|  During the last year, EC&M editors posted quizzes so readers could test their knowledge of the 2020 National Electrical Code skills. Each quiz features three questions that are presented in a true/false, fill-in-the-blank, or multiple choice format. The answer to each question is offered up on a separate slide, which follows the question. Here are the 10 quizzes (listed in descending order) that readers enjoyed the most last year. See links on each slide to the full quizzes. |
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|  An employee of a Watertown, Conn., metal fabrication company was electrocuted on July 14, 2021, while repairing a portable water heater. An inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that his employer, PM Engineered Solutions Inc., lacked safeguards to protect employees against electrocution, as well as mechanical, chemical, fall and other electrical hazards. |
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|  We describe five additional hazards that arise when working around rotating machinery. Do you know how to protect yourself from these hazards? You can boil it down to three key actions on your part: think and plan carefully before doing the job, pay attention while doing the job, and do a careful cleanup after the job. |
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|  Each year ESFI collects and publishes workplace electrical fatalities and injuries data covering incidents from the previous year. There were 126 electrical fatalities in 2020, a 24% decrease from 2019 and the lowest number of electrical fatalities since ESFI began compiling data in 2003. There were 2,220 electrical nonfatal injuries involving days away from work, a 17% increase from 2019 and a return to 2017 levels. |
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|  The fall protection program in many companies is woefully out of touch with the reality of materials and physics. Often, it consists of the user performing a perfunctory visual inspection and a “feel test” for defects such as frayed stitches. Yes, this step is important but it alone is insufficient. A harness that looks perfectly good might not be able to hold you if you fall. Your control over harness safety depends on whether you keep it as your personal PPE or check it out of a tool crib. |
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|  Overcurrent protection is covered in Article 240, so Article 242 was created to address overvoltage protection. To make the distinction between surge protection devices (SPDs) and surge arrestors clear, the voltage level is stated. Part II of Article 242 is for voltage protection at 1,000V or less (which means SPDs) and Part III is for voltage protection above 1000V (which means surge arrestors). |
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|  As originally reported in The New York Times, the U.S. Supreme Court recently reinstated the stay on OSHA's COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) by a vote of 6 to 3. This move prevents the Biden Administration from enforcing the vaccine/testing mandate for employers with 100 or more employees as set forth in the ETS, which was supposed to take effect on January 4. |
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|  Geared toward electrical apprentices, this article explores why a structured approach to navigating the National Electrical Code is so important. This article will provide electrical apprentices, seasoned journeymen, and electrical license test candidates with tips, tricks, and efficient ways to navigate the NEC, streamlining the process and saving you time, energy, and, most of all, stress. |
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|  Is that installation for real? Unfortunately, yes it is. We present the “best of the worst” What's Wrong Here photos from 2021. Read each hint, and then click the next slide to read the analysis from NEC Consultant Russ LeBlanc on each Code violation. |
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Members Only |  PREMIUM CONTENT: In this episode of “EC&M Tech Talk,” Randy Barnett, a journeyman electrician, electrical instructor, inspector, author, trainer, and electrical safety expert, first briefly discusses the background of electronic drives used to vary the speed of motors. He then shows viewers how the modern variable-frequency drive (VFD) operates, discusses functions and protections, and then reviews the NEC requirements for their installation. |
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|  Power tools and their batteries are rugged instruments designed to perform tough jobs, but they still require care to maintain safe, optimum performance. There are steps users can take to extend tool and battery life and help keep power tools operating at peak performance for a longer life cycle. |
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|  As we start a new year learning to live with COVID-19, EC&M’s editorial team recently reflected on the topics we published in 2021 — the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the increasing solar PV market, the top electrical design firms and contractors, Code violations, etc. We selected some of the most memorable articles (listed in random order) for readers to revisit. |
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|  Shoddy electrical installers beware: If you’re behind an electrical installation gone wrong like those featured here, there’s a good chance your handiwork may turn up in the pages of EC&M or on our website someday soon. |
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Members Only |  PREMIUM CONTENT: In this episode, EC&M Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson and longtime Code Consultant Russ LeBlanc discuss when and if a trifecta of GFCI protection may be needed to ensure Code-compliant installations for certain appliances, such as a drinking water cooler or bottle fill station. |
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Members Only |  In this episode of EC&M "On Air," Editor-in-Chief Ellen Parson discusses diversity and inclusion initiatives in the construction industry with Stephanie Roldan and Jorge Quezada. They are two of the hosts of Construction DEI Talks, a podcast series presented by partner companies Rosendin Electric and Granite. It aims to question common practices in the industry, educate listeners, and shift the industry’s culture to be welcoming to everyone. |
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|  Fill in the blank. Service conductors supplying a building or other structure shall not _____ of another building or other structure. |
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| Take our monthly quiz to find out how much you know about the NEC, and enter for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Amazon, Cabela's, or iTunes! |
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