scope:

A. Covered

See Figure 011-1.

The NESC covers:

1. Supply and communication facilities (including metering) and associated work practices employed by a public or private electric supply, communications, railway, trolley, street and area lighting, traffic signal (or other signal), irrigation district or other community owned utility, or a similar utility in the exercise of its function as a utility.

2. The generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, lumens, communication signals, and communication data through public and private utility systems that are installed and maintained under the exclusive control of utilities or their authorized representatives.

3. Utility facilities and functions of utilities that either (a) generate energy by conversion from some other form of energy such as, but not limited to, fossil fuel, chemical, electrochemical, nuclear, solar, mechanical, wind or hydraulic or communication signals, or accept energy or communication signals from another entity, or (b) provide that energy or communication signals through a delivery point to another entity.

4. Street and area lights that provide a supply of lumens where these facilities are supplied from the line side of the service point by underground or overhead conductors maintained and/or installed under the exclusive control of utilities (including their authorized contractors or other qualified persons).

5. Utility facilities and functions on the line side of the service point supplied by underground or overhead conductors maintained and/or installed under exclusive control of utilities located on public or private property in accordance with legally established easements or rights-of-way, contracts, other agreements (written or by conditions of service), or as authorized by a regulating or controlling body. NOTE: Agreements to locate utility facilities on property may be required where easements are either (a) not obtainable (such as locating utility facilities on existing rights-of-way of railroads or other entities, military bases, federal lands, Native American reservations, lands controlled by a port authority, or other governmental agency), or (b) not necessary (such as locating facilities necessary for requested service to a site).

6. Wiring within a supply station or in an underground facility that is (a) installed in accordance with Part 1 or Part 3 of this Code and maintained under the exclusive control of utilities and (b) necessary for the operation of the supply station or underground facility.

7. Utility facilities installed, maintained, and controlled by utilities on surface or underground mine sites, including overhead or underground distribution systems providing service up to buildings or outdoor equipment locations on the line side of the service point.

8. Similar systems to those listed above that are under the exclusive control of qualified persons and authorized by a regulating or controlling body, including those associated with an industrial complex or utility interactive system.

B. Not covered

See Figure 011-1.

NESC rules do not cover:

1. Utilization equipment or premises wiring located beyond utility service points to buildings or outdoor installations, or

2. Underground mine wiring or installations in ships, railway rolling equipment, aircraft, or automotive equipment, or

3. Luminaires not installed or maintained under exclusive control by utilities, or

4. Industrial complex or utility interactive systems that are not controlled exclusively under utilities or qualified persons or are located on the premises wiring side of the service point.

NOTE: The National Electrical Code^® (NEC^®) (NFPA 70^®) covers utilization wiring requirements beyond the service point and luminaires that are not controlled exclusively by utilities. ¹

Purpose

A. The purpose of the NESC is the practical safeguarding of persons during the installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply and communication facilities, under specified conditions.

NOTE: NESC rules are globally recognized and intended to provide a practical standard of safe practices that can be adopted by public utilities, private utilities, state or local utility commissions or public service commissions, or other boards or bodies having control over safe practices employed in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply, communication, street and area lighting, signal, or railroad utility facilities.

B. NESC rules contain the basic provisions, under specified conditions, that are considered necessary for the safeguarding of the public and utility workers (employees and contractors).

C. This Code is not intended as a design specification or as an instruction manual, nor is it intended to provide design criteria for abnormal events such as, but not limited to, actions of others or weather events in excess of those specified herein.

¹ Information on references can be found in Section 3.