514.11(B&C) Attended and Unattended Self-Service Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities.
Code Change Summary: Revisions were made to simplify the rules for emergency shut-off switch locations for fuel dispensers.
The requirements for emergency electrical disconnects for fuel dispensers were revised in order to align with NFPA 30A, Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages. The rules are mostly the same with a few changes that make them a bit easier to understand.
The distances from fuel dispensers to the emergency disconnect switches were taken from 514.11(B) and (C) and moved to 514.11(A) so that they apply generally rather than being specific to whether the fuel island is attended or unattended.
For an attended, self-service gas station, the 2017 NEC® simply requires the disconnect or device to be readily accessible to the attendant. Readily accessible is defined in Article 100 as: Capable of being reached quickly for operation, renewal, or inspections without requiring those to whom ready access is requisite to take actions such as to use tools (other than keys), to climb over or under, to remove obstacles, or to resort to portable ladders, and so forth.
For an unattended, self-service gas station, the disconnect or device must be readily accessible to patrons. As well, at least one additional device or disconnect must be readily accessible to each group of dispensing devices on an individual island.
Below is a preview of the NEC®. See the actual NEC® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2017 NEC® edition of NFPA 70.
2014 Code Language:
514.11(B) Attended Self-Service Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities. Emergency controls as specified in 514.11(A) shall be installed at a location acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction, but controls shall not be more than 30 m (100 ft) from dispensers.
514.11(C) Unattended Self-Service Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities. Emergency controls as specified in 514.11(A) shall be installed at a location acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction, but the control shall be more than 6 m (20 ft) but less than 30 m (100 ft) from the dispensers. Additional emergency controls shall be installed on each group of dispensers or the outdoor equipment used to control the dispensers. Emergency controls shall shut off all power to all dispensing equipment at the station. Controls shall be manually reset only in a manner approved by the authority having jurisdiction.
2017 Code Language:
514.11(B) Attended Self-Service Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities. At attended motor fuel dispensing facilities, the devices or disconnects shall be readily accessible to the attendant.
514.11(C) Unattended Self-Service Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities. At unattended motor fuel dispensing facilities, the devices or disconnects shall be readily accessible to patrons and at least one additional device or disconnect shall be readily accessible to each group of dispensing devices on an individual island.