Electical Contractor

 Moving toward standardization Certain elements of the installation of wiring/cabling for residential low-voltage systems are on their way to becoming “standardized,” or at least looked at as benchmarks. Here is a closer look at some guidance for a “standards compliant” installation.

The 2002 Financial Performance Report (FPR), compiled by NECA from financial data reported by electrical contractors for the 2001 year, is a valuable business tool.

In the many articles I have written about safety and health, I have unthinkingly referred to a number of documents, such as the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Interpretations, etc.

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has published a new standard, 'Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard, Part 2: Balanced Twisted Pair Cabling Components, Addendum 4--Solderless Connection Reliability Requirements for Copper Connecting Hardware,' TIA/EIA-568-B.2-4.

The controversy over proposed changes to model specifications took a dramatic turn at a January 24 symposium in San Francisco, sponsored by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI).

It is extremely important to provide a safe and clear means of egress from electrical equipment and to ensure a worker’s ability to quickly exit an area during an electrical explosion and fire. The 2002 National Electrical Code (NEC) has added some necessary requirements to provide that safety.

CODE CITATIONS Article 225 Feeders Article 230 Services Article 250 Grounding Article 408 Switchboards and Panelboards Article 445 Generators Article 680 Swimming Pools, Fountains and Similar Installation Systems NFPA 20 1999 Standard for the Installation of Stationary Pumps for Fire Protection Grou

With tighter regulations and a greater need for emergency lighting in commercial buildings, product developers are continually focusing on ways to make exit and emergency lights more energy efficient and easier to self-diagnose.

Previously, I informed you about ongoing activity concerning 10 Gbps Ethernet and a new multimode fiber. In March 2002, TIA approved the standard for this new multimode fiber and probably by the time this article is published, IEEE will have approved the 10 Gbps Ethernet specifications.