What are the Requirements for Labeling Circuit Breakers?

When thinking about labeling circuit breakers, most people assume that the only reason to do it is to make sure you can tell what breakers go to what part of the facility. The reality is, however, that there are quite a few regulatory requirements in place regarding what labels need to be there and how they need to be placed. OSHA, for example, covers a number of these types of requirements because it is an important part of overall workplace safety. Learning about the various types of requirements that will apply to your specific facility is important for ensuring you are always in compliance.

One of the most often overlooked requirements when it comes to circuit breaker labeling is missing breakers. If you remove a breaker because it is no longer being used, you need to update the labeling to reflect that. You should not have an empty breaker slot with a label to the side. Instead, that label should be removed or a blank label put over it. Another similar issue is when there is an opening in the box that no longer has wires going through it. This hole should be blocked in order to be made safe.

There are many other labeling requirements for circuit breakers in most commercial environments. For example, in addition to having labels in place to indicate where each breaker provides power, it must be clear how much power is going through the breaker. This is so that you can easily tell exactly how much power it would take before the circuit trips and shuts it down. This is also important for when someone is working on the wires and they need to know what safety precautions to take. In addition to OSHA requirements, there may be regulations from local governments, industry agencies, and more so make sure to be aware of all of them.