EConnection

Volume 13, Issue Number 2 April 1, 2009

U.S. Senate Confirms President Obama's Labor Pick

Secretary Solis On February 24, 2009, the Senate confirmed President Obama's nomination for Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis of California, by a vote of 80-17. She resigned from the House of Representatives that evening and was sworn in as the Secretary of Labor. While Secretary Solis was in the House, she was a firm supporter of the Employee Free Choice Act ("Card Check" legislation).

Internal Changes at OSHA

Richard Fairfax has been named Acting Directorate of Construction at OSHA. Fairfax, who is the Directorate of Compliance Programs, will now run both departments. Fairfax said in a meeting held on March 12th at the Department of Labor hosted by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) that “this is only a transitory role” until the new administration decides on an appointment.

Article 250 Changes Proposed for 2011 NEC

Below are the changes proposed to Article 250 proposed for the upcoming 2011 edition of the National Electrical Code.

2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) Adoption

Since the 2008 NEC was published, approximately 18 states have adopted it.

Approximately 18 states are currently enforcing the 2005 NEC and 14 states have their own electrical code and enforcing the NEC by local jurisdiction. For more information on NEC adoption in your area, check out the online NEC adoption map.

New NFPA Foundation Project

That National Fire Protection Research Foundation has a new project, Profiles of Residential Power Consumption.

Code Question of the Quarter

Question:

Can you explain the NEC rules for bonding metal gas piping systems? There are many inconsistencies in the field regarding what is needed to bond metal gas piping systems, specifically when corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) is installed used as the gas piping system. Any clarification would be appreciated.
bonded metal gas piping system

NECA shows support for NAOSH Week

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NECA supports NAOSH week. The theme for this year is “Safety Means Always Coming Home.” The event will kick off May 5th at the US Department of Labor Building in Washington D.C. and throughout thousands of jobsites in Canada, US and Mexico.

The Code Question of the Day

Are you receiving the Code Question of the Day (CQD) by Charlie Trout every morning? If not, would you like to? You can subscribe to this great Code-based e-mail by either going to the website or by e-mailing Codequestion with the subject being Subscribe Me to the CQD to be added.

NEIS True Stories

NEIS National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS) family was established with the intent of creating a set of performance standards for electrical installations. The NEC often refers to “neat and workmanlike” installations without clearly defining what that means.The NEIS bridge this gap, and over the years they have begun to take a larger role in the day to day lives of electrical engineers, specifiers, and electricians.

NECA Seeking New Participants for the NECA 200 Industry Review

NECA is currently seeking participants in the Consumer, Producer, and General categories to join the consensus body in completing revisions on NECA 200 "Temporary Electrical Power At Construction Sites."

Missed A Webinar?

Have you missed any of the Standards and Safety webinars hosted by NECA? Do you wish you could view them? Look no further than right here. You can view each webinar for free. Don't forget to keep up-to-date on future webinars, announcements will be made in the NECA News, within the Code Question of the Day, and the NECA website under the News headline.

Webinar 5 in the Series on Grounding and Bonding

5th Webinar on Grounding and Bonding on April 14

FREE Webinar on the Value of NEIS

Free Webinar on the NEIS Consenus Process on April 16th

Join us on Thursday, April 16 at 11AM EST when Nicholas Daly will be conducting a webinar on the National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS): A Consensus Process. This online event will focus on the NEIS development process, relationship to the National Electrical Code (NEC), and much more.

Registration is required for this free event. Please keep a look out for information on this webinar on the NECA site, NECA News and the CQD.

FREE Webinar - NEC-2011 Proposed Changes

Date: May 28, 2009
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

NECA testifies at the OSHA Cranes and Derricks Hearing

Ward Andrews of Wilson Construction and Tracey Harness, NECA Northwest Line Constructors Chapter Manager

Electrical contractors specializing in high-voltage line work recently spoke out on OSHA’s proposed rule for cranes and derricks. Representatives from NECA's District 10 testified at the four-day public hearing on how the proposed OSHA rule can keep job sites and workers safe without compromising efficiency and productivity.

Tracy Harness, chapter manager of Northwest Line Constructors Chapter, NECA, and Ward Andrews, safety director, Wilson Construction, provided testimony on behalf of NECA. They focused on the exclusion for digger derricks, certification portability, and the recognition of NECA’s training program, the National Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (NJATC), as an accredited training institution for the certification. Read the Press Release.

Inspector Relations Corner

Michael Johnston, NECA’s Executive Director of Standards and Safety, attended and participated in two regional International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) chapter meetings in March 2009. He was invited to present on the technical programs for the Keystone Chapter and the George Washington Chapter of the IAEI. Johnston provided technical training seminars based on the 2008 National Electrical Code (NEC) in addition to presentations on the NECA National Electrical Installations Standards (NEIS). The presentations about the NECA-NEIS program were well received by the inspectors, contractors, and electricians.

May is Electrical Safety Month

Did you know that May is Electrical Safety Month? Each year NECA contributes to the Electrical Safety Foundation International in its efforts to promote safety. NECA encourages members to participate and promote Electrical Safety Month within their jobsites by establishing electrically safe working conditions. This is a unified effort that requires the active participation from NECA members.

Other Places to Find NECA Standards and Safety

Check out some of the other places where NECA's standards and safety team has recently appeared.

A Life is on the Line An article written by Michael Johnston, published in the Electrical Contractor.

Do Employers Need to Pay for Lineman Belts and Hooks? An article written by Jerry Rivera, in the Feb. 13, 2009 edition of the Contractor's Code Letter.

State Licensing Regulations List of States and their licensing regulations, regularly updated by NECA. It can also be viewed here.

Low-Voltage Licensing List of States Low-voltage licensing, regularly updated by NECA. It can also be viewed here.

Product Recalls Counterfeiting Warnings

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR and TED Magazine Present an Anti-Counterfeit Products Webinar on April 14, 2009

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or would like to write an article for the Contractors Code Letter, please e-mail or call Aidan McCallion. She can be reached at 301-657-3110.

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