Author Page for Jim Pauley
Jim Pauley is vice president, industry and government relations, for the Schneider Electric North American Operating Division. He is an electrical engineer and a registered professional engineer.
Visit Jim Pauley's Website
Most electrical inspectors are aware that confusion about wire temperature ratings and equipment termination temperature requirements will likely result in a rejected installation. Information about this topic can be found in the National Electrical Code (NEC), testing agency directories, product testing standards and manufacturers’ literature, but many electrical system installers and designers typically do not [...]
The common thread throughout the first two articles in this series has been the need for electrical inspectors to be armed with the facts to counter challenges to electrical safety. Knowing the facts better enables inspectors to perform high-quality inspections that benefit the installer or electrical contractor, end users and the local jurisdiction. It also [...]
Is an electrical inspection in your area viewed as a public safety activity that is respected without compromise? Are the inspection services offered in your area properly funded, or are they under scrutiny for budget cutting? Do the inspectors in your area meet a rigorous set of qualifications and continuing education requirements? Is an inspection [...]
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 [...]
Businesses are under more pressure than ever to improve bottom-line performance. But it’s a misconception to think that removing the cost of electrical compliance will create “real” savings. The short-term cost benefits will be quickly outweighed when the lack of compliance creates a tragedy. To protect the health and safety of workers along with the [...]
Abstract There has been an increasing emphasis in recent decades to achieve international codes and standards for electrical installations and products. Although the bene-fits of unified documents and products worldwide seem obvious, the migration to such internationalization requires management that considers regional differences of elements such as: the presently installed base, practices used in construction, [...]
The electrical industry has always had a fascination with testers. There are testers for GFCIs, voltage drop, circuit polarity, circuit continuity and now the latest addition—the arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) tester. NEC 210.12 requires AFCIs on 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits that supply bedrooms in dwelling units. The intent of the AFCI is to detect [...]
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) — Most in the electrical industry have heard of it, but do you really know what it does? Take the following short quiz: The American National Standards Institute is: (a) A standards developing organization (like UL, IEEE, NFPA, etc.) (b) A facilitator of standards development (c) A federal government [...]
Inspectors play a key role in the implementation of the North American Safety System and the job is not easy. In addition to being the enforcer of the electrical installation code, the inspector must also determine if electrical products are acceptable for use. To do this, the inspector typically relies on some method of conformity [...]
Many electrical inspectors can tell you that confusion about wire temperature ratings and equipment termination temperature requirements results in their rejecting installations. Information about this topic can be found in the National Electrical Code (NEC), testing agency directories, product testing standards, and manufacturers’ literature, but many people do not consult these sources until it is [...]
