Electrical Engineering Services in Florida
The City of North Miami, Fla., requests sealed proposals from qualified consultants with the capability to provide professional electrical engineering services. Proposals are to be submitted no later than 3 p.m. EST on October 20. Copies of this request for qualifications may be obtained by contacting DemandStar by Oniva or calling toll free (800) 771-1712 and requesting Document No. 110809.

Web Exclusives
Business Brief
CDM, Cambridge, Mass., a consulting, engineering, construction, and operations firm, has been retained by Partners HealthCare Systems, Boston, to prepare a strategic energy master plan (SEMP) to reduce energy consumption at nine health care facilities, comprising 13.8 million sq ft of operating space. These facilities include Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, McLean Hospital, Faulkner Hospital, North Shore Medical Center, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Rehabilitation Hospital of the Cape and Islands, and Shaughnessy-Kaplan Rehabilitation Hospital.

For more Business Briefs, visit the EC&M Web site.

Lighting Equipment Demand Slides Again During Q2 2009
In addition to a substantial first quarter decline, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va., reports that its Lighting Systems Index contracted another 4.3% during the second quarter of 2009. The drop marked the third consecutive quarter in which the index has fallen to a new all-time low reading. On a year-over-year basis, the index was down even more sharply, plunging almost 25%, and has registered more than a collective 30% drop from its cyclical peak in early 2006. For the third consecutive quarter, all major types of lighting equipment that comprise the index posted lower inflation-adjusted shipments versus the second quarter of 2008, with a particularly sizable year-over-year decline in luminaire shipments.

To read more about the decrease in demand for lighting equipment, visit the EC&M Web site.

CFL Market Share Rises in Quarter 2
Despite the gloomy economy, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va., recently reported that its index for incandescent lamps registered a reading of 59.4 for the second quarter of 2009, which essentially is unchanged compared to the first three months of this year. Nevertheless, the index decreased 11.85% on a year-over-year basis. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) showed a similar result, although declining by a milder rate of 3.95% on a year-over-year basis. Concurrently, the CFL index increased 3.8% versus the first quarter of 2009, climbing to 222.6 on a seasonally adjusted basis. Recent performance could indicate the indices might be at or near bottom given the relatively flat to moderate increases in growth.

To read more on this report, visit the EC&M Web site.

Eye on Safety
Construction Fatality and Safety Incidents Decline Over Last Decade
The national construction fatality rate declined 47% and the number of recordable safety incidents dropped 38% since the federal government switched to a safety oversight approach known as “collaborative safety” in 1998, according to an analysis of federal safety data released by the Associated General Contractors of America, Arlington, Va.

“There is no doubt that the collaborative approach is working,” says Chuck Penn, executive director of the association’s Shreveport, La.-based chapter. “While even one fatality is too many, it is hard to think of another government program providing so much improvement in so little time.”

To view the safety data, visit the AGC Web site.

Shows & Events
Outlook 2010 Executive Conference
McGraw-Hill Construction will present its Outlook 2010 Executive Conference from October 15-16 in Washington, D.C. Topics for the two-day event include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, building materials forecast, homebuilding and residential remodeling, and the 2010 construction economy. For more information and to register, visit the McGraw-Hill Construction Web site.

IEC National Convention & Electric Expo 2009
The Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) National Convention & Electric Expo 2009 is scheduled for October 21-24 in St. Louis. Classes to be offered at this year's IEC University include "Lighting Controls," "Staying Union-Free in a Pro-Union World," "National Electrical Code Updates," "Basic Safety Training" series, and "Green Opportunities in a Challenging Economy." For more information and to register, visit the event's Web site.