--- title: "NEC Article 110: Electrical Room \"Basics\" - Article #1 of 3" description: "A great article came to us from Somesh Gailkwa at New Jersey Engineers. Somesh addresses the important issue of properly designing the electrical room as the \"hub\" that supplies electrical power throughout the facility." image: https://blog.powercalc.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Panel-2.jpg?width=597&name=Panel-2.jpg --- [![Powercalc_Logo.png](https://blog.powercalc.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/Powercalc_Logo.png?width=592&height=91&name=Powercalc_Logo.png "Powercalc_Logo.png")](https://www.powercalc.co) # PowerCalc Blog # NEC Article 110: Electrical Room "Basics" - Article #1 of 3 By James Khalil, P.E. | Mar 14, 2019 11:00:00 AM | [NEC](https://blog.powercalc.co/posts/topic/nec), [1 Line Diagram](https://blog.powercalc.co/posts/topic/1-line-diagram) [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=NEC%20Article%20110%3A%20Electrical%20Room%20%22Basics%22%20-%20Article%20%231%20of%203) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.powercalc.co%2Fposts%2Fnec-article-110-electrical-room-basics-article-1-of-3%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) Dear Colleague, A great article came to us from Somesh Gailkwa at New Jersey Engineers. Somesh addresses the important issue of properly designing the electrical room as the "hub" that supplies electrical power throughout the facility.[bit.ly/2LW8fcP](https://t.co/iOTLLVFFsG?utm_campaign=1%20Line%20Diagram&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--1zgTE1j7lKPcfPuYrSpkTREdb3ywBUsxGSZ_XL85-jhPs_1CYmpUD5jgCi_hA1VrMoJmj) In our 3 article series, we reference Somesh's article as well as information from the *DOE Handbook of Electrical Safety*. This issue seems  timely as we have recently noticed an increasingly dangerous use of electrical rooms: often no longer limited to enclosing electrical equipment, but also used for general storage such as mops, brooms, and similar items. *![Panel-2](https://blog.powercalc.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Panel-2.jpg?width=700&name=Panel-2.jpg)**    Electrical Room with 7 Panelboards* Both electrical standards and applicable law are clear: "working space around electrical enclosures or equipment shall be adequate for conducting all anticipated maintenance and operations safely, including sufficient space to ensure the safety of personnel working during emergency conditions and workers rescuing injured personnel." OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303 (G)(1)(i) and 2008 NFPA 70 (NEC) The actual spacing for dimensional clearance is specified in OSHA, NFPA, and the NEC. Sufficient space is *always* required for access and working space. But even more stringent requirements under OSHA, NFPA, and NEC apply when equipment must be examined, adjusted, serviced, or maintained when energized.   These more stringent requirements spell outs *actual* spacing requirements for dimensional clearance. The electrical equipment concerned includes panelboards, switches, circuit breakers, switchgear, controllers, and controls on heating and air conditioning equipment. *Why are these rules important? *To protect workers by providing adequate space for safe access and egress in work areas with energized equipment. This "dedicated space" also protects the electrical equipment and allows for future expansion.  In our upcoming articles, we will discuss the specific requirements for "dedicated" space and "clearing" space for electrical equipment rated at 600 volts or less and 600 volts or more.  [![Register For Free Demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1002713/9a855984-7e46-493d-8b47-781a391ca290.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1002713/9a855984-7e46-493d-8b47-781a391ca290) **FREE **Demonstration: Join us for lunch on April 5th (1st Friday of the month), for a *free* demonstration of *PowerCalc*: software that automatically designs the power distribution system inside a facility and simultaneously generated the 1 Line Diagram. ![](https://blog.powercalc.co/hubfs/James%20at%20desk.jpg) **About The Author** James Khalil, P.E. is President, Co-founder and Inventor of PowerCalc. He has 30+ years of experience at his MEP firm in Delray Beach, FL and with Carter Burgess (now Jacobs) in Fort Worth, TX; Mason & Hanger (now Zimmerman) in Lexington, KY; and Gee & Jenson (now CH2M) in West Palm Beach, FL. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas. His experience includes projects for Saudi Arabia and Qatar; the US Departments of Energy, State, and Defense; and universities, schools, health facilities, and arts centers. 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