At one time or another most electrical plan
reviewers have probably asked the question, "Is it worth
the time and effort?" Electrical plan review reminds me
of a television commercial years ago about cleaning and
polishing the silverware—it’s tedious and time consuming!
Naturally, no one enjoys doing repetitive and tiresome tasks,
as they tend to wear on one’s mind and mood. Everyone,
however, enjoys doing exciting and stimulating tasks, as they
tend to invigorate one’s mind and mood. Although electrical
plan review tasks may be tedious and time consuming, they can
also be interesting and enjoyable if approached from the right
angle. Sometimes finding the right angle is simply a matter of
making a few minor adjustments in how we do things. Let us see
if we can make some adjustments and take some ordinary plan
review tasks and convert them into something interesting and
enjoyable.
"It’s hard to break old
habits!" We all have certain ways of doing things. Habits
are formed from frequent repetitive tasks, such as an
electrical plan review. Over time, repetitive tasks become set
in concrete and can be difficult to break. For example, one
electrical plan reviewer may prefer to begin the review
process by looking at floor plans first; another reviewer may
prefer to begin with the one-line diagrams; and yet another
reviewer may prefer to begin with the site plans. Where each
reviewer begins the process is a habit of his or her plan
review routine. In fairness, we should note that habits can be
a good thing too as they promote consistency in a process. The
principal thing to remember is that it does not make a
difference where one begins the plan review process as long as
the end-results are the same. So the next time you do an
electrical plan review, consider beginning at a different
point. You may find that it makes for a more interesting
review process and affords a change to a normal routine. As an
aside, you will have the opportunity to truly see if "it’s
hard to break old habits!"
"Variety is the spice of life!"
Plan review tasks come in many sizes. There are small
projects, such as the addition of luminaires and receptacles
in a dental office; there are medium-sized projects such, as a
remodel for a bank complex; and, there are large projects,
such as a wastewater treatment plant. The electrical systems
for these projects can vary from minor, such as a small
200-ampere service and branch-circuits, to major, such as
multiple 12.47 K-volt services and feeder systems. Regardless
of the size and complexity of the project, they all provide
for a little variety in the electrical plan review process. It
may not always be possible, but try to break up the monotony
of reviewing similar-sized projects all the time. Repetitive
tasks can make for a boring day. If you work on mostly larger
projects, try to work on a few smaller ones and vice versa.
You will likely gain a greater appreciation for the work. In
addition, the change may prove to be interesting and
refreshing to the mind. "Variety is the spice of
life!"
"Get the big picture in mind!"
What does this mean? It simply means to get a full
understanding of the project. This may take some time to do,
but it is well worth the effort. As electrical plan reviewers,
we have a propensity to focus only on the electrical system.
Try to get out of this practice and view the overall project
from a different perspective. Familiarize yourself with the
overall project design, understand the entire project scope,
and most importantly try to walk through the project using
visual images. Visualizing the project in three dimensions is
easier said than done, but it is definitely much easier than
reviewing the project in two dimensions only. The mind can do
amazing things if utilized properly. A quick review of
elevation views, architectural and structural drawing, and the
plumbing and mechanical systems can provide great visual
images of the project. Over time, these images will
automatically come to view when one is reviewing the
electrical system. It may seem like a waste of time at first,
but the more one gets into this practice the more one will see
the benefits. Always try to focus on the total project and
"get the big picture in mind!"
"Don’t sweat the little
things!" Buildings and structures are never built exactly
as shown on the plans—this is a fact of life. During
construction, the electrical systems are in continual flux.
For example, if an outlet in a commercial building is shown
along a wall line to supply office furnishings, do not get too
concerned about the location of the outlet in relation to the
office furnishing system. The electrical contractor can
coordinate the connection location based on field conditions.
For obvious reasons, field conditions can vary considerably
from what is actually shown on the plans. The inspector can
work with the contractor should a code concern arise. As
another example, if a wall switch appears to be shown behind a
door, does it justify rejecting the plans? Probably not. This
is a design and coordination issue too. Although an
inconvenience, generally there is nothing in the code to
prohibit a wall switch behind a door. If the location is a
concern, a simple notation on the plans to the inspector and
contractor should suffice. Keep in mind that plans are
diagrammatic and are not necessarily intended to provide
specific details. Do not drive yourself crazy with minor
coordination issues as the inspector and contractor can
address them in the field. Above all, "don’t sweat the
little things!"
"Focus on the big things!" Once
electrical plans are released for construction, there is
little room for plan review errors. When it comes to the
installation of the major portion of the electrical system,
the room gets much smaller. The major portion being the
service equipment, feeders, emergency and standby power
systems, and other critical systems and loads. These are
typically high dollar items that if not installed to minimum
code can be costly to correct. For example, a large hospital
service requires an additional step of ground-fault protection
on the feeders. If the plans are released with the service
section indicating only ground-fault protection on the main
switch, this can easily turn into a major code concern for the
inspector and a major expense for the customer. Parallel
feeder conductors connected to the secondary side of a 500 kVA
transformer that are improperly sized for the overcurrent
device is another example of a major code concern. Naturally,
resizing raceways and conductors in the field generates
serious concerns. Electrical systems and the wiring methods
that interconnect these systems are costly—more so if code
violations exist on the plans. Doing a thorough, complete and
accurate electrical plan review of these systems is critically
important. Concentrate on these systems. The installer,
customer and inspector will appreciate the fact that
additional time has been spent on the electrical system to
"focus on the big things!"
"If it’s worth doing, it’s worth
doing it right!" It is difficult to debate the validity
of this statement. Just about anything we do has some value—intrinsic
or otherwise. Most of us take considerable pride in what we
do. Doing it right or at least to the best of our ability is
of the utmost importance. This applies to sports, hobbies,
entertainment, work, etc. This should be especially true for
the work environment as we spend most of our productive life
at work. Electrical plan review is critically important in the
mission and interest of public safety. This is the first line
of defense in providing the public with electrically safe
buildings, structures and systems. Needless to say, anything
that involves electrical code enforcement and public safety
"if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing it right!
"Accentuate the positive!"
Everyone likes a pat on the back. Unfortunately, for an
electrical plan reviewer there are not a lot of positives in
doing a plan review. Plan review is an inherently negative
task and often lacks face-to-face contact with the design
professional. The primary means of communication is through
the written word. When communicating, eliminate harsh words or
unnecessary comments and information. Telling someone that
they do not know what they are doing is not a good practice;
writing a novel to that effect only exacerbates the situation.
Provide the design professional with the specific code
sections in violation and a brief explanation of why. Should a
challenging question arise on the intent of the code, a
telephone call may be in order. A telephone call adds a
personal touch, it shows respect to the design professional
and provides for a greater comfort level. A valuable tool to
use for whenever you have a well-prepared and code-compliant
set of plans to review is to show your appreciation by letting
the design professional know. A quick comment of "nice
job" or "great design" is always appreciated.
Always make a concerted effort to eliminate the negative and
"accentuate the positive!"
"Give a heads-up to the inspector and
installer!" Most of us involved in the construction
industry have had the luxury of working on a construction
site. O.K., luxury may not be the best word to use.
Construction sites, unfortunately, do not provide the most
conducive condition for reading plans and specifications.
Conditions can be hot and cold, wet and damp, and dark and
dreary, just to name a few. Working from a set of plans in
these conditions can be a challenge, to say the least. If
there are things on the plans that have taken additional time
to review and understand, let the inspector and contractor in
the field know. A little guidance from a note on the plans on
how to get from point "A" to "B" or
perhaps highlighting critical information is helpful. It is
always nice to "give a heads-up to the inspector and
installer!"
Obviously, there are many more things that
come into play in the electrical plan review process—we have
only touched the surface here. This article is simply intended
to give a little personal insight into the plan review
process. An additional goal is to provide some pointers on how
to take tedious and time consuming tasks and make them
interesting and enjoyable! Now, back to the original question:
"Plan review—is it worth the time and effort?" As
they say in major league baseball, "You make the
call." However, from this author’s perspective—absolutely!
Lanny McMahill was international
president of IAEI in 2004. He is electrical inspections
supervisor for the city of Phoenix, Arizona. He is a
member of IAEI Central Arizona Chapter where he has
served a chairperson, executive board member, education
program director and IAEI Southwestern Section
representative. He represents IAEI as a principal member
of CMP-1, and is a member of UL Electrical Council, U.S.
National Committee of the IEC, IBEW, Arizona Electric
League and Phoenix Metro Tech Vocational Advisory Board. |
