Vol. 2 No. 2

December 2006

- How Many Hours do We Work?
- Electrical Business Launches Dedicated Career Page
- ESA Warns Us Again about Recalled Bulb
- MEL Launches Online "In Memoriam"
- Mandatory Retirement Ends in Ontario
- Luxo’s One-Millionth Magnifier Delivered
- Nominations Deadline for NAED Annual Awards
- President of Panasonic System Solutions Debuts Blog
- Choosing the Right Christmas Tree

 



HOW MANY HOURS DO WE WORK?

StatsCan reports that over the 2000 to 2005 period in Canada, Alberta and Nunavut experienced the strongest growth in hours worked.

Hours worked in Canada grew, on average, 1.5% annually from 2000 to 2005, due in part to large increases in the construction and retail trade industries, as well as the finance and insurance sectors. These industries accounted for 44% of the growth in hours worked, equal to the creation of some 120,000 jobs annually. Over the same period, the national average annual growth of labour productivity in the economy as a whole was 1.1%.

Construction ranked first in terms of growth in hours worked in Alberta, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, as well as the Yukon. It placed second in Ontario and Newfoundland & Labrador, and third in Nova Scotia and Quebec.

In 2005, the two regions with the highest annual level of hours per job were the Northwest Territories (1852 hours) and Alberta (1836 hours). In contrast, the two regions where hours worked per job were the lowest were in Quebec (1680 hours) and British Columbia (1699 hours).

From 2000 to 2005, Alberta experienced the largest increase in total hours worked with an annual average rate of 2.5%. In fact, Alberta is the only province where annual hours worked per job grew over this period. All of the other provinces and two territories experienced a decrease in average hours worked over the same period, with the largest decline in the Northwest Territories (-1.2%) while there was no change in The Yukon.

Second only to the Northwest Territories, Quebec saw its average hours worked fall by 0.7% annually from 2000 to 2005. However, whereas Northwest Territories work patterns drew closer to the Canadian average, Quebec figures showed a drift in the opposite direction.



ELECTRICAL BUSINESS LAUNCHES DEDICATED CAREER PAGE


You all know how tough it can be to find ‘good people’, especially if you lack the proper vehicle for reaching the kind of people you want to hire. That’s where Electrical Business comes in. After all, who better to carry your message than the only third-party qualified, national publication targeting only electrical professionals?

Make EB your HR partner by announcing your firm’s openings in EB Careers, a new dedicated page in both the magazine and online at EBMag.com. Contact EB’s newest team member, Jennifer Sewell, at (905) 726-4664 or jsewell@clbmedia.ca to learn more.



ESA WARNS US AGAIN ABOUT RECALLED BULB

The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) is again reminding consumers to check whether they’ve installed the previously recalled (November 2004) Globe 13W mini-spiral CFL. This comes on the heels of another two incidents involving that product.

“The problem in the case of certain Globe mini-spiral compact fluorescent bulbs manufactured between January 2002 through April 2003 is that they do not meet safety standards and pose both electric shock and fire hazards,” warns Ted Olechna, provincial code engineer with ESA and member of Electrical Business’ editorial advisory board.

These lamps are not authorized to bear the cUL mark, and UL has indicated these lamps were manufactured with parts that it did not investigate. These parts can fail and melt a hole in the enclosure, posing an electrical shock and/or fire hazard.

Customers who have the recalled product should immediately stop using the bulbs and contact the manufacturer at customerservice@globe-electric.com or (514) 694-0444 ext. 151. CLICK HERE to visit ESA online to check the list of date codes.



MEL LAUNCHES ONLINE "IN MEMORIAM"



Dave Foreman of the Manitoba Electrical League has let us know about a new page on MEL's website entitled "In Memoriam", which acknowledges "the passing of those who have served the industry well for many years." CLICK HERE to check it out.



MANDATORY RETIREMENT ENDS IN ONTARIO

Ontarians can now choose when to retire, as mandatory retirement for most employees in the province ended December 12. Both employers and workers should ensure they are familiar with the requirements of the act and its possible effect on workplace policies and practices. Ontarians can CLICK HERE for more information on the provisions of the act and how they apply.

The legislative assembly enacted the Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006 last December. The government provided a one-year transition period to ensure everyone was ready for the new law to take effect. When the legislation takes effect, it will amend the Ontario Human Rights Code to protect people aged 65 and over from age discrimination for most employment purposes. The legislation also amends a variety of other statutes that have provisions connected to mandatory retirement.



LUXO’S ONE MILLIONTH MAGNIFIER DELIVERED

In a small ceremony, executives of Luxo Corp. and Techni-Tool delivered Luxo’s one-millionth illuminated magnifier to Metrologic Instruments. The magnifier presented is Luxo’s WAVE+Plus model 17845LG, the company’s best-selling magnifier. Luxo pioneered the illuminated magnifier some 50 years ago and, in creating and launching its original WAVE magnifier in 1987, was honoured with the Best Industrial Designed Product at the 1987 Hanover Fair. In the photo are (left to right): Drake Fox, Mike Carroll & Associates; Fred Zaitz, Metrologic; Phil Matsen, Luxo Corp.; and Hector Hernandez, Techni-Tool.



NOMINATIONS DEADLINE FOR NAED ANNUAL AWARDS

The National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) invites electrical distributors and manufacturers to nominate industry leaders for the association's top honours: The NAED Annual Awards, which will be presented at its annual meeting in May.

The awards recognize the companies and individuals who have made significant contributions to the electrical industry and NAED. To make a nomination, CLICK HERE to download a nomination form (a PDF file). After the nominations are received, NAED's Award Committee will review the submissions and decide on the final award winners. Submissions are due 15 December 2006, so don’t delay!

(NOTE: Although the PDF document says the deadline is December 8, NAED’s press information insists the deadline is December 15.).



PRESIDENT OF PANASONIC SYSTEM SOLUTIONS DEBUTS BLOG

It seems like just about everyone has a blog (short for 'Web log') these days, and the president of Panasonic System Solutions Co. (PSSA) is no exception. Frank DeFina’s new blog provides a forum for dialogue between himself and members of the security community.

From the information we have, the blog went ‘live’ on November 20, though the first entry is dated November 14. When last checked, no one has yet posted a comment to any of DeFina’s entries. CLICK HERE to check it out.



CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHRISTMAS TREE

Although many of us go through this process every year, it doesn’t hurt to hear what the experts say about selecting and caring for your Christmas tree.

Carla Grant, executive director of the Ontario Forestry Association, explains the most common trees used during the holidays include pine, fir and spruce. Spruce tend to lose their needles before fir. A freshly cut tree will last longer than one bought at a lot.

If buying from a lot, look for the freshest tree you can find. Make sure the trunk has some sap coming out of it. Look for a tree that is green, with no brown. The needles of pine and spruce should bend, not break, and should be difficult to pull off the branches. Raise the tree just a few inches and drop it on the base of the bark. Shake it a little. Only a few needles should drop off.

After buying your tree, saw off about an inch off the bottom, giving the tree a clean cut for absorbing water. Ensure your tree has adequate water, and keep it away from direct heat. (Some people add floral preservatives, aspirin and even honey to tree-stand water, but there is no evidence that any of them provide any benefit.)

Choose seasonal LED lighting, which uses 90% less electricity and lasts up to 10 times longer than traditional lights. Many local utilities have promotions for discounts and trade-ins, encouraging people to switch to LEDs.

(P.S.: If you are lucky enough to own 10 acres or more of forested property, you might be eligible for a property tax reduction of up to 75% through the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program [MFTIP]. Growing Christmas trees may be part of your managed forest plan. CLICK HERE to learn more.)




COMING EVENTS

Networking Luncheon
Ontario Energy Network (OEN)
January 16, 2007
Toronto, Ont.
Visit www.ontarioenergynetwork.org

Arc Flash Awareness & Safety Seminar
Magna Electric Corp.
January 25, 2007
Winnipeg, Man.
Register by January 10. Contact Krystal Bigourdin at (204) 925-4022 or kbigourdin@magnaelectric.com

Annual General Meeting
Alberta Electrical League (AEL)
January 25, 2007
Visit www.elecleague.ab.ca or call (403) 514-3085

Valentine’s Dinner and Dance
Ontario Electrical League (OEL)
February 9, 2007
Toronto, Ont.
Visit www.oel.org

Annual Technical Conference
Electrical Inspectors Association of Alberta (EIAA)
February 9-10, 2007
Sherwood Park, Alta.
CLICK HERE for details

International Symposium on Growth through Acquisition
Robbinex Inc., Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, International Corporate Finance Group
February 20, 2007
Toronto. Ont.
CLICK HERE for details

Electric West
February 21-23, 2007
Long Beach, Calif.
Visit www.electricshow.com

Electrical Technical and Mega Projects Workshop (ETMP)
IEEE (Southern Alberta and Northern Canada sections)
February 26-27, 2007
Calgary, Alta.
Visit www.ieee.org/megaprojects

Electrical Safety Workshop (ESW)
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
February 27-March 2, 2007
Calgary, Alta.
CLICK HERE for details


CLICK HERE to check out more industry events at EBMag.com.


ELECTRICAL BUSINESS, JANUARY 2007

In your January 2007 Electrical Business, you’ll learn how one North Vancouver inn deployed an intelligent energy management system in its guestrooms, saving the inn about $16,000/year and reducing its energy consumption by almost a third. And because test and measurement is one of our editorial themes, we’ll show you the many uses of thermography when it comes to keeping electrical systems up and running.

Of course, the issue would be incomplete without the latest round-up of test and measurement tools—as well as the Top 50 Products of 2006—not to mention another installment of Ron Coleman’s “It’s Your Business”. Finally, the Electrical Business family wishes you and yours a festive and safe holiday season, and best wishes for the new year!

Want more information, or have information to share? Contact the Editor at acapkun@clbmedia.ca or call (905) 713-4391.

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