.
(c) Illumination. Illumination of readily ignitible areas through panels of
glass or other transparent or translucent material shall be permitted only if
it complies with the following: (1) fixed lighting units are used as the source
of illumination; (2) the panel effectively isolates the Class I location from
the area in which the lighting unit is located; (3) the lighting unit is
approved for its specific location; (4) the panel is of a material or is so protected that breakage will be unlikely; and (5) the arrangement is such that
normal accumulations of hazardous residue on the surface of the panel will
not be raised to a dangerous temperature by radiation or conduction from
the source of illumination.
(d)* Portable Equipment. Portable electric lamps or other utilization
equipment shall not be used in a spray area during spray operations.
Exception No. 1: Where portable electric lamps are required for operations in spaces not readily illuminated by fixed lighting within the spraying
area, they shall be of the type approved for Class I, Division 1 locations
where readily ignitible residues may be present.
Exception No. 2: Where portable electric drying apparatus are used in
automobile refinishing spray booths and the following requirements are met:
(1) the apparatus and its electrical connections are not located within the
spray enclosure during spray operations; (2) electrical equipment within
18 inches (45.7 cm) of the floor is approved for Class I, Division 2 locations;
(3) all metallic parts of the drying apparatus are electrically bonded and
grounded; and (4) interlocks are provided to prevent the operation of spray
equipment while drying apparatus is within the spray enclosure, to allow for
a 3-minute purge of the enclosure before energizing the drying apparatus,
and to shut off drying apparatus on failure of ventilation system.
(e) Electrostatic Equipment. Electrostatic spraying or detearing equipment shall be installed and used only as provided in Section 516-4.
(FPN): For further information, see Spray Application Using Flammable and
Combustible Materials, NFPA 33-1989 (ANSI).
516-4.* Fixed Electrostatic Equipment. This section shall apply to any
equipment using electrostatically charged elements for the atomization,
charging, and (or) precipitation of hazardous materials for coatings on articles or for other similar purposes in which the charging or atomizing device
is attached to a mechanical support or manipulator. This includes robotic
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devices. This section shall not apply to devices that are held or manipulated by hand. Where robotic programming procedures involve manual
manipulation of the robot arm while spraying with the high voltage on, the
provisions of Section 516-5 shall apply. The installation of electrostatic
spraying equipment shall comply with (a) through (j) below. Spray equipment shall be listed or approved.
All automatic electrostatic equipment systems shall comply with (a)
through (i) below.
(a) Power and Control Equipment. Transformers, high-voltage supplies,
control apparatus, and all other electric portions of the equipment shall be
installed outside of the Class I location as defined in Section 516-2 or be of
a type approved for the location.
Exception: High-voltage grids, electrodes, electrostatic atomizing
heads, and their connections shall be permitted within the Class I location.
(b) Electrostatic Equipment. Electrodes and electrostatic atomizing
heads shall be adequately supported in permanent locations and shall be
effectively insulated from ground. Electrodes and electrostatic atomizing
heads that are permanently attached to their bases, supports, reciprocators, or robots shall be deemed to comply with this section.
(c) High-Voltage Leads. High-voltage leads shall be properly insulated
and protected from mechanical damage or exposure to destructive chemicals. Any exposed element at high voltage shall be effectively and permanently supported on suitable insulators and shall be effectively guarded
against accidental contact or grounding.
(d) Support of Goods. Goods being coated using this process shall be
supported on conveyors or hangers. The conveyors or hangers shall be
arranged to (1) assure that the parts being coated are electrically connected to
ground with a resistance of 1 megohm or less and (2) prevent parts from
swinging.
(e) Automatic Controls. Electrostatic apparatus shall be equipped with
automatic means that will rapidly deenergize the high-voltage elements
under any of the following conditions: (1) stoppage of ventilating fans or
failure of ventilating equipment from any cause; (2) stoppage of the conveyor carrying goods through the high-voltage field unless stoppage is
required by the spray process; (3) occurrence of excessive current leakage
at any point in the high-voltage system; (4) deenergizing the primary voltage input to the power supply.
(f) Grounding. All electrically conductive objects in the spray area,
except those objects required by the process to be at high voltage, shall be
adequately grounded. This requirement shall apply to paint containers,
wash cans, guards, hose connectors, brackets, and any other electrically
conductive objects or devices in the area.
(g) Isolation. Safeguards such as adequate booths, fencing, railings,
interlocks, or other means shall be placed about the equipment or incorporated therein so that they, either by their location or character, or both,
assure that a safe separation of the process is maintained.
(h) Signs. Signs shall be conspicuously posted to (1) designate the process zone as dangerous with regard to fire and accident; (2) identify the
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grounding requirements for all electrically conductive objects in the spray
area; (3) restrict access to qualified personnel only.
(i) Insulators. All insulators shall be kept clean and dry.
(j) Other Than Nonincendive Equipment. Spray equipment that cannot
be classified as nonincendive shall comply with (1) and (2) below.
(1) Conveyors or hangers shall be so arranged to maintain a safe distance of at least twice the sparking distance between goods being painted
and electrodes, electrostatic atomizing heads, or charged conductors.
Warnings defining this safe distance shall be posted.
(2) The equipment shall provide an automatic means of rapidly deenergizing the high-voltage elements in the event the distance between the
goods being painted and the eletrodes or electrostatic atomizing heads falls
below that specified in item (1) above.
516-5.* Electrostatic Hand-Spraying Equipment. This section shall apply
to any equipment using electrostatically charged elements for the atomization, charging, and/or precipitation of materials for coatings on articles, or
for other similar purposes in which the atomizing device is hand held or
manipulated during the spraying operation. Electrostatic hand-spraying
equipment and devices used in connection with paint-spraying operations
shall be of approved types and shall comply with (a) through (e) below.
(a) General. The high-voltage circuits shall be designed so as not to
produce a spark of sufficient intensity to ignite the most readily ignitible of
those vapor-air mixtures likely to be encountered, nor result in appreciable
shock hazard upon coming in contact with a grounded object under all
normal operating conditions. The electrostatically charged exposed elements of the hand gun shall be capable of being energized only by an actuator that also controls the coating material supply.
(b) Power Equipment. Transformers, power packs, control apparatus,
and all other electric portions of the equipment shall be located outside of
the Class I location or be approved for the location.
Exception: The hand gun itself and its connections to the power supply
shall be permitted within the Class I location.
(c) Handle. The handle of the spraying gun shall be electrically connected to ground by a metallic connection and be so constructed that the
operator in normal operating position is in intimate electrical contact with
the grounded handle to prevent buildup of a static charge on the operator's
body. Signs indicating the necessity for grounding other persons entering
the spray area shall be conspicuously posted.
(d) Electrostatic Equipment. All electrically conductive objects in the
spraying area shall be adequately grounded. This requirement shall apply
to paint containers, wash cans, and any other electrically conductive
objects or devices in the area. The equipment shall carry a prominent, permanently installed warning regarding the necessity for this grounding
feature.
(e) Support of Objects. Objects being painted shall be maintained in
metallic contact with the conveyor or other grounded support. Hooks shall
be regularly cleaned to ensure adequate grounding of 1 megohm or less.
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Areas of contact shall be sharp points or knife edges where possible. Points
of support of the object shall be concealed from random spray where feasible; and, where the objects being sprayed are supported from a conveyor, the point of attachment to the conveyor shall be so located as to not
collect spray material during normal operation.
516-6.* Powder Coating. This section shall apply to processes in which
combustible dry powders are applied. The hazards associated with combustible dusts are present in such a process to a degree, depending upon the
chemical composition of the material, particle size, shape, and distribution.
(FPN): The hazards associated with combustible dusts are inherent in this process. Generally speaking, the hazard rating of the powders employed is dependent
upon the chemical composition of the material, particle size, shape, and distribution.
(a) Electric Equipment and Sources of Ignition. Electric equipment and
other sources of ignition shall comply with the requirements of Article 502.
Portable electric lamps and other utilization equipment shall not be used
within a Class II location during operation of the finishing processes. When
such lamps or utilization equipment are used during cleaning or repairing
operations, they shall be of a type approved for Class II, Division 1 locations, and all exposed metal parts shall be effectively grounded.
Exception: Where portable electric lamps are required for operations in
spaces not readily illuminated by fixed lighting within the spraying area,
they shall be of the type approved for Class II, Division 1 locations where
readily ignitible residues may be present.
(b) Fixed Electrostatic Spraying Equipment. The provisions of Sections
516-4 and (a) above shall apply to fixed electrostatic spraying equipment.
(c) Electrostatic Hand-Spraying Equipment. The provisions of Sections
516-5 and (a) above shall apply to electrostatic hand-spraying equipment.
(d) Electrostatic Fluidized Beds. Electrostatic fluidized beds and associated equipment shall be of approved types. The high-voltage circuits shall
be so designed that any discharge produced when the charging electrodes
of the bed are approached or contacted by a grounded object shall not be
of sufficient intensity to ignite any powder-air mixture likely to be encountered nor to result in an appreciable shock hazard.
(1) Transformers, power packs, control apparatus, and all other electric portions of the equipment shall be located outside the powder-coating
area or shall otherwise comply with the requirements of (a) above.
Exception: The charging electrodes and their connections to the power
supply shall be permitted within the powder-coating area.
(2) All electrically conductive objects within the powder-coating area
shall be adequately grounded. The powder-coating equipment shall carry a
prominent, permanently installed warning regarding the necessity for
grounding these objects.
(3) Objects being coated shall be maintained in electrical contact (less
than 1 megohm) with the conveyor or other support in order to ensure
proper grounding. Hangers shall be regularly cleaned to ensure effective
electrical contact. Areas of electrical contact shall be sharp points or knife
edges where possible.
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(4) The electric equipment and compressed-air supplies shall be interlocked with a ventilation system so that the equipment cannot be operated
unless the ventilating fans are in operation.
516-7. Wiring and Equipment Above Class I and II Locations.
(a) Wiring. All fixed wiring above the Class I and II locations shall be in
metal raceways, rigid nonmetallic conduit, or electrical nonmetallic tubing,
or shall be Type MI, TC, SNM, or Type MC cable. Cellular metal floor
raceways shall be permitted only for supplying ceiling outlets or extensions
to the area below the floor of a Class I or II location, but such raceways
shall have no connections leading into or through the Class I or II location
above the floor unless suitable seals are provided.
(b) Equipment. Equipment that may produce arcs, sparks, or particles
of hot metal, such as lamps and lampholders for fixed lighting, cutouts,
switches, receptacles, motors, or other equipment having make-and-break
or sliding contacts, where installed above a Class I or II location or above
a location where freshly finished goods are handled, shall be of the totally
enclosed type or be so constructed as to prevent escape of sparks or hot
metal particles.
516-8. Grounding. All metal raceways, metal-jacketed cables, and all
noncurrent-carrying metal parts of fixed or portable equipment, regardless
of voltage, shall be grounded as provided in Article 250.