NFPA Journal - May/June 2013 - (Page 84)

>> the sections NEWS FROM THE NFPA SECTIONS SPOTLIGHT On ELECTRICAL SECTIOn Robert W. Baird Robert W. Baird, Electrical Section Chair, is vice-president of training and education for the Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc. (IEC), the association for electrical and systems contractors in Alexandria, Virginia. Bob has been in the field for 36 years and a member of IAEI and NFPA for more than 33 years. Where do your members come from? The members of the Electrical Section represent a cross section of the United States and many other parts of the world. They are business owners, engineers, estimators, consultants, electricians, instructors, technicians, and association executives representing construction, transportation, entertainment, manufacturing, utilities, health-care facilities, the fire service, building owners, educational institutions, regulatory agencies, testing labs, inspection agencies, professional societies, and labor unions. What codes and industries are important to your section? The section informs members about, and helps them contribute to, the development of NFPA standards such as NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®; NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance; NFPA 70E®, Electrical Safety in the Workplace®; NFPA 72®, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code; NFPA 79, Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery; NFPA 110, Emergency and Standby Power Systems; NFPA 111, Stored Electrical Energy Emergency and Standby 84 NFPA JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2013 Power Systems; NFPA 790, Competency of Third-Party Field Evaluation Bodies; and NFPA 791, Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Evaluation. What are the key code issues for your section right now? The technical committee report on the 2014 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC®) will be presented at the 2013 NFPA Conference & Expo in Chicago in June. Section members are currently reviewing the code panel actions and developing positions to be taken on that report. Other documents of interest coming up for consideration in June are NFPA 77, Recommended Practice on Static Electricity, and NFPA 780, Installation of Lightning Protection Systems. What key code issues do you anticipate in the near future? Members of the NFPA 72 Committee will soon start work on the 2016 edition of NFPA 72. Once the 2014 edition of the NEC is approved this summer, section members will begin to implement it in their jurisdictions and start thinking about proposals for the 2017 NEC. Can you give me an example of a recent event that provides a real-world connection to your section’s code concerns? Two words: Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane left millions of electrical utility customers without power up and down the East Coast. According to the Huffington Post, “New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference… that 750,000 city residents were without power after the storm…Power outages in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have ‘shattered records’ with over 3 million without power according to Philly.com… Three nuclear reactors were shut down and a fourth facility is on alert because of the storm…Sandy has even left 145,000 Canadians without power.” Homes, businesses, factories, transportation facilities, power lines totally destroyed by water, wind, or fire, or flooded by seawater. Power is out. How can power be safely restored to service without further endangering life or property? What standards must be followed during the process? The NEC provides the baseline standard for electrical systems on the owner side of the electrical service point, and NFPA 72 provides similar guidance for fire alarm systems. Through relationships established through participation in industry organizations such as NFPA, individuals from across the country have reached out to assist those who felt Sandy’s wrath. What activities has your section recently completed, and what’s coming up? The section’s last meeting was held during the 2012 NFPA Conference & Expo, and the next will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 11, before the Technical Committee Report sessions. Planning is also underway for the Electrical Section’s reception and dinner. The reception will be held Tuesday, June 11th, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the dinner will be held following the reception from 7 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Both will be held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Hotel in Chicago. Information on how to purchase tickets for the dinner will be distributed to section members via email. To join nFPA or add a section to your membership, go to nfpa.org and click on the membership tab or call 1-800-344-3555. http://www.Philly.com http://www.nfpa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - May/June 2013

NFPA Journal - May/June 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Treasurer's Report
Work in Progress
Amping It Up
Drill Team
Working Together
Code Process 2.0
Routine Maintenance
Here, There, Everywhere
Section Spotlight
Expo Preview: Exhibitors' Showcase
Looking Back

NFPA Journal - May/June 2013