Lamacoids and the electrical code: what to engrave and where

A plain-English tour of where the Canadian Electrical Code and the OESC call for permanent marking, and how engraved tags cover it: disconnects, panels, solar PV and arc flash.

Code & complianceSep 26, 20263 min read

On this page

Permanent, legible, clear
Disconnects: say what it serves
Panelboards and circuit identification
Solar PV: Section 64
Arc flash: CSA Z462
Colour and letter height
Getting it right first time
Common questions

Open the builder

In short

The code's marking rules come down to three words: permanent, legible and clear about what the equipment is and does.
An engraved lamacoid is built for all three: the letters are cut in, not printed. That is why it is the usual tag on Canadian job sites.
Your drawings, spec and the inspector set the exact wording, colour and letter size. We engrave to what you send.

In Canada the electrical code is CSA C22.1, the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC). Each province adopts it, sometimes with changes. In Ontario that is the Ontario Electrical Safety Code (OESC), enforced by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). This post walks through where the code asks for marking and how a lamacoid answers it.

Need them made? Llamacoids makes electrical panel labels and solar PV labels in Burlington, Ontario, with same-day turnaround.

Yellow WARNING ARC FLASH HAZARD engraved plate

01Permanent, legible, clear

Across the code, marking rules share the same goals. The marking has to last, it has to be readable where it is installed, and it has to tell the next person what they are looking at.

The goal	How a lamacoid meets it
Permanent	Lettering is engraved through the top layer into the core. It is part of the plate, not printed on it.
Legible	High-contrast colour pairs and a letter height you choose, sized for the distance it will be read from.
Clear	Your exact wording: equipment name, what it feeds, where it is fed from, voltage and any warning.

02Disconnects: say what it serves

A disconnecting means should be marked to show what it controls. On a busy site that plate is often the only thing between a technician and a guess. A simple format works every time:

DISC-3FEEDS RTU-2 · 600V 3Ø

Name, what it feeds, and the voltage. Black/White is the everyday choice.

03Panelboards and circuit identification

Panelboards need their circuits identified, and a well-labelled panel goes further: a panel ID plate on the door with the name, voltage and source, and engraved breaker tags that match the directory. When the panel is fed from somewhere else, say so on the plate. Our guide to electrical panel labels walks through it, and breaker and panel labels has common formats.

04Solar PV: Section 64

Section 64 of the CEC covers renewable energy systems, including solar PV. It is where the most specific marking lives. Typical plates on an install:

Rule	What gets marked
64-060	Every PV disconnect, marked with what it serves.
64-074	Each interconnecting AC power source.
64-200	System rating label, posted at the PV source (generator) disconnect.
64-202	Marking on PV DC circuits over 750 V.
84-030	Warning notice and single-line diagram at the supply authority disconnect.
64-218	Rapid shutdown, at the meter and the service, where adopted.

Rule references follow CSA C22.1 Section 64. Check the edition your province has adopted. The solar placards page and the solar kit in the builder put the whole set together from your system details, including the single line diagram plate.

05Arc flash: CSA Z462

CSA Z462 is the workplace electrical safety standard. Where your arc flash assessment calls for labels on equipment, we engrave the plate to the values in your study. The study sets the numbers; the lamacoid makes them permanent. See arc flash warning plates.

06Colour and letter height

Where the code or your spec names a colour or a minimum letter height, match it exactly. PV warning signs are a good example: white letters on red, and in Saskatchewan the word WARNING must be at least 9.5 mm tall (TSASK 2024). Our colour guide and letter height guide cover the details.

07Getting it right first time

Start from the drawingsUse the equipment names exactly as they appear on the single line and the schedules.
Copy spec wording word for wordIf the spec gives the wording, colour or size, send it as written.
Check the proofEvery order gets a PDF proof to approve before we engrave.

Good to know

Llamacoids manufactures engraved plates to your wording. The installer and the responsible engineer or inspector remain responsible for code compliance of the installation.

08Common questions

Does the electrical code require engraved labels?

The code asks for marking that is permanent, legible and clear about what equipment is and does. The code doesn't name a product, but many electrical specifications call for engraved lamicoid nameplates by name, and Ontario's ESA gives lamacoid as an example of a permanent, legible label (Bulletin 64-5-5).

What colour is a solar PV warning sign?

White letters on red is the usual format. Saskatchewan's 2024 interpretations (TSASK) set 9.5 mm as the minimum height for the word WARNING; check what your province's authority asks for. Our solar placards are red/white.