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...
My 40-year career using the National Electrical Code (NEC) began in an unusual place, toward the center of the Code book, specifically Chapter 5. I began that phase of my career working for the research arm of a large...
Electrical contractors are becoming more involved in the design, installation and servicing of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for residential, commercial and industrial facilities. While this may be a sideline business for...
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...
Let’s be honest here. Most Code change seminars start at the beginning of the National Electrical Code (NEC), and by the time the class is over, we’re lucky if we get as far as Article 700. It is important that electrical...
Modern technologies and equipment have found their way into many electrical installations and systems. It seems like the biggest evolution is occurring in lighting, and it brings many benefits with it. Having installed a...
When I discuss a fire alarm system with a contractor in the field, they always state their system installation complies with NFPA 72 2019, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. So, when I ask which chapter in the code they...
Does the National Electrical Code (NEC) stand in the way of implementing new technology? In the words of Michael Johnston, chair of the NEC Correlating Committee, “The NEC’s purpose is to ensure the safe but sound...
Last month’s article covered the general requirements in the National Electrical Code for audio signal processing, amplification and sound equipment in Article 640. One of the most common mistakes many electricians and...
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...
Thousands of annual job-related injuries and hundreds of fatalities can be attributed to electrical hazards. Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulations in place to prevent these types of...
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...
In 1950s and 1960s homes, lighting fixtures were often installed in the center of the ceiling with a wall switch at the room’s entrance. This worked when general lighting was required for cleaning and similar tasks that do...
A few years ago, I had a long discussion with an official from a government agency about emergency generators. He referred to small, portable generators as emergency generators. When I explained the difference, he insisted...
When I was an electrical contractor, I tried to find a specialty where there was less competition and more profit than the normal building wiring. Many ECs doing electrical wiring for dwellings, commercial and industrial...
Grounding an electrical system means one system conductor is connected to ground (earth by definition) and a reference to ground from the system is established. Installing and operating an ungrounded system means no reference...
With the advent of power over ethernet in the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) , in Article 393 of the 2014 NEC covering low-voltage ceiling grid power, and other applications dealing with power-limited circuits, there...
This column completes last month’s discussion on the history of working space requirements in the National Electrical Code (NEC) . Now, it is time to look to the more recent past and even into the future. 2002 Code Section...
Around 2007, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) introduced a concept known as prevention through design (PtD), which addresses preventing and controlling occupational injuries, illnesses and...
Let’s assume a 120/208-volt (V), three-phase service was installed on a building a few years ago and the new owner of the building needs a standby generator for use during power outages. The electrical contractor installs a...
