Change Summary

• Section 511.12 now requires GFCI protection for personnel to be provided as required in 210.8(B). Section 210.8(B)(8) calls for all 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in garages, service bays, and similar areas (other than vehicle exhibition halls and showrooms) to have GFCI protection for personnel (not just those receptacles where electrical diagnostic equipment, electrical hand tools, or portable lighting equipment are to be used).

Expert Analysis

For the 2020 NEC, revisions to 511.12 simply state that“ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel shall be provided as required in 210.8(B).” The limitation of GFCI protection for receptacle “installed in areas where electrical diagnostic equipment, electrical hand tools, or portable lighting equipment are to be used” was deleted. This simple reference to 210.8(B) will allow CMP-14 (Article 511) to not have to “chase the tail” of CMP-2 (Article 210) every time CMP-2 makes a change to the GFCI requirements at 210.8(B). Now, whenever CMP-2 incorporates a change to GFCI requirements at 210.8 that would effect a change in GFCI requirements in Article 511, that same change would automatically become part of the GFCI requirement of Article 511 as well due to this reference to 210.8(B). By simply pointing 511.12 back to 210.8(B), these two sections will be in alignment.

This same alignment of GFCI protection for all 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles for aircraft hangers occurred at 513.12 with a reference to 210.8(B)(8).