NEC Article 525 mandates the electrical safety framework of temporary outdoor events. Learn more about ground fault protection for carnivals, fairs, and more.

NEC Article 525 encompasses electrical protection requirements for carnivals, circuses, fairs, and similar events. In more detail, it has to do with the protection requirements of the portable wiring and other portable electrical equipment that comes with any of the named outdoor traveling venues. There is an subset of this Article, subset 525.23 and its branches, that details the ground fault protection requirements, which are:

NEC Article 525.23 has 4 different parts, which include:

A.) Stipulating where GFCI protection is required. This part states that all equipment needs to follow NEC article 210.8(B), and in addition protection is required with:

1.) All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- & 20-Amp non-locking type receptacles used for disassembly and reassembly or readily accessible to the general public. 2.) Equipment that is readily accessible to the general public and supplied from a 125-volt, single-phase, 15- or 20-Amp branch circuit.

B.) GFCI protection is not required in any receptacle that is not accessible from grade level and only facilitated quick disconnecting/reconnecting of electrical equipment. These receptacles are also required to be of the locking type.

C.) GFCI protection is not permitted with any form of egress lighting.

D.) GFCI protection being provided using GFCI receptacles, and the branch circuits supplying receptacles use flexible cord, said GFCI must be listed, labeled, and identified for portable use.

All of the additional directions regarding ground fault protection in this Article are on top of following NEC Article 210.8(B), which stipulates that, unless directed otherwise, all electrical appliances and wiring in an outdoor setting described as the ones above must have Class A GFCI protection.

1. 15 Amp Inline GFCI
2. 15 Amp Plug GFCI
3. 20 Amp Portable GFCI
4. 30 Amp Portable GFCI