July 19, 2019 – Ford of Canada’s F-Series has been the top-selling pickup truck in the country for 53 years—and even the top-selling vehicle overall for the past nine years. Over the past few generations of the series, Ford has invested in EcoBoost turbocharged engines when the norm was powerful V-8s, military-grade aluminum bodies when the norm was steel and a plethora of safety and convenience features usually only seen on luxury vehicles. And for the 2018 and now 2019 model years, a 3-L Power Stroke V-6 diesel engine was added to the light-duty F-150 truck.
July 12, 2019 – Vizimax, which develops medium-voltage (MV) power control and automation systems in Longueuil, Que., and Tavrida Electric, a German manufacturer of MV switchgear, have released what they say is the world’s first compact SF6-free single-pole operation-capable 24-kV metal-clad switchgear with advanced, synchronous and transient-free switching control.
July 10, 2019 – ITC Electrical Components, a master distributor based in Concord, Ont., is offering a new line of Sontheimer compact rotary switches.
July 8, 2019 – Electrical product manufacturer Robroy Industries’ raceway division has added a new stainless steel product line, including conduit, couplings, elbows, nipples and accessories.
July 4, 2019 – Burndy, which manufactures wire management products for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, has added the ACC-F4F clip to its Wiley product line.
July 3, 2019 – Britech, a Canadian heating cable company, recently entered a formal agreement with Heat Trace of Cheshire, England. Under the terms of the deal, Britech now stocks Heat Trace products in Canada.
July 2, 2019 – Ideal Networks’ LanTek IV is a new copper and fibre cable certifier designed to provide faster test times.
June 28, 2019 – CSA Group has certified Mersen’s Surge Trap STMT series of low-voltage (LV) surge protective devices (SPDs), as per the standard, CSA C22.2 Type 4 Component Assemblies.
June 28, 2019 - Schneider Electric has introduced ArcBlok technology in its Square DTM Model 6 motor control centre (MCC) for mitigating arc flashes, improving electrical workers’ safety and protecting equipment from damage.
June 25, 2019 – Platinum Tools is now shipping its PoE+ 10-GB shielded RJ45 field plug.
June 24, 2019 – Fusetek, which imports circuit protection devices from around the world for the Canadian market, announces it is now stocking Littelfuse products in its warehouse in Burnaby, B.C.
June 19, 2019 – Halifax-based LED Roadway Lighting (LRL) has won the Michelin Innovation in Manufacturing Award for its Data Acquisition Platform (DAP) sensor-based lighting controller.
July 17, 2019 – Health Canada, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) and Bodum jointly posted a recall today for stainless steel two- and four-slice toasters that can leak electric current when operating at the maximum normal temperature, posing a shock hazard to users.
July 16, 2019 – Safeguard Equipment’s Compass voltage and current detector, originally as large as a laptop computer, is now the size of a stick of gum and can be attached to a hard hat (example pictured), essentially becoming personal protective equipment (PPE).
July 10, 2019 – In an expansion of a recall from November 23, 2018, Health Canada has now issued a new public safety recall for Mastercraft five-gallon. 1.5-hp air compressors distributed by Canadian Tire. The devices’ regulator knob may break off under pressure, leading to a component failure and injury to users.
June 17, 2019 - The two most evident electrical hazards in a workplace, i.e. shock and arc flash, can be extremely dangerous to people, infrastructure, profits and business concerns. As such, there are moral, social and economic costs involved, to varying degrees, with the consequences of a significant electrical incident in the workplace.
June 12, 2019 – Amazon, Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have issued a joint recall for AmazonBasics 1,500-W ceramic space heaters that can overheat, posing a burn and fire hazard, potentially leading to injury or property damage.
June 7, 2019 – Apple, Health Canada and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have jointly recalled three-prong AC wall plug adapters—included in Apple’s ‘world travel adapter kit’—that can break, posing a risk of electric shock if exposed metal parts are touched.
June 6, 2019 – To commemorate June as National Electricity Month, Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) has launched an electrical safety campaign, which promotes the use of arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers and receptacles to prevent electrical fires.
June 5, 2019 – Health Canada, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) and Generation Brands have issued a joint recall for small Stratton pendant light fixtures, due to risk of injury. Specifically, the products’ glass pendant can detach, posing an impact hazard.
May 30, 2019 - A new global survey on facility electrical safety finds most respondents consider arc-flash mitigation a priority in their workplace, but fewer have completed risk assessments to identify hazardous areas, leaving workers exposed to dangerous conditions.
May 28, 2019 – CBS ArcSafe has introduced the RRS-3 LK, a single-application remote racking solution (RRS) to allow technicians to remotely install and remove ABB/BBC/ITE Type LK air circuit breakers from a safe distance of up to 300 ft away, stationed outside the arc-flash boundary.
May 3, 2019 – Model P03615 portable generators manufactured by Firman Power Equipment have been recalled due to the risk of a gas leak, which poses a potential hazard of toxicity and flammability.
April 15, 2019 – A provincial court in Orangeville, Ont., has ordered Alexander Bonello, operating as Btek Renewable Energy Products from nearby Tottenham, to pay a $10,000 fine and a $2,500 victim surcharge for work he conducted without an electrical contractor’s licence and for failing to apply for an inspection.
July 18, 2019 – IEEE and its standards association have made the 2022 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) preprint available for open public commentary. Stakeholders in the utility and telecommunications industries are encouraged to contribute their comments by Mar. 1, 2020.
June 28, 2019 – Earlier this year, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) opened its full library of more than 1,400 product safety standards for interested individuals and organizations around the world to digitally find, reference and use at no cost.
June 17, 2019 - Tackle the Code Conundrum if you dare!
June 14, 2019 - When an authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) such as myself asks, “What is your area classification or designation?’ what are we really asking? Most people assume we are looking at a section 18 requirement for a hazardous location. There are, however, several sections in which a determination from a third party is required and, in most instances, it must be in writing.
May 23, 2019 – Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has designed a Canadian field evaluation program for manufacturers, importers and end-users of ‘one-of-a-kind’ electrical equipment, along with electrical products and equipment produced in only limited quantities.
May 13, 2019 - Tackle the Code Conundrum if you dare!
May 10, 2019 - Rule 2-024 of the CE Code mandates that all equipment used within the scope of the Code must be approved. ‘Approved’ is a specifically defined term, requiring the certification of equipment to ensure it complies with the applicable recognized standard(s), as listed in Appendix A. One important aspect of approval requirements for equipment is correlation with the provisions of the CE Code. The approval requirement presents a challenge for high-voltage equipment that has no applicable certification standard.
April 12, 2019 - Section 64-112 of the CE Code tells us a utility interactive point of connection for a solar project must meet the requirements of the supply authority and Section 84, based on predetermined safety factors. So, even though most utilities (i.e. supply authorities) are not required to conform to Section 84, the installation must do so, as a minimum.
April 11, 2019 - Tackle the Code Conundrum if you dare!
March 13, 2019 – CSA Group has released a new report, compiling the results of stakeholder workshops that discussed potential climate change ‘adaptation solutions’ for the Canadian Electrical Code.
February 13, 2019 - Tackle the Code Conundrum if you dare!
February 13, 2019 - Section 4 in the CE Code discusses the selection of conductors and their ampacities. In 2018, the scope of this section’s Rule 4-000 was revised to clarify its intent. At the same time, since Section 12 covers conductor installation, some rules were relocated from Section 4 to Section 12 and vice-versa, for the sake of consistency and to support the revised scope of Section 4.
July 9, 2019 - Mersen Electrical Power North America has added a new training module about installing photovoltaic (PV) fuses in solar applications to its online learning portal.
June 25, 2019 – NRStor has completed the acquisition of a 5-MW energy storage facility in Clear Creek, Ont., that it plans to develop into Canada’s first hybrid battery and flywheel project.
June 11, 2019 – Electricity producer Ontario Power Generation (OPG) plans to establish new corporate headquarters (HQ) in a campus setting in Clarington, Ont., part of Durham Region.
March 7, 2019 – The Canadian Hydropower Association (CHA) has changed its corporate name to WaterPower Canada (WPC) in an attempt to make its messaging to stakeholders and the public more effective.
February 26, 2019 – New Brunswick Power (NB Power) and Joi Scientific are working together on what they say will be the world’s first distributed electricity grid to use hydrogen as a baseload, thanks to the province's readily available coastal seawater.
January 14, 2019 – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced federal government support for Deep Earth Energy Production’s new geothermal power facility near Estevan, Sask., which will turn heat from the Earth’s crust into electricity.
December 12, 2018 - On Oct. 31, National Energy Board (NEB) chair and CEO Peter Watson introduced a new outlook report with a speech to the Toronto Region Board of Trade. Discussing the report’s projections for future energy supply and demand at a national level (through 2040), he explained Canada’s ‘electricity mix’ is becoming greener, as renewable sources experience significant rates of growth and play an increasingly important role.
October 3, 2018 – The government of Alberta has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for large-scale solar energy provision to meet more than half of its ‘green power’ needs.
August 23, 2018 — According to the “Global Advanced Energy Storage Systems Market 2018-2022,” report from ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global advanced energy storage systems market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.48 per cent from 2018-2022.
July 30, 2018 — ABB and Ballard Power Systems have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on developing the next-generation fuel cell power system for sustainable marine e-mobility.
July 20, 2018 — SaskPower is launching the deployment phase of its second pilot for commercial and industrial smart meters.
July 19, 2018 — The Government of Ontario has decided to cancel and wind down 758 renewable energy contracts.
June 10, 2019 – When you work in the electrical business, you may wonder if you are charging enough for your services, compared to your counterparts across the rest of the country. That’s why Electrical Business has launched a new, unique survey of our readers.
June 4, 2019 – As wildfires burned elsewhere in the province, members of the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta (ECAA) travelled under smoky skies to meet at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (JPL) for their annual convention, which ran from May 30 to June 2.
June 4, 2019* - Close to 550 Canadian electrical industry players flocked to Quebec City last week to attend the annual conference of Electro-Federation Canada, themed “Powering a Changing World”, and EBMag’s Jennifer DiIorio and I were there to enjoy the company.
May 24, 2019 – From May 6 to 9, IEEE held its 55th annual Industrial and Commercial Power Systems (I&CPS) Technical Conference—reflecting departmental activities within its Industry Applications Society (IAS)—at the Fairmont Palliser Hotel in Calgary.
May 22, 2019 – Soaring higher and further was the overarching trend when the Ontario Electrical League (OEL) recently held its annual conference at the aviation-themed Nav Centre in Cornwall, Ont.
May 10, 2019 - About this same time last year, Electro-Federation Canada (EFC) introduced a new brand identity to its members. The timing of the launch was quite intentional, as the brand was designed to reflect how the electrical market was becoming an increasingly important backbone for new developments in intelligent buildings, industrial automation, smart homes, robotics, electrification and digitalization, among other key areas.
February 1, 2019 – During last month’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nev., the 2019 class for the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) was announced, including Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer III, who revolutionized electric power systems by developing the world’s first microprocessor-based digital protective relay.
December 17, 2018 - Scientists are getting closer to designing thermoelectric materials that could efficiently harvest heat from the surrounding environment and convert it into electricity to power devices and appliances, according to a review of the latest research in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM).
December 4, 2018 - Earlier this year, Technical Safety BC worked with Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants (BakerRisk) to conduct an electric shock fault tree workshop, so as to evaluate potential causes of electric shocks and make recommendations to address the key causal factors behind those risks.
The Canadian Truck King Challenge (CTKC) recently celebrated its 12th anniversary by crowning the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali its new champion.
April 27, 2018 - A lot of things have changed since I first began attending and covering The MEET Show for Electrical Business Magazine over a decade ago. Back then, the lighting market was dominated by HIDs, PARs and fluorescents, crummy CFLs were making inroads and LEDs as lighting... well, they were a cute little novelty.
April 25, 2018 - This Saturday, April 28—the national Day of Mourning—we remember and honour workers who have died, been injured or suffered illness in the workplace.
June 7, 2019 – Fourth-level electrical apprenticeship students from British Columbia's North Island College (NIC) got an up-close look at airport lighting systems last month during special training sessions at Campbell River Airport (YBL).
December 17, 2018 - IBEW Local 530, based in Sarnia, Ont., has opened its first stand-alone training centre, supporting a broader selection of educational opportunities for apprentices and journeymen alike.
November 30, 2018 – Storage Battery Systems (SBS) has opened Battery Academy, a new training program and facility for professionals in the utility and telecommunications industries.
September 14, 2018 — Okanagan College says its new Trades Training Centre will prepare more skilled-trades students throughout British Columbia.
September 13, 2018 - The Alberta Electrical Association (AEA) has announced the winners of its 2018 scholarships.
August 3, 2018 — The Solar Energy Society of Alberta and Energy Efficiency Alberta, in partnership with the Electrical Inspectors Association of Alberta, have announced six upcoming workshops on the Canadian Electrical Code updates for solar photovoltaics.
May 28, 2018 — The Skills Ontario Competition, which took place earlier this month, featured nearly 70 skilled trades and technologies contests, and 2,300 competitors from elementary schools, high schools and colleges across Ontario.
May 10, 2018 - The Safety Codes Council encourages you to sign up now for the Alberta Electrical Inspectors Solar Workshop.
May 8, 2018 - Omron Automation Americas recently gifted Georgian College engineering technology students “with workforce-relevant technology”, and the college recognized its partner of over 20 years by naming one of its technology labs in honour of Omron.
April 6, 2018 — As a result of an arrangement between Mohawk College and Alectra Utilities, a new Energy and Power Utilities Lab for the college has officially opened in a decommissioned substation in downtown Hamilton, Ont.
March 12, 2018 — B.C. Premier John Horgan recently announced a number of programs to support women working or entering a career in the building trades through improved workplace supports, services and practices.
March 12, 2018 — The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published a new white paper that provides an overview of electrical and electronic equipment surge susceptibility: NEMA VSP 1-2017 “Susceptibility of Electrical and Electronic Components to Surge Damage.”
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