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Around the Circuit
NECA and
IBEW Create New Classifications
E. Milner Irvin, president of the National Electrical
Contractors Association (NECA), estimates that the construction
industry
will need as many as 78,000 additional recruits by the year 2014. As a
measure to meet this anticipated shortage, NECA and the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) recently created two new job
classifications: construction wireman and construction electrician.
Each
offers a ladder of advancement by which candidates working elsewhere in
the electrical trade, as well as rookies in the industry, can now
qualify to work, improve, and progress as professional electrical
workers in the NECA-IBEW sphere. Under the new classifications, the mix
of skills required for modern electrical and electronic systems
installations may be better served."These new classifications fill
gaps outside our 'apprentice' and 'journeyman' stages," says Ed Hill,
president of IBEW. "They will expand our NECA-IBEW workforce nationwide
by helping us to recruit more new applicants as well as professional
electrical workers who are not yet part of our team."
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pictures to document and analyze. Now you can do just that and more
with
AEMC's PowerPad Model 3945. Purchase an AEMC PowerPad System through
April 30 and receive a free AC/DC Measurement Probe. Call (800)
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for more information. www.aemc.com
NER Launches
Stolen
Equipment Tip Line
The National Equipment Register (NER), a national
database of equipment theft and ownership records, recently launched a
stolen equipment tip line. While the primary purpose of the NER is to
respond to inquiries from law enforcement, the tip line was established
to receive calls from concerned citizens who have information about
what
they believe to be suspicious equipment. In some cases, rewards are
available for information leading to recoveries. To call the NER tip
line, dial (866) NER-TIPS.
Kaiser Offers
Incentives for Minority- and Women-Owned Firms
To attract more minority- and women-owned contractors
to
its projects, Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente recently
announced
it will offer business counseling and project mentoring, as well as
waive the usual bonds required to cover costs if a contractor fails to
complete a job. Conditions for contractors include agreeing to pay
union-level wages, health and welfare benefits, and paying into the
union pension trust. Candidates can be certified under the U.S. Small
Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program.By 2008,
the health system wants to award at least 5% of its
construction-related
work to companies that are 51% or more owned and operated by qualified
women and minorities. The company hopes the minority mentoring program,
which launched in late February, will help Kaiser find the labor needed
for new hospital and renovation projects, as well as help its new
partners gain the expertise and business savvy needed to become union
shops.
AGC Arizona Raises
Money for Construction Manager Program
The Arizona Chapter of Associated General Contractors
has raised $5 million and plans to raise an additional $15 million
toward its goal of establishing the Del E. Webb School of Construction
at Arizona State University in Phoenix. Now, the association is asking
the state legislature for $20 million to build the school, which may
help with the state's construction labor shortage by training a new
generation of construction managers. When completed, the school will
offer courses in engineering, architecture, and other areas for
undergraduate and advanced degrees.
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IDEAL is the only manufacturer in the industry that offers a complete
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From cutting, stripping, and termination tools to connectors,
splitters,
and VDV test equipment, IDEAL has everything but the cable. Visit www.idealindustries.com
for information on the complete coax line from IDEAL.
Project Watch
Airport
Authority
in Indiana
Seeks Qualified Firm
Officials at the Gary Chicago International Airport in
Gary, Ind., are requesting statements of qualifications from design
engineering firms for burial of overhead high-voltage power
transmission
lines. The RFQ will be available on March 20. For more details, visit
the airport's Web
site or call (219) 949-4942.
City of Anaheim
Solicits Bids
for Master Agreement
The City of Anaheim Department of Public Works is
seeking a firm for a master agreement for electrical overhead and
underground sub-transmission, distribution, substation, communication,
maintenance, repair, and relocation services. Scope of work includes
overhead primary reconductoring, 12kV underground substructures and
conduits, substation, related work, directional boring and direct
buried
cable replacements, 69kV overhead and underground transmission work,
not
excluding component work on communications systems as well as
maintenance repair, and/or relocation of any system and all appurtenant
work. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference is scheduled for March 30 at 2
p.m. PST. The deadline for submitting qualifications is April 20. To
download a pdf of the project summary, visit the City of Anaheim's Web
site.
ADVERTISEMENT
 Contractors Earn Free Merchandise From
B-Line
Introducing the Great Gear program: a way to acquire free gifts by
collecting and redeeming B-Line Bucks found on B-Line's fastener
product
boxes. Simply remove your B-Line Bucks from the box label and use them
to select from a wide assortment of gear in B-Line's Great Gear
catalog.
To obtain a catalog and order forms, see your local B-Line distributor,
or visit our Web site at www.b-line.com
Web Exclusives
Business Briefs
New York-based Syska Hennessy Group, consulting,
engineering, technology, and construction firm, recently acquired
Caretsky & Associates Consulting Engineers. Caretsky, a full-service
consulting engineering firm, has provided mechanical, electrical,
plumbing, fire protection, and commissioning services from offices in
New York and Houston since 1959. Some of the firm's recent projects
include NYU Medical Center radiology facility renovation, Queens
Hospital ambulatory care building, The Natural History Museum of the
Adirondacks, and Union County College in New Jersey.Bill Caretsky,
managing partner, has been named a senior vice president at Syska
Hennessy Group and will be responsible for major health-care projects
as
well as the growth of the Houston market. Caretsky's Houston operations
will now operate as a regional office of Syska Hennessy, under the
direction of Lance McKnight, a health-care design expert. On the East
coast, Caretsky's staff will become part of Syska's New York operations
under the direction of G. Venkata Ramu, the Syska Hennessy Group
regional director of health-care.
For more business briefs, visit EC&M's Web
site.
ADVERTISEMENT
 Belden 1000V VFD Cables Work
Reliably
in
Even the Harshest Environments
That's because they've been specifically designed to do so -- and
they
are more flexible to ease installation. High-strand, 3-conductor cables
are available in 16-2 AWG sizes with an oversized XLPE insulation and
1-4/0 AWG symmetrical designs with copper tape shields. Go to www.belden.com/ECM224 for VFD
Product Bulletin 224.
Eye on Safety
OSHA Publishes
Report
on NFPA 70E
In a recent report on electrical worker safety, Jim
White the training director for Shermco Industries Inc., Irving, Texas,
member of the NFPA 70E Committee and NFPA 70B Committee, and secretary
for the 2006 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop, recommends taking the the
following
safety steps to remain in compliance with NFPA 70E and
protect workers from electrical shock and electrocution.
Develop a zero-tolerance policy toward energized work.
Get out in the field or plant and observe your workers.
Make sure your employees are trained to perform
tasks.
Develop safe work practices and procedures.
Perform periodic safety audits.
Implement job briefings.
Be careful how you implement any safety awards program.
Stay current with the regulations and the NFPA Standard 70E.
Document your work practices.
Show good-faith effort.
To read the entire article, visit the Occupational Hazards Web
site.
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product information.
Shows and Events
South
Florida Facilities Expo
The South Florida Facilities Expo is scheduled for
April
5 and 6 at the Ft. Lauderdale-Broward County Convention Center in Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla. The free two-day trade show will include seminars on
effective grounding, partial discharge testing of medium-voltage
cables,
protecting your facility from transients, effective lightning
protection, and preparing your facility for electrical outages. For
more
information and to register, visit the Expo's Web
site.
ISC West 2006
The International Security Conference & Exposition West
will take place from April 5 through 7 in Las Vegas. This year's event
includes educational sessions on video, CCTV, and IP-based
surveillance,
as well as VoIP and alarm transmissions. In addition to the keynote
address by Tom Ridge, former chief of Homeland Security, speakers from
CISCO Systems, NEC MicroSoft, and IPC International are expected to
address the latest technology and trends for the security industry. To
register and for more information, visit the ISC Web
site.
SWEE 2006
The Houston Electrical League (HEL) will present the
2006 Southwest Electrical Exposition (SWEE 2006) at the Reliant Center
in Houston on April 6 and 7. Free seminars will cover topics such as
wiring practices, NEC Code review and changes, cable testing methods,
and light control and the energy code. For more information and to
register for the Expo, visit HEL's Web
site.
Upper
Midwest Electrical Expo
The North Central Electrical League (NCEL) has
scheduled
the 2006 Upper Midwest Electrical Expo for April 12 and 13 in
Minneapolis. The event includes product demonstrations, the NCEL
breakfast, and technical sessions covering topics such as grounding
changes, short-circuit current rating of industrial control machinery,
and emergency electrical systems for health-care. For more information
and to register, visit the NCEL Web site.
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features, making them perfect for residential, commercial, and light
industrial environments. Please visit www.idealindustries.com
for more information about these affordable and convenient
multimeters.
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