Lighting circuit without switch?

[Pietros]

Came across this on a periodic-5 fluorescent fittings straight from the mcb, no local switching.

Although no-doubt this is bad practice, I can't find a specific regulation that it contravenes-any suggestions?

 

[ColJack]

local isolation..

 

[Taylortwocities]

Inadequate means of isolation 461-01-02
Also look at Chapter 53

 

[DESL]

Hate to be pedantic but MCB does not meet isolation requirements as it is only single pole. Check definitions

Also circuit protection device is not a means of functional switching.

 

[RF Lighting]

I found an entire CO-OP with no light switches. Every night the last man out had to switch off 23 MCBs in the back of the store.

 

[DESL]

I found an entire CO-OP with no light switches. Every night the last man out had to switch off 23 MCBs in the back of the store.

Funny you should say that my son is duty manager at a Co-op store and he asked me the question "Is it OK to use MCBs as light switched"
Apparently they had some lighting work done and now the only method of switching off store lights is at the main board.

 

[Spark123]

I have seen this done on high bay lighting where there is no requirement for functional switching i.e. they are left on 24/7.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Hate to be pedantic but MCB does not meet isolation requirements as it is only single pole. .

I hate to be pedantic too, but a light switch is only single pole...but there should be one.

 

[DESL]

but a light switch is only single pole...but there should be one.

Exactly = functional switching

Sorry to be pedantic but I've been bitten by a borrowed neutral a couple of times

 

[ppuch1]

I found an entire CO-OP with no light switches. Every night the last man out had to switch off 23 MCBs in the back of the store.

I work in a commercial/retail environment and see a lot of this, more so with older installs but I think this is a very bad practice and should not be done as the person who has to go into the DB to switch things off could (potentially) put themselves at risk - not that there should be any risk inside a DB but my point is that Joe public should not be going into these places as a general rule.

 

[securespark]

Funny you should say that my son is duty manager at a Co-op store

Your son isn't Crafty by any chance??

 

[Pietros]

Thanks for the replies, I spoke with the clients electrical engineer and he argues that the fittings are to be permanently on 24/7 therefore removing the need for a functional switch, also that all factory maintenance is carried out by skilled workers.

I see some logic to his reasoning but I'm leaning towards a code 4 on the PIR

 

[Steve]

Funny you should say that my son is duty manager at a Co-op store

Your son isn't Crafty by any chance??

Spooky

Many stores are wired such that the switching is achieved several circuits at a time using 4 pole contactors, thus the only way to isolate an individual row of lights is to flip the MCB, or unplug the plug-in rose which invariably exist above each row of fittings for this very purpose.