Getting Started: Industry Standards

In most cases, you are not the first one to work on a task and you do not need to learn from your mistakes alone. Trust me, it is far better to learn from the mistakes others have made. To that end, many organizations have made standards, which cover the minimum expectations you are expected to follow.

Disclaimer: this will be heavily dependent on your geography. Check with your local organizations before applying any of this. I am writing from the USA, with the assumption that readers will be able to find local organizations and their requirements.

All (or almost all) electrical work done inside of the USA is required to meet NFPA 70, or the National Electrical Code. Most controls are electrical (rather than pneumatic or hydraulic) and their wiring will be covered under this documentation. If you are looking for a starting place, this would be it. Other documents that may be of interest include NFPA 70E and 79

Another task that I harp on is making accurate documentation, but just as important is the ability to read documentation. This can be specifically tricky with P&IDs, unless you have ANSI/ISA 5.1. I attached a brief summary table from one page. Try using it to determine what the following might be... then imagine trying to do the reverse without an accurate table.

1. FI103

2. ZC204

3. ED317

4. CIT305

5. PSH402

6. LC203

modified ansi isa 5 1 2009.xlsx

Download XLSX • 11KB

The other 127 pages of the document go into more detail, and really allow you to flesh out a design on paper.

While these are the two main organizations I deal with, make sure to find those that manage your industry. It could save you some costly mistakes!