He never gives me straight answers on things. Some times I think he just does things because he feels like it. Which is fine on some things, not on others.I have never seen that, you might ask the engineer why, maybe he knows something we don't??
He is the "Senior" because our owner says he is. He technically has 10 years experience on me, thought I find that hard to believe given his knowledge level. The owner thinks he walks on water. My opinion differs a little from that... (and if you care he is only 6 years older than me).Two conflicting pieces of information in your posts:
1. "Senior Engineer"
2. "That's the way we've done it for years"
Just because the person is older than you does not make them a senior engineer. It merely makes them older than you. What are their true credentials?
Item 2 Is the biggest red flag that engineering to current Codes and Standards assuredly are not in place. A legitimate engineer will be rotating through continued education regarding updated codes and standards.
Don't challenge them, but alternatively, use Google and this site to learn NFPA70 and NFPA 79 yourself. Both of these have changed quite a bit since I began 30 years ago. I am required to re-educate, and PROVE up-to-date to renew my license.
Yes interrupting the neutral is not really concerning to me.Again, don't challenge, learn as much as you can on your own.
I don't think interrupting the neutral (Grounded conductor) is problematic, as it is linked and simultaneously with the phase conductor..... But I would need a sound, purposeful, and cited engineering reason to switch the equipment grounding conductor.
I had not, that model is required by our customer so as part of their standard machine spec. It is not the actual main branch circuit protection. There is a 15A or a 20A feeding the plug that this plugs in to.I hope you/he realizes that the circuit breaker referenced in that link is not allowed to be used as branch circuit protection, meaning that there must be a BCP device ahead of it.
You can switch the neutral so long as it is done along with the hot via mechanical linkage. Switching the ground is pointless in this situation, the plug and receptacle are basically doing the same thing if you think about it. So I don’t see why that would be verboten here. Hard wired though, I agree with the others.