Electrical Industry News Week
Published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with the support of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)
Eaton

Message From The Editor

Getting ready for tomorrow safely

People who in industrial workplaces or office buildings, factories, arenas or shops must work on manual motor controllers or other electrical equipment may suffer serious injury or death if the electrical equipment is not stopped, purged from any energy, locked out and labelled before work begins. Learn about steps to follow in this issue. Hiring the wrong person can have many consequences. This can be costly both in terms of time and productivity. Read our contributor's insights on how to avoid these headaches. Good reading!

Line Goyette
Managing Editor
linegoyette@kerrwil.com
   

Schneider

Changing Scene

Rokstad Rokstad Family Re-Acquires Full Ownership of the Rokstad Power Group of Companies
Under the transaction, the Rokstad family assumes full ownership of the Rokstad Power Group of Companies from the Carillion Group. This includes all operations in Canada and the United States…
Prince George Prince George, BC Tests Solar Parking Lot
The City of Prince George has installed BC's first solar-powered parking lot, which involved installing a 20-square-metre area of solar panels in the parking lot at city hall…
Alectra Alectra Utilities and General Motors Generate Energy Savings That Could Power 3,000 Homes
By working with Alectra Utilities, GM's St. Catharines, Ontario facility replaced 854 interior bay metal halides with 700 LED fixtures and upgraded 17 air make-up units with high efficient motors and VFD controls. These projects will reduce energy requirements by 6.19 million kWh…
Electrofed

Human Resources

Interviewing — Love It or Hate it? How to Do It Right

By Michelle Branigan
Michelle Branigan The need to hire can be a good or a bad thing. In some cases business is booming and there's a need to add to your team. Alternatively someone has left for a different job opportunity or has retired, and there's an urgency to fill the gap. Whatever the reason, the process of interviewing will either delight you or send you running for the headache pills. But hiring the wrong person for the job has many consequences. It's costly, both from a time and productivity perspective. And it can be demoralizing for those who are responsible for onboarding the new hire, and have participated in the knowledge sharing process to educate that individual about not only the job itself but organizational culture, processes and policies. Read More

Human Resources

Legalizing Marijuana and Workplace Safety

By Heather Hettiarachchi
Marijuana Recreational use of marijuana becomes legal on October 17. This has potentially serious implications for workplace health and safety. In this article, contributor Heather Hettiarachchi reviews a recent human rights decision considering whether an employer who dismissed a worker for using medical marijuana on the job was discriminating on the basis of disability. Heather concludes her article with useful takeaways for employers. Read More
Tools For The Trade

Safety

Alert: Electrical Lockout Using Manual Motor Controllers

Safety Workers in industrial workplaces such as office buildings, factories, arenas, shops or offices who are required to work on manual motor controllers (MMCs) or other electrical equipment may be at risk of serious injury or death if the electrical equipment is not stopped, de-energized and locked out and tagged before work starts. Manual motor controllers are typically used to control motor driven equipment such as commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. They also serve as a motor starter/controller, and sometimes as a motor disconnect. Typically, MMCs should be marked with the words "suitable as a motor disconnect." Read More

Economy

Value of June Building Permits Drops 2.3% from May

Economy Canadian municipalities issued $8.1 billion worth of building permits in June, down 2.3% from the previous month. The decline was the result of lower construction intentions for residential buildings, following a strong May. In the residential sector, municipalities issued $5.2 billion worth of building permits in June, down 5.7% from May. New Brunswick was the only province to post an increase. The value of multi-family dwelling permits dropped 8.0% to $2.8 billion. This followed a record high of $3.1 billion the previous month. The decrease was led by Alberta, where municipalities issued permits for 865 fewer units in June than they did in May. British Columbia (+2.1%) was the only province to register an increase. Read More

Q & A Brought to You by Britech

I've meagered out the self-regulating cable and it is clear, but the beaker keeps tripping

Britech Often the cable lengths can be too long and place to high a load on the breaker. Load and length charts from the manufacturer should always be consulted when sizing circuits. For instance, the manufacturers chart for a 5 watt per foot cable installed on a 20-amp208-volt circuit may only allow for a 375-foot-long length of cable. If the cable exceeds the 374' it will trip the breaker. Read More

Survey Says

Survey Says

Electrical Engineering Services Median Salary By City

Among five cities across Canada, the highest localized median salary for electrical engineers is $90,000, found in Mississauga, Ontario, adjacent to Toronto. Vancouver, BC comes in close behind at $80,000.

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Survey Says From Recent Issues

New Products and Solutions

Ideal SecuriTEST

Ideal Networks' New SecuriTEST IP Tester Simplifies Installation and Troubleshooting of CCTV Camera Systems

Ideal Networks' SecuriTEST IP, now available in Canada, enables technicians to install, test, troubleshoot and document IP/digital, HD coax and analogue CCTV camera systems with a single unit. Its 7-inch, hi-res touchscreen and simple to use functions ensure just one tester is needed, even on complex installations. The self-contained tester can also supply power to cameras via PoE or standard 12V DC power using its internal Li-Ion battery. The long-life battery provides up to 10 hours continuous usage, but technicians can also pass PoE directly from the switch on an active network to a connected camera, reducing battery consumption. As well as saving space in a technician's kit bag, this, coupled with one-hand operation and a customizable shortcut menu, makes it easier to work on lifts and ladders. Read More
Stanpro Slim Light

L2SSS LED Slim Strip with Lens from Stanpro

This high performance lensed LED strip, which provides smooth and uniform lighting, is ideal for commercial, industrial, retail, or residential applications. Its slim housing allows for installation in restricted areas such as coves and display applications. Junction box cover included. Available in these lengths: 24", 48" and 96". Read More
Flir One Pro

Flir One Pro LT Lower-Cost Thermal Imaging Camera for Smartphones and Tablets

Flir One Pro LT is a new lower price point thermal imaging attachment for smartphones in the Flir One Pro series. The attachment features many of the professional-level tools and advanced thermal image quality that define the series. Key tools include Flir's MSX image enhancement, which combines thermal and a high-definition visible camera images to produce crisp, detailed images that are easy to interpret. All Flir One Pro models feature Flir's MSX and VividIR video signal processing technology to deliver improved thermal image quality and clarity. FLIR is also releasing an updated version of the Flir One app, which includes tools such as multiple spot temperature meters, custom onscreen temperature tracking regions, helpful tips for problem solving, and use-cases. Read More
Lumenpulse Luminaire

Lumenpulse Launches Lumenquad Luminaire

The Lumenquad rectilinear projector for both outdoor and indoor environments has a thin 3-inch (76 mm) profile, no visible wiring or hardware, and clean mounting options, seamlessly integrating with any architecture or space. Its integrated accessory design preserves the luminaire's aesthetics, even when optical accessories are later added on site. The Lumenquad can easily be tailored to fit an abundance of applications, new verticals and designs, thanks to a choice of 13 optical distributions to choose from, including roadway optics (Types II, III, IV and VS) and a new narrow asymmetrical, a perfect fit for an even illumination of vertical surfaces. Read More
WEG Electric Motors

WEG's New W50 Three Phase Electric Motors

WEG has released a new generation of WEG Motors for heavy duty applications. The WEG W50 motors offer excellent performance and comply with strict efficiency and safety criteria in severe applications. The compact design provides high performance, while their robust frames ensure low vibration levels. Features include a compact and robust frame, low noise levels (82 dB(A) at 3600rpm), innovative design of the DE endshield fins for maximum heat dissipation, uniform temperature distribution across the motor frame due to the exclusive internal ventilation system, and much more. Read More
Pioneer Light

Pioneer LED — New Wide Strip Fixtures

Pioneer Lighting now offers a new line of wide LED surface strips with a variety of options and available in all standard lengths: 2ft, 3ft, 4ft, 8ft. The premium wide profile, for surface mount indoor applications requiring higher lumen output, is ideal for high ceilings and for mounting directly on a standard junction box. The fixtures are suitable for surface wall/ceiling, chain or cable suspension mounting. Standard knockouts on the top and ends allow for quick and easy wiring and continuous row mounting. The high-efficiency moulded acrylic frosted linear diffuser provides optimum distribution and performance. Read More

From Our Last Issue

From Our Last Issue
  • Guide to the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I — Instalment 40
    Section 80 — Cathodic Protection. Rule 80-000 notes that this is a supplementary or amendatory section of the code and applies only to the installation of impressed current cathodic protection systems. Appendix B and the CEC Handbook have additional information and descriptions of cathodic protection.

  • Success Story: Johnson GEO Centre
    Johnson GEO Centre is a geological interpretation centre in Newfoundland in which 85% of the building is underground. This means that there is no natural light to highlight the exhibits. A glass-encased entry, standing 2.5 storeys high, is the only part of the building above ground, leaving approximately 85% of the building's 2,970 square metres of floor space underground. Recently, the facility decided to upgrade its lighting system. Experts from Standard suggested a solution that would enhance the existing lighting and save energy.

  • The Road Behind Us Was Lit with a Different Light, Part 1
    Like most historical records we are left with two primary methods to understand the past. The first being written accounts by those who were present; the second, the historical record, which can support written accounts and be used to piece together an image of the past through careful analysis. When looking back at the introduction of electric lighting in Canada we have both sources to draw upon. The written accounts are varied and easily accessible, but the material record is often more difficult to fully understand.

  • Eaton Simplifies Home Automation to Help Builders and Contractors Take Advantage of the Growing Smart Home Device Market
    The adoption of smart home products and services continues to increase and has become a common upgrade, if not a standard package for many home builders. Homeowners are realizing the benefits of security, energy efficiency and convenience that smart home solutions provide. Today, as many as two-thirds of smart home purchases are made with security in mind. Homeowners look for the peace of mind that comes with controlling lights and many other smart home products anywhere, anytime, from their smart phones.

Current Copper Prices

Monitor daily and 6-month $US prices for copper — the preferred electrical conductor for most categories of electrical wiring.

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The Electrical Stock Market

Track the stock market performance of 25 publicly traded electrical equipment suppliers and electrical wholesalers. Updated weekly.

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Published by Kerrwil Publications Limited with the support of Electro-Federation Canada (EFC)
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