In a poll recently conducted on this Web site (www.cable-install.com), exactly half of the respondents said they believe that cable abandoned in plenum spaces is a potential health hazard to building occupants. The poll was conducted between November 26 and December 10, and a total of 253 viewers of the site responded. The question posed was: "Do you believe that unused cable abandoned in a building's plenum spaces is a potential health risk to the occupants of that building?" Poll-takers had three response options: Yes, I do; No, I don't; and I'd need more information before making a decision. One hundred twenty-six respondents answered in the affirmative.
Twenty-eight percent of respondents, 71 total, replied no, they do not believe that abandoned cable is a potential health risk to building occupants. The remaining 22%, 56 voters, said they would need more information before making a decision.
According to site editor Patrick McLaughlin the results tell a story. "The fact that 22% of respondents say they don't have enough information to make a decision tells me that there are a lot of unanswered questions about just what materials are in these plenum spaces, and what condition those materials are in.
"It's also telling that this poll received the most responses of any that we have run on our site." The site has been hosting industry-related polls since May. "We didn't promote this poll any more than we do our others, so I believe it was the issue in question, abandoned cable, that drew the traffic. It can be called a proverbial hot-button in the industry."
The 2002 National Electrical Code requires that unused cables in plenum spaces that are not marked for future use must be removed. As jurisdictions across the country adopt the 2002 NEC and this stipulation goes into effect, cabling-system users and installers, as well as local inspectors, are having to face the issue for the first time.
McLaughlin says that Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine has covered the abandoned-cable issue in the past year, and will continue to do so. "These online poll results indicate that our audience wants or needs more information on the subject," he says. "We'd be remiss if we didn't give it to them."
