IAEI News – January/February 2010 Digital Edition
January-February 2010
Not just in print, the current issue of IAEI News is also available online.
January/February 2010 is available now for you to flick through from cover to cover online! Try it out and give us your feedback. We would love to know what you think.
But remember, you can’t collect a website…
Edited on February 3, 2010 to fix link.
(No Ratings Yet)Circuit breakers and old panelboard; will anything work?
Question
I have an old panelboard made by a company that was sold and no longer produces panelboards or circuit breakers under their old name. How do I find circuit breakers listed for use in the panel when the manufacturer is no longer in business, can I use any circuit breaker that fits?
(No Ratings Yet)When is the UL White Book published every year?
(No Ratings Yet)UL and Installations of Alternative Power Equipment?
Question
Does UL have any additional information available to AHJs or installers regarding installations of photovoltaic systems, wind turbines and other alternative power source equipment?
(No Ratings Yet)Unmasking Hidden Dangers
Despite more than two hundred years of avid domestication, electricity is neither docile nor submissive. Underneath, it remains wild, unyielding and deadly; daring any to unmask its hidden dangers. Unperceived and unsuspected, these dangers lie in concealment, without motion, for long periods of time before savagely attacking.
Then it is often too late. Identifying these dangers is one of our responsibilities. In the March/April issue, we’ve identified six of them…
(No Ratings Yet)Money tight?
Did you know that IAEI continues to work on your behalf to devise ways to save you money? Right on the home page of www.iaei.org, there is a link to “Exciting New Member Benefits” that opens up a whole world of money savings opportunities right at our fingertips.
I was able to take advantage right away, as I had recently planned a long weekend trip to North Carolina back at the beginning of February and was to able enjoy a 10% discount for two nights stay at a Ramada Inn. All I had to do was follow the links to my Member Benefits Program page and from there, open the door to limitless possibilities. After downloading the Wyndham Hotel Group savings card, I simply provided the coupon number when I made my reservations with the hotel. This provided an instant savings of $18! This really made me stop and think about how quickly I could recoup my annual membership dues, by simply taking advantage of these expanded benefits. A rather interesting concept when we consider the value we’re already receiving with IAEI membership.
As a longtime member, I have come to enjoy the invaluable resources IAEI membership provides, such as educational opportunities through seminars and publications, along with having a voice in the code development process, or networking with industry professionals, to name a few. While these are some of the more well-known benefits, I’m finding in my travels that members across the country are not aware of our expanded benefits. As a result, I plan to share the not-so-familiar benefits, but will also touch on the well-known benefits as well in the coming weeks.
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)PV Certification: Improving the Quality of Renewable Technology
TEMPE, AZ and NEWTOWN, CT/February 12, 2010 — In an important decision, Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs, www.solarabcs.org ) recommended the adoption of IEC quality standards for all modules purchased in the U.S. marketplace.
The aim of this initiative is to improve the quality and reliability of the photovoltaic technology in the U.S. marketplace.
(No Ratings Yet)Intertek offers a complimentary seminar session on HAZLOC and EMC
Plano, TX, February 18, 2010 — Intertek, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, will be hosting a complimentary seminar (including lunch and tour) on HAZLOC and EMC product requirements for U.S. and international markets. This seminar is pertinent if you are an engineer testing in potentially explosive environments or testing appliances, medical equipment, industrial, or telecom equipment for EMC. The half-day event will begin with HAZLOC presenters, Lisa-Marie Martin and Ryan Parks, followed by EMC presenters, William Cullen and Sadish Campbell.
(No Ratings Yet)Blog — Product Safety Incidents: “I told you so” just isn’t good enough!
Explosion and deaths in North Carolina from non-certified industrial machinery.
In 2004, the West Pharmaceutical plant exploded killing several people and injuring many more. The cause of the explosion was non-certified equipment operating in an area containing explosive dust. The incident was a tragedy that likely could have been avoided.
In the beginning, West Pharmaceutical opened the plant and got their certificate of occupancy (CO) after all the local inspections were complete. NC inspectors have been informed and vigilant for many years, so it’s likely that their equipment was initially inspected for the certification status (e.g., UL, CSA, MET, ETL, TUV, etc.). At some point, more machinery was added, maybe even without the need to pull an electrical permit. This is when the non-certified equipment was installed.
Sometime in 2002, representatives from our office visited West and asked the plant managers if the equipment used in the facility was all certified by third party agencies. The question was never answered, and they were plainly told, “We’re not interested.”
Around 2003, NC OSHA received a complaint and did an inspection of West. OSHA cited their usual litany of non-compliances, including machine guarding and some other wiring problems. There was no mention of non-certified equipment. OSHA had once again walked through a facility with blinders on when it came to the listing and labeling status of equipment.
The OSHA non-compliances were “corrected,” and then several months later the plant exploded, causing a personal, economic, and environmental disaster that is still under investigation. In 2004, a newspaper interview revealed non-certified equipment as the cause of the explosion (http://www.nciaei.org/section/pdfs/WestPharmUnapEquip.pdf).
But why wouldn’t West listen when the electrical safety experts asked them about their equipment? Most likely it was the cost, and a perception that the service was not necessary, that it was only an added expense. So… would you hesitate to consult your doctor about an important surgery because you suspect he’s making money from providing this service?
In electrical safety, we take criticism from people who don’t understand electrical hazards. What they don’t know is this: We may have already saved their lives with the correct building wiring and systems, with restaurant equipment that didn’t start a fire, with the paint booth or coating system that didn’t explode in their workplace, or with the medical equipment that didn’t electrocute them during a doctor or hospital visit.
Did we see any improvements after the West Pharmaceutical disaster? Ironically, even after all this, the NC Building Codes Council, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the Catawba County Economic Development Council, ZF Lemforder’s attorney and the NC Legislature and Governor allowed an exemption of “Industrial Machinery” for building and electrical inspections. Maybe someday the families of the dead and injured employees of West will understand how our own government and special interest groups are working hard to allow another disaster like this one.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)Safety in Our States
Fire Damage
We should all be champions of electrical safety and strive to ensure that our customers, our friends and our families do not experience the worst that electricity has to offer. In the words of Wesley Smith of Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, who almost had a major incident, “Fire is something that you definitely don’t want to have happen to you, and it’s something that could have easily happened (to me). But since I had an experience that made me very aware, I wouldn’t put in another circuit unless it was protected with an arc-fault circuit interrupter.” Mr. Smith is among many others who have experienced an electrical incident. Fortunately, in his case no lives were taken and no valuable property was lost. In this article, we will explore electrical fires and an update of the 2008 NEC adoption process across the United States. The incidents shared here are real and based on actual experiences.
(No Ratings Yet)The Illusion of GFCI Protection
GFCI Receptacle
During the required annual pool inspections for commercial indoor pools, the inspector happened upon a ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) device, with a water cooler connected but without a cover plate. Using his tester it was discovered that the GFCI device protecting the receptacle failed to trip. Expanding the test to all GFCI devices around the pool, it was discovered that the failure rate was 100%. The devices were subsequently removed and sent to Underwriters Laboratory (UL) for evaluation. The end result of this process was disappointing, but it demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the overall system that exists to insure electrical safety. The story is one of parochial views and half measures; but the fundamental question is, “Can the public reasonably expect GFCI protection from a listed and labeled GFCI device when they plug in their appliance?”
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)Hazardous Area Classification: Division or Zone — You Do Have a Choice
Photo 1. Modern explosionproof equipment
OK all you sports fans out there, it’s football season; and everyone is fired up and running out to buy the latest item of team gear to show their support. But, hey, wait just a minute; your team did real well last season, but maybe it’s time to make a different choice for this season. I know you’re thinking to yourself, What do football and hazardous locations have to do with each other, right? Well, just like with football teams, in a hazardous (classified) area, you also have a choice. The choice in football is which team to support, which one will perform better in volatile situations and atmospheres. When we talk about the hazardous (classified) area, we also have a choice of methodologies to mitigate and prevent volatile situations and atmospheres. The football stadium, however, is not the type of hazardous (classified) location we will be discuss in this article; although, sports fans, a fumble during either process could have the potential to be extremely hazardous in both arenas.
(No Ratings Yet)
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