Mobile & Portable Equipment

There are specific requirements regarding the connections and live parts of mobile and portable equipment.

Power Cable Connections

There must be a metallic enclosure for the terminals of the power cable on mobile machines, and it must meet certain design requirements, such as the following:

• Allow for a solid connection for the ground wire terminal to effectively ground the machine frame
• Prevent strain or pull on the cable from stressing the electrical connections
• Allow for locking so that only authorized, qualified persons can open it
• Be marked with a sign warning of the presence of energized parts

Guarding Live Parts

All energized switching and control parts must be enclosed in grounded metal cabinets or enclosures and meet certain design requirements, such as the following:

• Circuit breakers and protective equipment must be able to project through the metal cabinet or enclosure so that these units can be reset without locked doors being opened.
• Enclosures and metal cabinets must be locked so that only authorized, qualified persons have access.
• Cabinets or enclosures must be marked with a sign warning of the presence of energized live parts.
• Collector ring assemblies on revolving-type machines, like shovels and draglines, must be guarded.

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