Arc Flash Overview
from IAEI Magazine
Five to ten times per day, an electrical arc-flash accident occurs that seriously injures or kills someone in the United States. Standards such as NFPA 70E and electrically safe work practices are now in place to reduce these accident statistics, and OSHA enforces these published safety standards. Electrical accidents are devastating to the affected workers and their families, and they can have very damaging financial consequences to the worker’s employer and its liability insurers. More

The Solar Industry Gains Ground – And Goes Global
from Fast Company
A new global industry is taking shape before our eyes. A journey through this energy revolution suggests that the age of truly ubiquitous solar may at last have begun. Solar's emerging titans are scattered across three continents and three technological generations -- from established crystalline PV manufacturers in California to newer "thin film" cells now reaching mass-production scale in Germany and to even third-generation compounds being developed in Australia that can be integrated into building materials to deliver power in the darkest shade. More

Kentucky Media Poll Shows 9-to-1 Support for Requiring Electrical Safety Features in New Homes
from the Electrical Safety Foundation International
Fire and electrical safety experts throughout Kentucky are calling upon state Board of Housing, Buildings and Construction officials to adopt the 2008 National Electrical Code, which expands the use of arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs), an electronic form of circuit breaker designed to detect and prevent home electrical fires, and requires the installation of tamper proof receptacles that prevent children from sticking items into the slots of electrical outlets. Television viewers in Louisville overwhelmingly believe new homes built in Kentucky should require electrical safety features that help prevent fires and protect children from severe shock and burns, according to an online poll by Louisville television station WHAS-11. More

Video: Phony Goods Pose Big Health, Safety Risks
from CBS News
Counterfeit products run the gamut -- and can cause serious harm to you or your family, reports Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen. Items such as fak electrical products and more have been confiscated by government officials, and consumers need to know what to look for and how to protect themselves, Koeppen points out. More

Big Changes Come with New Canadian Electrical Code
from Canadian Consulting Engineer
The Canadian Standards Association is launching a new version of the Canadian Electrical Code Part I in January. It contains some of the most significant changes ever, incorporating 108 revisions and 14 new interpretations. The provinces and territories, as well as the federal government, refer to the electrical code in their building codes, so changes will have a wide impact. More

DOE Releases Gateway Demo Report on Residential LED Lighting
from LEDs Magazine
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has published the report from the Eugene, Ore., "2008 Tour of Homes" demonstration of LED residential lights. This Gateway report, prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, provides an overview of project results including significant energy savings, improved illuminance uniformity and positive user feedback. More

Wartime Electrical Safety
from the National Electrical Contractors Association
Recent reports of electrical injuries and deaths of U.S. military personnel are both alarming and disturbing. The North American electrical safety system in this country is one of the best safety systems in the world. The North American Safety System basically involves three essential components, qualified electrical safety testing laboratories, effective codes and standards, and conformance assessment. It can be compared to a three-legged stool – if any of the legs is missing, it breaks down. Is the electrical safety system broken in wartime settings, or does it even exist at all? More