Let’s continue our review of the significant changes in the 2023 National Electrical Code . This article examines some of the new and modified definitions in Article 100. As I indicated in part two of this series, there were...
Continued from the February column, let’s resume our overview of the significant changes in the 2023 National Electrical Code. New articles and revised titles In addition to the articles discussed previously, one article has...
I first became involved in the NEC as a panel member in 1981. I served two cycles as a panel member before I joined the NFPA staff. I became the secretary and staff liaison to the NEC in July 1989 and retired in August 2019...
I have been monitoring several NEC panel meetings virtually, and the members are becoming old pros at meeting online. The 18 NEC Code-Making Panels (CMPs) are currently considering public comments on the actions they...
I became the secretary of the National Electrical Code in the summer of 1989. Work on the 1990 Code had just been completed, and the closing date for the 1993 Code cycle would not be until Nov. 9, 1990. I had a great mentor...
The Great Chicago Fire started on Oct. 8, 1871. One of the most significant fires of its time, it left around 300 dead and 100,000 people homeless. The fire occurred in a mostly residential area, destroying over 17,000...
My Inspiration for this column came from a discussion on a Facebook nostalgia group. The question was “Who remembers the Great Northeast Blackout [of 1965]?” I scanned the various posts about where people were and how they...
For the National Electrical Code to be a complete regulation for the built environment, it must contain sufficient requirements to cover the overwhelming number of possible installations. Where it does not specifically...
An attack by the adversary was imminent. Radio traffic indicated that something big was in the works. The targeted military had broken their adversary’s code and identified the target of the attack, simply referred to as “AF...
In healthcare today, short hospital stays are normal, and recovery at home or at a rehabilitation facility is common. When I was still at the NFPA, I heard a lot of concern about durable medical equipment (DME) installed in...
Springtime brings more moderate weather after a long, cold winter. It also brings damaging storms. Thunderstorms are more frequent in the spring than during other times of the year, as are tornadoes. Hurricane season begins...
That Sister Sledge song from the 1970s is about the importance of family relationships. There is a family of electrical standards that support each other among the 250–300 codes and standards covering safety-related topics...
How do You keep up with the news? About 25 years ago, NFPA subscribed to a news clipping service. I received articles from a range of media sources with key words highlighted. Some provided useful information, others did not...
For the first time in 34 years, I am participating in the National Electrical Code process as an active submitter of public input. For most of my career, I was unable to submit input or comments because my role was to remain...
Futuristic smart cities have been envisioned for years. TV shows from the last century predicted amazing technological leaps. “Lost in Space,” an early 1960s sci-fi show, forecast interplanetary travel in 1997. It also...
When I was first involved with the NEC , there were several ad hoc subcommittees. Some were assigned a very specific task to meet over lunch or in the evenings during a committee meeting. Others met between the panel meetings...
The last twenty years of the 20th century were filled with excitement and anticipation about what would happen in the century ahead. It would not be a normal change because we were entering a new millennium, and there were...
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Kodak, then the largest manufacturer of film and cameras, began a product promotion with a series of Christmas-themed advertisements with the tagline “Open me first.” The ad encouraged...
As I write this, the country is easing its way out of lockdown. It has been an extraordinary time, but not in a good way, because right now we don’t know when things will get back to the new normal. Much of our lives has been...
I recently received a message on LinkedIn from an attorney. That always gets my attention. Many consultants gravitate toward special expert witness work, but I have no interest in it. In court, your client’s attorney will try...
