In February, OSHA issued its long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to modify the agency’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). When a final rule is released, it will mark the seventh iteration of the regulation. It is...
Optical power is to fiber optics like voltage is to the electrical field—it is the primary measurement unit and is fundamental to almost all other measurements. Optical power meters are used to measure transmitter output and...
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (NOPR) with the goal of bringing light bulbs currently used in about 2 billion sockets under federal regulation. This is an attempt to expand the...
Lighting has come a long way, and, like so much in the realm of energy and technology, its progress is not above politics. Standards for more energy-efficient lamps date back to the administration of President George W. Bush...
Wiring to ensure quality and constant connectivity in commercial developments has become a larger part of the job for electrical contractors. A road map for success would be helpful. WiredScore may be one solution. Begun in...
According to the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), Washington, D.C., construction companies comprise 13% of the global economy. And while the United States already plays a major leadership role in delivering...
in 2008, I presented “Effects of the Feudal Society on Power Quality” at a conference in Germany. It was a humorous look into why European countries tend to have legally enforceable limits for the permissible levels of most...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC), Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2017 NEC...
A very knowledgeable electrical contractor in the Phoenix area recently emailed me, stating he was having a National Electrical Code (NEC) discussion with a local electrical inspector. The discussion involved the sizing of...
In my columns on hazardous locations, I didn’t get around to equipment. Hazardous location classification provides opportunities to practice ingenuity in design. First, some background information from NFPA’s National...
Part 3 of this series focuses on revisions in Article 110 of the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC). Article 110 of the NEC, “General Requirements for Electrical Installations,” comprises three parts. Part I contains general...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC), Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2017 NEC...
Electrical engineers, inspectors and contractors, and the National Electrical Code (NEC), have dealt with nonlinear loads for many years. The issue arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the increased use of solid-state...
As I finish my last of 10 cycles as Secretary of the NEC, I marvel at the changes during the nearly 40 years of my involvement. We have seen numerous new technologies, from electric vehicles to solar photovoltaic systems to...
Last month, Part 1 of this series focused on general revisions in the introduction and provided a look at some new articles added in the 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) . As this series continues, it will provide the NEC...
Jim Dollard has an extensive background in codes and standards. If you have a query about the National Electrical Code (NEC) , Jim will help you solve it. Send questions to codefaqs@gmail.com. Answers are based on the 2017...
Recently, I received a phone call from an electrical contractor friend who was discussing with an electrical inspector the differences of branch circuits supplying swimming pool equipment versus swimming pool equipment feeder...
In last month’s column, I introduced the traditional approach to hazardous locations. This month, I discuss hazardous materials grouping with some specific occupancy requirements, and I compare the traditional way of...
Every three years, the National Electrical Code (NEC) is revised and often expanded. As the 2020 NEC development cycle comes to a close, the process’ final stages unfold. This article is the first in a series that examines...
In a general context, a “qualified person” has a very broad definition. Outside of the codes and standards world, qualified means having the qualities, accomplishments, etc. that fit a person for a specific function, office...
