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770.24 Optical Fiber Cable

Revision

Change Summary

  • Optical fiber cables are now required to be installed and protected from physical damage in accordance with the entirety of 300.4 and 300.11.
NEC® Text

770.24 Mechanical Execution of Work.
Optical fiber cables shall be installed in a neat and workmanlike manner. Cables installed exposed on the surface of ceilings and sidewalls shall be supported by the building structure in such a manner that the cable will not be damaged by normal building use. Such cables shall be secured by hardware, including straps, staples, cable ties, hangers, or similar fittings, designed and installed so as not to damage the cable. The installation shall also conform with to 300.4(D) through (G) and 300.11. Nonmetallic cable ties and other nonmetallic cable accessories used to secure and support cables in other spaces used for environmental air (plenums) shall be listed as having low smoke and heat release properties in accordance with 300.22(C).
Informational Note No. 1: Accepted industry practices are described in ANSI/NECA/BICSI 568-2006, Standard for Installing Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling; ANSI/NECA/FOA 301-2009, Standard for Installing and Testing Fiber Optic Cables; and other ANSI-approved installation standards.
ANSI/TIA-568.0-D-2015, Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises, and ANSI/TIA 568.3-D-2016; and Optical Fiber Cabling and Components Standard.
Informational Note No. 2: See 4.3.11.2.6.5 and 4.3.11.5.5.6 of NFPA 90A-2012 2018, Standard for the Installation of Air- Conditioning and Ventilating Systems, for discrete combustible components installed in accordance with 300.22(C).
Informational Note No. 3: Paint, plaster, cleaners, abrasives, corrosive residues, or other contaminants may result in an undetermined alteration of optical fiber cable properties.

Material taken from the National Electric Code® is reprinted with permission from NFPA 70®, 2020 edition.
National Electrical Code®, Copyright 2019, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. All rights reserved.

Expert Analysis

For the 2020 NEC, the requirements of 770.24 were revised to require optical fiber cable to be installed and protected from physical damage to conform with all of 300.4 in its entirety and 300.11. Optical fiber cables are not limited to communications installations and need protection against physical damage regardless of whether they can be a shock hazard or not. Just because optical fiber cable is not carrying any current, the equipment being supplied by this optical fiber cable in several situations is critical to life and safety. Therefore, the installation of these optical fiber cables should conform to all of 300.4. Optical fiber cables are used for life safety applications such as for fire alarm systems, some building system controls and industrial process controls. Any type of damage to the optical fiber cable can cause failure to the use and operation of the cable and/or systems they are part of such as the fire alarm system.

770.24 Mechanical Execution of Work for Optical Fiber cable

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