Blog

On January 17–18, IEC Atlanta hosted its first Certified Professional Electrician (CPE) exam of the new year. A&T Committee Chairman George Thess and A&T Committee Contractor Member Blake Behr, Ridgeline Electrical Industries, served as proctors. “As someone who has taken over 15 masters exams, I have high praise for the CPE Certification. It is a test that truly has, at its heart, the aim to identify, certify, and praise the skilled electrician, and not just the good test takers,” said Behr, president of Ridgeline Electrical Industries.
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When you are looking for ways to help your customers achieve their design vision, tunable white control can make significant contributions to a space that promotes comfort, fosters engagement, and enables enhanced well-being. There is plenty to consider when selecting and installing a tunable white solution, but it starts with the advantages of a 2-channel, digital solution that allows independent adjustment of intensity and correlated color temperature (CCT). In projects where adjustable light levels are important to space performance, digital tunable white is essential and key to a quality light solution that complements the client’s design and material choices and will minimize risk by easily accommodating design changes over time.
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The old and famous saying in the industry, “I’d rather look at them than look for them” could not be more wrong now, than at any time in the history of the industry. The last few years in the construction industry have been proven to be challenging to say the least. Gone are construction’s glory days of win the job, pay the field guys, and collect the money with amazing profits.
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When the 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) introduced 210.4(B) entitled "Disconnecting Means," this new requirement for multi-wire branch circuits drove many questions related to the application of handle ties in the industry. This requirement has also driven more use of field applied handle ties. The application of handle ties on two one-pole circuit breakers must be performed correctly as the lack of attention to details could cause you to apply the product outside of its rating. Two one-pole circuit breakers can be tied together with an approved handle tie but you must pay close attention to the markings and listing of the products to ensure that the breakers are not applied outside of their rating.
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We live and work in an electrical industry that can be dangerous at times. We all must continue to sharpen our skills through continuous education. This education does not come from a one-size-fits-all,off-the-shelf training program. There are many approaches to training and the best program is that which meets your needs and yields results. Results come in a safer work environment and dollars to the bottom line. Electrical safety is more than just applying a product or sitting through a training class; it’s a regiment of training and procedures implemented in combination with technology that saves lives. Working smarter, utilizing what you learn and the tools available on the job, is a good way to begin to work safer.
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The National Electrical Code® (NEC) is a document that seeks the practical safeguarding of persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity. This document offers value to those who work on electrical systems. The NEC is an installation code that includes provisions from which the electrical contractors benefit. These provisions exist in the system for years after the structure is built and in operation.
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More than likely the old cliché of “Dress for Success” is a familiar phrase but one could argue that it takes on an entire new meaning when used in reference to an electrical worker. Appropriate dress can make a difference for electrical workers. Professionals working with electricity, including installers and inspectors, need to understand that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job is important if not critical to a better chance of a trip home and not to some other less desirable destination. It also just happens to be something OSHA finds very important. Personal protective equipment is not just something you buy and put on like other clothing, this equipment is life safety related and should be handled, treated, and understood as such.
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If you haven’t been made aware of the fact that electrical equipment exposed to water can be extremely hazardous if re-energized without proper reconditioning or replacement, then you just may also be surprised to hear that a similar message is applicable to electrical equipment exposed to the smoke/soot that may result from burning materials during and after a structure fire. One could argue that a structure fire not only creates an environment that is hazardous to the health of the occupants and first responders, it also has the ability to create a hazardous location caustic to electrical equipment.
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Overcurrent protective device interrupting ratings (IR) and equipment short-circuit current ratings (SCCR) are key considerations for the safety of commercial and industrial electrical systems. Inadequate overcurrent protective device IR or equipment SCCR can create a serious safety hazard. The National Electrical Code (NEC®) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have requirements around these important ratings and have resulted in changes to equipment designs and specifications.
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Yet another swimming season has begun, the prime time to talk about marina safety. Whether you are an electrical inspector, installer, manufacturer, or other, we can make marinas a safe place to work and play. Marinas can be quite a dangerous place when it comes to electrical hazards. Let’s break the ice with some thought stimulating information that you can build on during your next marina project.
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