240.24 Location in or on Premises

Circuit breakers and switches containing fuses shall be readily accessible and installed so that the center of the grip of the operating handle of the switch or circuit breaker, when in its highest position, is not more than 2.0 m (6 ft 7 in.) above the floor or working platform, unless one of the following applies:

1. For busways, as provided in 368.17(C).
2. For supplementary overcurrent protection, as described in 240.10.
3. For overcurrent devices, as described in 225.40 and 230.92.
4. For overcurrent devices adjacent to utilization equipment that they supply, access shall be permitted to be by portable means.

Each occupant shall have ready access to all overcurrent devices protecting the conductors supplying that occupancy, unless otherwise permitted in 240.24(B)(1) and (B)(2).

Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the service overcurrent devices and feeder overcurrent devices supplying more than one occupancy shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel in the following:

1. Multiple-occupancy buildings
2. Guest rooms or guest suites

Where electric service and electrical maintenance are provided by the building management and where these are under continuous building management supervision, the branch-circuit overcurrent devices supplying any guest rooms or guest suites without permanent provisions for cooking shall be permitted to be accessible only to authorized management personnel.

Overcurrent devices shall be located where they will not be exposed to physical damage.

Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitible material, such as in clothes closets.

In dwelling units, dormitory units, and guest rooms or guest suites, overcurrent devices, other than supplementary overcurrent protection, shall not be located in bathrooms.

Overcurrent devices shall not be located over steps of a stairway.