The
NEC is like this sign. 20 MPH is not actually the speed limit in that area. It is the recommended maximum speed in order to safely negotiate the curves ahead. If you drive 25, you won't get a ticket. However if you drive the actual 35 MPH, the actual speed limit in that area, you might end up dead. A safe
driver will acknowledge the recommendation and slow down. Is following that 20 MPH sign the law? No. Will someone who wants to be safe follow it? Yes.
As professional
stage technicians we work in an incredibly dangerous environment. Working at heights, with high
voltage, with heavy loads swinging over our heads, our loved ones
call it crazy, we
call it Tuesday. Our most important job as
stage technicians is to identify the hazards which surround us and do everything we can to minimize them in order to keep ourselves, our crew, our cast, our audience, and our facility safe. Law or not, we follow the
NEC,
OSHA/State Occupational
Safety Code, The Life
Safety Code, Building Code, Local
AHJ policy,
etc to the best of our ability.
You can choose to ignore the
NEC and buy all the orange extension cords you want, there's no law against it. Your
AHJ may not come inspect for years and may never notice that you use them, you might get away with it for decades without any consequences. You could also buy that orange cable,
plug it in and have it overheat, starting a fire which destroys the theater and injures or kills people inside. Choosing to buy an orange extension
cord instead of an
NEC approved
cord is making a choice to increase the risk of fire and electrical
shock in your theater. Yes it's only a tiny percentage risk increase, but it's not an acceptable choice for any professional
stage technician to make. We don't cut corners on
safety in order to save a few dollars. We make theater safer.