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Editor's Message
Well, we're off and running. The feedback we've received so far on the first issue of the EC&M and CEE News ElectricalZone e-newsletter indicates we're right on track in bringing you the latest business and technical information you need to better manage your business and enhance your technical skills. Keep those suggestions coming! E-mail us with your ideas on what you would like to see in future issues of our newsletter.
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We Keep Your Power On
As the world leader in emergency and standby power transfer solutions, ASCO keeps your power on. ASCO, Automatic Transfer Switches and Power Systems safeguard data and telecommunications networks, industrial processes and critical installations from health care facilities to financial transaction centers. Over the past 70 years, ASCO has pioneered every major product innovation in power transfer technology. And we're committed to providing a full range of quality-driven products, backed by 24-hour nationwide service support. For more information, visit our Web site.
Around the Circuit
Electrical Contractors Get Ready for Boot Camp
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimates that 34% of builders now offer structured wiring packages as standard or optional amenities. Electrical contractors can keep up with the growing home networking market and learn the latest in custom installation and low-voltage techniques by attending Session III of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Boot Camp. This three-day training course, offered June 3-5 at the new CEDIA training center in Indianapolis, will provide installers with comprehensive hands-on training and the opportunity to achieve CEDIA certification through the Installer Level 1 Exam. The training session combines short lectures with hands-on workshops on everything from wiring basics to writing proposals. To register for Session III, visit CEDIA's Web site.
OSHA Proposes Voluntary Ergonomics Plan for U.S. Businesses
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has unveiled a voluntary plan to reduce ergonomic injuries. The proposed plan immediately garnered praise from business groups and criticism from work safety advocates. The safety agency's announcement came more than a year after pressure from the business community resulted in the revocation of a mandatory standard issued by the Clinton administration. The standard would have penalized employers for failing to take action to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which affect 1.8 million workers each year. The government said guidelines for certain targeted industries would be released over the course of the year.
NAED's "Big Meeting" Blows into Chicago
It seems only fitting that the National Association of Electrical Distributors' 2002 Annual Meeting will take place in the City of Big Shoulders. Touted by NAED as the "Big Meeting," the show will be held May 11-15 in Chicago at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers and boasts a lineup of celebrity speakers including former Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula and Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene. Attendees will get their fill of networking opportunities and product perusal with 14 hours of exhibit and booth time, including the new Product Showcase & Technology Expo and conference booth sessions. For registration information, visit www.naed.org.
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Snake Tray Installs in Seconds
Cable Tray installations are never a straight run. Manufacturing turns with traditional cable trays takes time and costs money. Snake Tray™ bends by hand to go over/under or around obstacles in seconds, saving you time and money! Cable trays are available for overhead, wall and underfloor applications. Visit www.snaketray.com to learn more.
Code Corner
What's Wrong Here?
Click here to see why this installation violates NEC® requirements.
HINT: Temporary installations permit use of suitable cord assemblies, such as this one, but what about the open lamp socket? Is it too low? What are the rules for lamps used for general illumination?
Code Q&A
Q. The NEC® permits you to terminate the grounded (neutral) conductor, the equipment enclosure, and the grounding electrode conductor of service equipment to the same location. Is it permissible to land the equipment grounding conductors on the neutral bus bar with the grounded (neutral) conductors, or do I have to use a separate ground bar?
Click here to see the answer.
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See the newest products and services from the industry's top manufacturers at Electric Show 2002, the biggest electrical equipment show in the United States. The exposition and conference will take place from June 17-19 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Zone Exclusives
Industry Statistics
$64,910. Median annual earnings of electrical engineers in 2000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The middle 50% earned between $51,700 and $80,600. The lowest 10% earned less than $41,740, and the highest 10% earned more than $94,490.
61,414. Number of electrical-contracting firms in the United States, according to the 1997 Economic Census.
641,984. Number of electricians working in the United States, according to the 1997 Economic Census.
38,400. Number of home fires each year associated with wiring, switches, outlets and cords and other electrical equipment, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
51%. Percentage drop in the number of fires between 1980 and 1998, according to the NFPA.
48. Average age of an electrical contractor, according to National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).
49. Average age of CEE News readers.
Manufacturing's High-Tech Revolution
If you're in charge of maintaining an industrial facility, keeping the electrical system up and running 24/7 means being available at all times of the day whether you're at the plant or not. And with the increased emphasis on mobility, remote maintenance is becoming a necessity. Preventive maintenance is moving from proprietary systems that occupy their own data islands to wireless platforms that support CMMS systems, changing the PdM landscape. Click here for the full article.
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