The challenge is getting people out of flammable clothing and into appropriate PPE through code guidance that’s easier to understand and implement. It starts by putting ourselves in a contractor’s shoes.
For example, today’s Code requirements state that an intentionally grounded conductor (sometimes referred to as a neutral conductor) is required to be installed at all switch locations where switches control lighting loads that are supplied by a grounded general-purpose branch circuit, or are they?
My two weeks spent doing field inspections involved long days and many stories. As a volunteer, I was always well received by the people of New Orleans.
Sometimes inspectors are not fully appreciated and/or recognized for our efforts. Some view us as the bearers of bad news; or, more often, see us as the epitome of intolerance, rigidness, and inflexibility.
The primary functions of recognized testing laboratories and field evaluation bodies are that they both perform product safety testing of equipment.
For utilities facing ever-increasing cable maintenance and management demand, rejuvenation helps address and repair more miles of cable for the same budget, compared to replacement.
My accomplices and I have made up a mock service diagram to be used in an educational program. The electrical service is rated 4000 amps at 120/208 volts. We are supplying the service equipment with 12 sets of 600 kcmil aluminum type THWN per phase.
Today, switchgear designers know the phenomenon of St. Elmo’s Fire by other names. The glow is called a corona, and its crackling emission is called partial discharge.
Those of us in the inspection community and those associated with the inspection community, including inspectors at all levels, chief inspectors, building officials, and administrators responsible for funding, need to work diligently to increase the competency and quality of our inspection process and our inspection force.
One common way of minimizing possibilities of electrical wiring and equipment becoming an ignition source in hazardous (classified) locations is to locate the equipment and wiring outside of the hazardous (classified) location wherever possible.