Working in Obscurity or Getting No Respect

Nov. 1, 2000
Standards development: It's a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it. You travel out of town several times a year to spend countless hours away from home in a meeting room full of headstrong peers arguing over technical issues and semantics. After enduring days of verbal battles and hotel food, you return home to spend your nights and weekends drafting stale paragraphs and lengthy chapters, which

Standards development: It's a thankless job, but somebody's got to do it. You travel out of town several times a year to spend countless hours away from home in a meeting room full of headstrong peers arguing over technical issues and semantics. After enduring days of verbal battles and hotel food, you return home to spend your nights and weekends drafting stale paragraphs and lengthy chapters, which you pray don't get thrown out in the next review session. When you think you have a complete document, you seek consensus from the masses. Once approved, you wonder if anyone even cares enough to read what you've worked so hard on.

This, of course, is the life of a standards volunteer. I know because I've been one for years. You don't get paid a cent for your efforts, but take it from me, this work is fulfilling and necessary. There's a need for quality standards in the electrical industry. Customers are looking for assurance their products and systems have been produced and installed in a reliable and industry accepted way. So next time you pick up a standard, think about the hard work that went into its development. Or better yet, get involved and join a standards group yourself.

Here are a few new standards that directly affect our industry.

- TCB 2-2000, NEMA Guidelines for the Selection of Underground Nonmetallic Duct;

- TC 13-2000, Electrical Nonmetallic Tubing (ENT);

- ANSI C82.12-1999, American National Standard for Lamp Ballasts - Fluorescent Adapters;

- ANSI C37.16-2000, Low-Voltage Power Circuit Breakers and AC Power Circuit Protectors: Preferred Ratings, Related Requirements, and Application Recommendations;

- NECA 402-2000, Recommended Practice for Installing Motor Control Centers (MCCs); and

- NECA/EGSA 404-2000, Recommended Practice for Installing Generator Sets (ANSI).

Another industry standard that has received attention lately is the Division 17 initiative. For a closer look at whether CSI should add a new division to its MasterFormat[TM], see the article, "Has Technology Made Division 17 Inevitable," starting on page 24 of this issue.

About the Author

Michael Eby

Mike received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering in 1986 and an M.S. degree in engineering management in 1994 from the University of South Florida. He is currently a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Prior to joining EC&M as Editor-in-Chief in September 1999, Mike served as the Executive Editor of Transmission & Distribution World magazine for five years. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Content - Buildings Group in the Infrastructure & Intelligence Division at Informa. Before joining Informa, Mike held various engineering titles within the Substation and Transmission Engineering Groups at Florida Power & Light Co., Juno Beach, FL.

Mike was awarded the Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE) Excellence in Engineering Award in 1993 and has received numerous regional and national editorial awards for his reporting and writing work in the electrical market.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EC&M, create an account today!

Sponsored Recommendations

Electrical Conduit Comparison Chart

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS electrical conduit is a lightweight, durable option that provides lasting savings when compared to other materials. Compare electrical conduit types including...

Fiberglass Electrical Conduit Chemical Resistance Chart

This information is provided solely as a guide since it is impossible to anticipate all individual site conditions. For specific applications which are not covered in this guide...

Considerations for Direct Burial Conduit

Installation type plays a key role in the type of conduit selected for electrical systems in industrial construction projects. Above ground, below ground, direct buried, encased...

How to Calculate Labor Costs

Most important to accurately estimating labor costs is knowing the approximate hours required for project completion. Learn how to calculate electrical labor cost.