At the end of every year at EC&M, the editorial team looks back at the last 12 months, reflecting on the most significant events that affected the electrical construction and maintenance industry and taking stock of the most influential news, technical advancements, trends, and stories that impacted our market the most. It’s also the time of year to pull together all of our “best of” photo galleries, showcasing the most popular pieces of content we ran last year and packaging them into easy-to-digest pieces that provide quick reads for our audience. I’m not going to lie, considering how busy this time of year is already, it’s always a challenge to tackle the extra projects. But after completing this ritual year after year, it’s also become a labor of love — an exercise in reflection I actually look forward to.
This month, we bring you one of our most popular annual “lists”: The Craziest Code Violations of 2021. Don’t miss the most extraordinary Code violations uncovered by NEC Consultant Russ LeBlanc last year. Peruse the most bizarre electrical installation mishaps Russ came across in his travels as well as shoddy work gone wrong that were discovered and sent in by loyal EC&M readers in the field. Never underestimate the seemingly endless existence of these electrical blunders.
For those of you who enjoy a good “best of” list like I do, make sure and peruse all of our annual galleries, available on www.ecmweb.com. Published in early December, readers always love the Holiday Wishlist, featuring 12 products selected by Group Editorial Director Mike Eby that any electrician would love to receive in their stocking.
In keeping with the NEC theme, the “5 Most Memorable Moving Violations Videos of 2021” is also back by popular demand. In this gallery, Russ takes readers on a journey into the field as he discovers and diagnoses Code violations in some of the most unsuspecting places. Rivaling the popularity of the craziest Code violations of the year, the “Best of the Worst” of What’s Wrong Here presents the most interesting NEC violation photos of last year. This one speaks for itself. Any installer behind these installations may inevitably find their handiwork in the pages of EC&M or on our website someday soon. Another EC&M staple, “Code Quiz of the Week” is a definite reader favorite, which prompted us to also give you the “Most Popular Code Quiz of the Weeks from 2021.” Coming to our website in late January, see if you can pass these 10 NEC quizzes with perfect scores.
And let’s not forget about the “Most Popular Photo Galleries of 2021,” a compilation of the media galleries your fellow readers found most interesting last year. Covering a diverse range of subjects, it tackles topics like the latest new product developments in the industry, the deadly destruction from Hurricane Ida, the Top 40 Electrical Design Firms and Top 50 Electrical Contractors, EC&M’s 30 Under 30 All Stars, top OSHA safety violations, and electrical salaries across the globe. Finally, the “Most Memorable Articles of 2021” showcases some of our most relevant and poignant pieces written last year. From a personal reflection from an EC&M reader/author in remembrance of the 20-year anniversary of the World Trade Center tragedy to arc flash fallacies to understanding the difference between bonding and grounding, this package offers something for everyone.
As with anything in life, it’s always good to take a look back before you take a step forward. To say it’s been a rough couple of years would be an understatement. But there’s one thing I know for sure: Electrical professionals are some of the most resilient folks alive. As we indicated in our 2022 construction forecast last month, the electrical construction industry should be on track for growth this year, if it can navigate higher prices, supply chain issues, and ongoing worker shortages. If there’s anyone out there who can conquer these challenges, I’m betting on you. Wishing you all happiness, health, peace, and prosperity in the new year.
