Electrical safety is not just a priority for electricians and electrical contractors; there are professionals all over the world who have made it their business. This was evident at the IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop (ESW), held March 4–8 in Jacksonville, Fla.
The workshop was not just about electrical safety as it pertains to U.S. codes and standards; there was a large international contingent as well. Canada in particular was well-represented among the attendees, as they all came together to share their ideas and experiences relating to electrical safety.
According to the ESW website, the workshop was founded in 1991 by the IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee. Since then, it “has served to accelerate the dispersion of information and knowledge impacting electrical safety.”
Attendees are able to submit their own papers for discussion, and the question-and-answer sessions are more involved than a standard convention keynote. Electrical safety is the livelihood of almost everyone there, and they are excited to share their experiences and learn from others.
The passion of the attendees was evident at the Product and Services Expo and Social on March 6, during which product and service providers showed off how they work to promote electrical safety themselves. A number of personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturers promoted their flame-retardant products, and larger companies such as Eaton also discussed how their products work to promote safety.
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR also had a booth at the expo, and it was impressive to see how many were intrigued by the magazine’s coverage of the National Electrical Code and other codes and standards, as well as safety. Many of them were not electrical contractors—the crowd included safety experts and engineers from various national laboratories, utilities, automobile manufacturers and more—but everyone there was excited to consume as much information as possible.
The rest of the conference included a series of presentations, tutorials, keynotes, presentations, working groups and more. Students from around the globe had a chance to present their own posters, and they came from such places as Texas, Washington, D.C., New Zealand, Poland, Pakistan, China and Scotland.
About The Author
Matthew Kraus was formerly the director of communications at NECA and senior editor of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR for five years. He can be reached at [email protected].