The Challenge of Increasing Electrical Safety
from IAEI Magazine
Municipalities across the nation have faced unprecedented difficulties adopting the new 2008 National Electrical Code® (NEC®), from the National Fire Protection Association, Inc. (NFPA). In fact, national associations have launched public relations and political offensives to halt or slow adoption primarily due to claims that the new code will significantly increase the cost to build homes. Unfortunately, in many cases it falls to electrical inspectors to counter these inaccurate statements. More

The Mark of a Good Product
from Electrical Contractor Magazine
The short-circuit current rating of electrical equipment would permit the equipment to clear an electrical fault and be re-energized without major repair to the equipment. Electrical equipment that is designed to open under fault conditions, such as a circuit breaker and a fuse as covered in 110.9 of the NEC, must be able to withstand the amount of available fault current at the line terminals of the equipment and clear a fault downstream from the line terminals without major damage to the circuit. More

U.S. Army Takes Steps to Tackle Electrical Concerns in Iraq, Kuwait
from the U.S. Army
The Army Sustainment Command is vigorously addressing electrical safety hazards to ensure the Army facilities it supports in operational theaters are in compliance with established electrical codes. In concert with Task Force SAFE (Safety Action for Fire and Electricity), this focus on electrical safety includes places where Soldiers, Army civilians and contracted employees work and live. More

How Much Working Space Is Enough?
from EC&M
In order to create safe working conditions, OSHA and the NEC [110.26] provide working space requirements that vary according to the hazards involved with the installation and equipment. The NEC starts 110.26 by stating the space must be sufficient for “ready and safe operation and maintenance” of electrical equipment. This general statement applies to all electrical equipment. This single condition sets the stage for the more specific requirements found in 110.26. More

Arc Flash Resources for the Resourceful
from Consulting Specifying Engineer
If you work on building systems, either in existing facilities or in new construction, then you likely are exposed to live electrical equipment. As such, developing a healthy respect for live electrical equipment learning how to work safely around it should be high on your priority list. More

Solar Store Owners Seeing Strong Consumer Interest
from the Daily Gazette
Although home building has slowed with the recession, interest in saving energy — and money — has not. Solar stores throughout the country are doing brisk business, even the ones that aren’t in metropolitan areas. More

Why Is the Recession a Great Time to Kindle Grassroots Innovation?
from ManageSmarter
If you think that innovation projects should be shelved to cut costs in these challenging economic times, you'd be very wrong. Quite the opposite is true. Now is the best time to grow innovation in your employees—and you might be surprised at the outcomes. More