Electric utilization systems scope

Covered installations include electrical installations and utilization equipment installed or used within or on buildings, structures, and other premises such as yards, carnivals, parking and other lots, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, industrial substations, conductors that connect the installations to a supply of electricity, and other outside conductors on the premises. See 1910.302(a)(1) and the general scope at 1910.302(a).

The standard does not cover installations in ships, watercraft, railway rolling stock, aircraft, or automotive vehicles (other than mobile homes and recreational vehicles); installations underground in mines; railway installations used exclusively for rolling-stock operation or signaling; communication equipment installations under exclusive control of communication utilities; and installations under the exclusive control of electric utilities used for generation, control, transformation, transmission, distribution, communication, or metering on utility property or public rights-of-way. See 1910.302(a)(2) and its subparts (i)–(v) for details.

Certain safety requirements apply to all electrical installations and utilization equipment no matter when they were designed or installed; these include inspection/installation/use rules, splice connection rules, marking, guarding of arcing parts, many grounding and overcurrent protection provisions, flexible cord use, and hazardous location rules. See the list in 1910.302(b)(1) and the cross-referenced provisions such as 1910.303(b), 1910.303(c)(3), and grounding/overcurrent sections listed in 1910.302(b)(1).

Every electrical installation and utilization equipment installed or overhauled after March 15, 1972, must comply with the provisions of 1910.302 through 1910.308 (except as noted in paragraphs (b)(3) and (b)(4)). See 1910.302(b)(2).

Installations made after April 16, 1981, must meet certain additional provisions, including workspace/entrance rules for over 600 volts, select overcurrent protection rules for 600 V or less, grounding of high-voltage systems, some switch and control requirements for elevators and similar equipment, and wiring method rules for systems above 600 volts. See the list in 1910.302(b)(3) and the cross-references it names (for example, 1910.303(h)(4) and 1910.304(g)(9)(i)).

Installations made after August 13, 2007, must meet additional modern requirements such as disconnects capable of accepting locks, updated equipment spacing and working space rules for 600 V or less, identification of multiwire branch circuits, GFCI protection in certain branch circuits, updated elevator and pool equipment rules, and photovoltaic system rules. See the enumerated list in 1910.302(b)(4) and the specific referenced provisions like 1910.303(f)(4) and 1910.304(b)(1).

The Control of Hazardous Energy requirement that energy-isolating devices be capable of accepting a lockout device for replacement or major repair, renovation, modification, and for new machines installed after January 2, 1990, applies in addition to any 1910.303–1910.308 provisions that require disconnects be lockable. See 1910.302(c) and the related Lockout/Tagout rule at 1910.147(c)(2)(iii). For practical guidance on temporary re-energizing during servicing and required employee protections, see OSHA’s interpretation on the minor servicing exception at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-10-21.

Yes. The provisions of 1910.302 through 1910.308 explicitly cover electrical installations and utilization equipment in mobile homes and recreational vehicles. See 1910.302(a)(1)(iv), 1910.302(a)(1)(v), and the general scope at 1910.302(a).

Yes. Conductors that connect installations to a supply of electricity and other outside conductors located on the premises are included within the scope of the electric utilization systems provisions. See 1910.302(a)(1)(vii), 1910.302(a)(1)(viii), and 1910.302(a).

Yes. Installations under the exclusive control of electric utilities for generation, control, transformation, transmission, distribution, communication, or metering, located in buildings used exclusively by utilities or outdoors on property owned or leased by the utility or on public highways, streets, roads, etc., are not covered by 1910.302–1910.308. See 1910.302(a)(2)(v).

Some requirements apply to all installations regardless of installation date (for example, inspection, grounding, overcurrent protection, marking, guarding of live parts), while other specific provisions only apply to installations made after March 15, 1972 or later trigger dates. Review the always-applicable list in 1910.302(b)(1) and the date‑based rules in 1910.302(b)(2)–(4).

Yes. For installations made after August 13, 2007, disconnecting means must be capable of accepting a lock under the updated rules; see 1910.302(b)(4) and the specific disconnect provision 1910.303(f)(4). Note also that the Control of Hazardous Energy rule at 1910.147(c)(2)(iii) requires energy-isolating devices be capable of accepting a lock in many servicing situations; see 1910.302(c).

Yes. The hazardous (classified) locations requirements of [1910.307] are among the provisions that apply to all electrical installations and utilization equipment as listed in 1910.302(b)(1). Therefore, electrical installations in classified hazardous locations must meet the requirements of 1910.307 unless another exclusion applies.

Yes. For installations made after August 13, 2007, identification of multiwire branch circuits is required. See the list of 2007-date-specific requirements in 1910.302(b)(4) and the specific rule at 1910.304(b)(1).

Yes. When new machines or equipment are installed after January 2, 1990, the energy-isolating devices must be capable of accepting a lock as required by the Control of Hazardous Energy rule; this requirement applies in addition to any electrical disconnect rules. See 1910.302(c) and 1910.147(c)(2)(iii). For guidance on temporary re-energization and required protections during servicing, review OSHA’s interpretation on the minor servicing exception at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-10-21.

The exclusions are described in 1910.302(a)(2); to determine whether an installation is excluded, confirm whether the installation is under the "exclusive control" of a communications or electric utility and whether it is located on utility‑owned/leased property or public rights‑of‑way. If those conditions are met, the installation is not covered by 1910.302–1910.308. See 1910.302(a)(2)(iv)–(v).

Yes. Certain grounding and overcurrent protection provisions are specifically listed as applying to all electrical installations regardless of age (for example, grounding system requirements in 1910.304(g)(1)(ii)–(v) and some overcurrent protections in 1910.304(f)(1)(i),(iv),(v)). See the always-applicable list in 1910.302(b)(1).

Yes. Electrical installations and utilization equipment installed or overhauled after March 15, 1972, must comply with the provisions of 1910.302 through 1910.308, except where specific later-date exceptions are noted in [1910.302(b)(3) and (b)(4)]. See 1910.302(b)(2).

Yes. For installations after August 13, 2007, updated rules addressing space about electrical equipment and working clearance for equipment 600 volts or less apply; see the 2007-specific list in 1910.302(b)(4) and the spacing requirement example at 1910.303(g)(1)(iv).

Yes. Electrical installations used at carnivals, circuses, fairs, and similar events are explicitly within the scope of 1910.302–1910.308 when they are installed or used on premises as described in 1910.302(a)(1)(ii) and subject to the applicable requirements (including 1910.306(k)).