Fiber techs must constantly look out for changing installation components and processes.
This affects the tools they must use. Are your fiber optic tools ready for today’s installation work?

Safety should always be top of mind, including during Thanksgiving celebrations. Many people will gather around the table later this month to share a meal, enjoy a toast, tell stories and maybe watch football. We should never lose sight that dangers are present, however, and all safety precautions should be followed. While traveling and shopping, remember to be alert to your surroundings, park in well-lit areas, keep track of family and friends and, as always, be safe!

How well do you know the carbon monoxide (CO) requirements of the 2022 NFPA 72 and the 2021 International Building Code (IBC)? Take this quiz to test your knowledge.

Basic grounding and bonding concepts and related performance provisions are contained in the National Electrical Code, as they are essential for safe electrical systems. While the concepts are fairly straightforward, many people find them complex and challenging. Having definitions for concepts such as ground, grounding and bonding, and knowing how and why these circuit elements work will clarify these misunderstandings and help Code users master electrical grounding and bonding.

In this month’s fiber optics column (see page 112) and July’s quiz, I discussed some of the most confusing topics in fiber optics, but there are more. Here’s additional questions about bending specs for cables and bend-insensitive fibers, which is a topic that confuses people in fiber optics.

The ASSP A10 Committee for Construction and Demolition Operations standards and others are developed through consensus and approved by the American National Standards Institute, which governs the process. Let’s familiarize ourselves with some highlights of ANSI/ASSP A10.1, Pre-Project and Pre-Task Safety and Health Planning, a consensus standard designed to move construction and demolition safety and health forward, provide additional support to OSHA regulatory requirements and supplement guidance from other governmental bodies.

For more information on the series of ASSP A10 standards from the Committee on American National Standard Construction and Demolition Operations, please visit www.assp.org/standards/standards-topics/construction-and-demolition-operations-a10.

How well do you know the documentation requirements of 2022 NFPA 72? Take this quiz and test your knowledge. 

Article 100 of the National Electrical Code defines a transformer as equipment, either single-phase or polyphase, that uses electromagnetic induction to convert current and voltage in a primary circuit into current and voltage in a secondary circuit. Transformers are general-use equipment and are required to follow the general provisions in the NEC, and specifically the rules in Article 450. Transformers are typically provided with a nameplate that meets the requirements in 450.11(A). These data nameplates usually include current values, but this is not a required marking.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released its proposed rule for heat injury and illness prevention, which includes specific requirements that employers must have in place to be in compliance. For more information on this regulation, please visit www.osha.gov/heat-exposure/rulemaking. 

Every technical field has its confusing jargon or enigmatic technology, and fiber optics is no exception. Let’s test your knowledge of the most commonly misunderstood principles.

Although heat detectors are not used in the majority of fire alarm systems, it is a good idea to understand the applications and requirements. Test your knowledge to see how well you know them.

In the National Electrical Code, electrical wiring rules for healthcare facilities are often more restrictive than general wiring requirements in chapters 1–4. Many of these restrictive requirements center around redundancy of systems and continuity of power. For example, the branch circuits serving patient care spaces require two separate equipment grounding conductors in compliance with Section 517.13. The idea is to install a minimum of two, and thus always be assured of having one.

Every contractor knows to call 811 before starting work on an underground cable plant installation, but that’s not all. The Excavation Safety Alliance’s “Pre-Excavation Checklist” is included in its Excavation Safety Guide and Directory, which I used as a reference for this month’s quiz.

May is a busy month for safety. From mental health awareness to electrical safety, professionals across the board are busy addressing safety and training for employers and employees. From May 6–10, we celebrated Construction Safety Week and the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. Test yourself below on a variety of safety issues. And to all safety professionals, thank you for all you do to protect our construction employees.

Everyone should be familiar with emergency management systems and response. OSHA will be releasing new emergency management response regulations in the near future. How much do you know about this topic?

Structured cabling in building communications has been driven mainly by one network—ethernet—which has become the most widespread network standard. Ethernet turned 50 last year, making it an appropriate time to review how it was created and how it has driven the development of cabling.