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Acouple of months ago, I had theopportunity to sit in on Electro-Federation Canada’s annualgeneral meeting. As AGMs go,

this one was pretty good. Sure, there wasthe usual seconding of motions and vot-ing on matters that didn’t concern me,but all that lasted just a short while. Therest of the day was packed with excellentspeakers addressing energy subjects ofboth provincial and national interest.

(Now, because the AGM was held inOntario, the speakers admittedlyfocused their topics more on Ontarioissues—which can be a lesson to, or thebutt of jokes for, the remainingprovinces and territories.)

One speaker particularly stands out inmy mind: Donna Cansfield, MPPEtobicoke Centre and parliamentaryassistant to the minister of energy,Dwight Duncan. I had listened to herlast fall at an industry stakeholder eventwhere a number of Liberal governmentdignitaries, including Duncan, dis-cussed some of their plans for solvingOntario’s energy problems whileencouraging a climate of conservation.

Ms. Cansfield spoke about the variousways we could conserve energy, such asvacuuming the coils behind our refrig-erator. (I vacuumed my coils shortlythereafter.) At EFC’s AGM, Ms.

Cansfield again told us we should vacu-um our refrigerator coils. Keeping to thetopic of refrigerators and how wastefulthey can be, she mentioned how great itwould be if all the refrigerators in theprovince were replaced with more ener-gy-efficient models—provided, ofcourse, someone first figured out how todispose of them in an environmentallyresponsible manner. This approachmakes sense: figure out a responsibleway of dealing with the old beforebringing in the new.

Ms. Canfield then reiterated her gov-ernment’s decision to do away withcoal-fired generating stations.

Hmm. That doesn’t make quite asmuch sense as the refrigerators. If we arein an energy crisis, why on earth is theprovincial government removing much-needed generation from an already belea-guered system? Shouldn’t it first figureout what will realistically take coal-firedgeneration’s place before it is scrapped?

Gunars Ceksters, the president andCEO of Enersource Corp., showed us agraph of electricity generation in theprovince, then another graph showinghow much of that generation suddenlydisappears when you take coal-firedplants out of the equation. Trust me,there’s a big difference... a gaping hole,in fact, with nothing to fill it.

I know the Liberal government is allexcited about its conservation efforts,“doing the right thing” and issuingRFPs for sustainable generation but, inthe interim, there is nothing that canrealistically fill the gap left behind byabandoned coal-fired plants.

Windmills? Not enough of them, andNIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) propo-nents don’t like the way they look orsound. The NIMBYs aren’t that keen onnew nuclear plants either, let alone therefurbishment of existing ones. The wayI see it, Ontario will just have to importeven more of the electricity it needs; elec-tricity that will likely come from somecoal-fired plant down in the States.

But this is what you get when a gov-ernment chooses to react to the presentrather than plan for the future. I’m allfor windmills, run-of-river and otherforms of sustainable generation, buteverything in its own time. Ontario, orany other province/territory for thatmatter, doesn’t need an energy revolu-tion but rather an energy evolution. Nogovernment should arbitrarily shutdown or dismiss whatever doesn’t fitwith its agenda simply so its candidatescan boast they “did something” whennext they hit the campaign trail.

ELECTRICAL BUSINESS is the newspaper of the Canadian electrical industry. It reports and comments on the news andhappenings in the industry in a manner that is informative,

knowledgeable and constructive.

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7// COVER STORY

Creating a gridless homeOne electrical contractor begs off theutility and goes it alone.

FEATURES

10// Increase profit throughenhanced productivityIn a competitive industry where margins are low,you have to look to productivity gains to improveprofitability.

12// Is there such a thing as an ‘electrical’ fire?The vast majority of fires in which ‘Electrical’ isblamed should really be deemed ‘Undetermined’.

13// Cross-Country ContractorsEB profiles several unique contractors from across Canada.

DEPARTMENTS

4// Industry News

5// Think SafetyBusiness leaders pledge support for workplace H&S

8// Meet the PlayersBob Brews

20 // Personalities

21 // Trucks for the TradeWork Truck Show delivers the news

21// Calendar

22 // Product Showcase

22 // Code Conundrum

24// Library

25 // Marketplace

26// Code FileMultimeter accidents and ‘user error’

June/July 2005 // Volume 41// Issue 6

CONTENTS //

FROM THE EDITOR //

Energy evolution versus revolution

• JUNE/JULY 2005 • 3mag.comwww.

Vimar Electrical fined$75,000 for H&S violationVimar Electrical Group Ltd., a RichmondHill, Ont.-based electrical contractor, wasfined $75,000 for a violation of theOccupational Health and Safety Act thatresulted in the death of one worker and seri-ous burns to another.

On June 26, 2003, two workers wereupgrading electrical service at a mall when anexplosion occurred. The incident occurredafter one of the workers was directed to do afinal hook-up of a 600-V electrical panel inthe main electrical room. The other worker, afourth-year apprentice electrician, wasassigned to assist the first worker. The firstworker inserted a fuse into a disconnect switchwhile the power to the switch was live. Thisresulted in the explosion. The first workerreceived third-degree burns to 80 per cent ofthe body and died the next day. The appren-tice electrician received first- and second-degree burns to the face and arms.

A Ministry of Labour investigation foundthe power should have been disconnectedand all potential sources of power lockedout before any work was done on the elec-trical panel. The ministry also found theelectrical work should have been performedby a certified electrician. As well, theapprentice was required to work under thesupervision of a certified electrician.However, the first worker was not a certifiedelectrician and Vimar Electrical Group Ltd.made no inquiries of the Ontario Ministryof Training, Colleges and Universities,which is responsible for the administrationof the trades’ certification legislation, toascertain whether the first worker was a cer-tified electrician, nor was any certificationdocumentation provided by the first work-er to the company.

Vimar Electrical Group Ltd. pleaded guilty,as an employer, to failing to ensure an electri-cian certified under the Trades Qualificationand Apprenticeship Act, or a person withequivalent qualifications, connected the elec-trical equipment. The court also imposed a25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, which iscredited to a special provincial governmentfund to assist victims of crime.

SaskPower and Honeywell partner for energy efficiencySaskPower and Honeywell have renewed theirstrategic alliance for the delivery ofSaskPower’s Energy Performance Contracting(EPC) program.

Part of SaskPower’s Energy Solutionsportfolio, the EPC program is an energymanagement service offered to commercialand institutional customers to help themreduce energy-related operating coststhrough the implementation of energy-effi-cient upgrades to lighting, heating, coolingand ventilation systems.

SaskPower and Honeywell have providedjoint EPC services since 1999. To date, 11projects valued at $21 million have been deliv-ered, with associated customer utility savingsof $2.3 million annually.

Enmax grows green power portfolioEnmax Corp. plans to increase its green powerportfolio through the acquisition of a run-of-river hydro electricity generation facility and abusiness venture to develop more hydro facil-ities in British Columbia. To that end, thecompany is acquiring 99 per cent of the FurryCreek run-of-river hydroelectric facility. TheSquamish First Nation will retain the remain-ing one per cent. This 11-MW facility is locat-ed 40 kilometres north of Vancouver.

In addition, Enmax and Vancouver-basedEaton Power Corp. have announced a busi-ness venture to develop run-of-river hydroelectricity generation facilities in B.C. Underthe agreement, Enmax and Eaton will hold 65and 35 per cent interest, respectively, in a newcompany called Hydromax Energy Ltd.

Epcor acquires rights for 270-MW of Ontario wind powerEpcor has reached an agreement for the acquisi-tion of Ontario-based Port Albert Wind FarmsLtd. (PAWF). The purchase agreement providesEPCOR with the development and intercon-nection rights for over 270 MW of wind powernear the western shores of Lake Huron, as wellas a 660-kW turbine currently in operation.The 12,000-acre land base covered by thisagreement is close to Epcor’s 39.6-MW

Kingsbridge Wind Power Project (currentlyunder construction near Goderich, Ont.)

“Through our experience with[Kingsbridge] we know that this area has oneof the strongest wind regimes in Ontario,”said Paul McMillan, senior vice-president,Epcor Ontario. “The strong support shownby the community for wind power, combinedwith other technical attributes, makes this anoutstanding location to further developOntario’s wind power potential.”

Canada supports development of alternative energy projectThe Hon. Joe McGuire, Minister of theAtlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, onbehalf of the Honourable David L. Emerson,Minister of Industry, announced a $5.1-mil-lion contribution to support the developmentof the Prince Edward Island Wind-HydrogenVillage Project. This Hydrogen EarlyAdopters (h2EA) program contribution ispart of a $10.3-million project undertaken byHydrogenics Corp. and PEI Energy Corp. todemonstrate energy solutions and economicgrowth opportunities for local communities.

Based at the western tip of P.E.I., betweenSeacow Pond and North Cape, the projectwill use wind energy as the primary energysource and produce hydrogen to provideback-up and primary electricity for industrial,farm and household needs, as well as hydro-gen fuel for transportation solutions. A rangeof engine technologies will be showcased,including fuel cells, purpose-built hydrogenand retrofitted internal combustion engines.

Phase One of the project includes the instal-lation of a hydrogen energy station, a hydro-gen storage depot, and a wind-hydrogen andwind-diesel integrated control system topower a number of homes and buildingswithin North Cape. The next phase is expect-ed to include the expansion of the wind-hydrogen village to allow for a farm operationand hydrogen transportation solutions, suchas shuttle buses and fuel-cell utility vehicles.The final phase of the project will involve theintroduction of a hydrogen-powered tourboat. The boat will be retrofitted with anengine that has the ability to run on purehydrogen (with a diesel back-up system).

INDUSTRY NEWS//

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INDUSTRY NEWS//

Hydro One selects smart meter suppliersHydro One of Ontario has chosen RogersWireless Inc./SmartSynch to provide 25,000smart meters as part of a pilot program thatwill roll out in selected communities across theprovince in May and June.

As part of the pilot, Hydro One will test arange of technologies in support of the overallprogram. Suppliers chosen for this workinclude: Enbridge Commercial Services,Itron/Cannon, OZZ/Nertec, RedlineCommunications and Capgemini.

In early March, Hydro One issued aRequest for Proposal (RFP) for supply ofproduct, service and pricing for smart meters,telecommunications and downstream process-ing, including automated meter reading,meter management, retail settlements and cus-

tomer billing, as well as integration to thecompany’s customer information system.

Hydro One owns and operates Ontario’s28,400-km high-voltage transmission net-work as well as a 122,000-km low-voltage dis-tribution system.

Bruce B Unit 6 taken offline following fireUnit 6 at the Bruce B generating station wasshut down following a transformer fire out-side the generating station. No one wasinjured by the fire, which was extinguishedby an automatic sprinkler system. As aresult, some insulating oil has entered LakeHuron, likely through a storm drain. Theinsulating oil contains no PCBs or radioac-tive material and consists primarily of min-eral oil. Bruce Power crews plugged the

drain and set up a boom in the station’s out-flow to contain the material.

Canlyte celebrates facility expansion grand openingThe Canlyte facility in Cornwall had a prob-lem. Growth had been better than anticipatedand the company had literally run out ofroom. President Rene Marineau tells EB thefacility was bursting at the seams before com-pletion of the $5.5-million expansion.

During the grand opening celebration, enti-tled “Realizing the Dream”, Marineau gave usthe goods on the expansion: “We’ve added67,500 sq. ft. to our original 80,000-sq. ft.facility. Manufacturing and office spaces haveall been expanded.” Marineau points out thisis now the largest fluorescent manufacturingfacility in Canada, shipping the most products

in the country. “We fill an average of 22 trail-ers a day with product and buy 14 millionpounds of steel per year.”

With its expanded facility, Canlyte is wellpositioned for continued market expansion.

Canlyte team members are all smiles because of the facil-ity expansion, in which 67,500 sq. ft. were added to theoriginal structure’s 80,000 sq. ft.

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THINK SAFETY//

Anumber of business leaders jointly pledgedto make workplaces safer by signing theCEO Health and Safety Leadership Charterat the 88th annual health and safety confer-

ence and trade show of the Industrial AccidentPrevention Association (IAPA) in Toronto.

Established by Duncan Hawthorne, president andCEO of Bruce Power, the charter is based on theprinciple that effectively managing health, safety andwellness is essential for a business to succeed.

“This initiative creates a vehicle to allow compa-nies to share in many good safety practices,” saidHawthorne, adding, “In this way, new levels of safe-ty performance can be achieved and strong safetyalliances forged. Engaging the senior leadership iskey in ensuring that real change occurs.”

By signing the charter, the CEOs committed to:• Integrating health and safety into business strate-

gies, processes and performance measures, andrecognizing that good health and safety perform-ance supports good business results.

• Striving for continuous health and safetyimprovement and providing the leadership andmeans to make this happen.

• Sharing information among CEOs to promotebest practices.

“This event is a milestone in the history of health andsafety,” said Maureen Shaw, IAPA’s president andCEO. “I have never seen so many CEOs and busi-ness executives come together to spend the amountof time that these leaders did this week to discuss aninitiative and make the pledge to take action.”

Business leaderspledge support forworkplace H&S

Duncan Hawthorne (at the podium) is surrounded by CEOs whosigned the CEO Health and Safety Leadership Charter at IAPA’s88th annual health and safety conference and trade show.

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INDUSTRY NEWS//

AESO to strengthen Alberta’smajor transmission corridorThe Alberta Electric System Operator(AESO) received the green light from theAlberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB)to proceed with a significant transmissiondevelopment.

The approved project has two compo-nents. The first will see the operating volt-age of two existing transmission linesupgraded from 240-kV to 500-kV opera-tion. These lines connect the Keephillsand Genesee generating stations west ofEdmonton, and the Ellerslie substationsouth of Edmonton. This work wouldalso include upgrades at the Keephills,Genesee and Ellerslie substations. Theanticipated in-service date for these facili-ties is 2007 with an estimated cost of $40million.

The second component will see a new330-km, 500-kV line built from theGenesee generating station to the existingLangdon substation east of Calgary. Theexact route of the new transmission linewithin the approved corridor will bedeveloped over the next several months.The anticipated in-service date is 2009with cost estimated at $300 million.

A-D hosts first-ever Canadian marketing summitUnder the direction of the A-D CanadianMarketing Committee (CMC), AffiliatedDistributors hosted its first-ever CanadianMarketing Summit exclusively forCanadian Affiliates and Suppliers. As aresult of the workshops, a new marketingmessage has been developed for A-DCanada: “The Strength of Many: The

Power of One”.The affiliate and supplier attendees

selected their top three marketing initia-tives to implement this year, while CMCselected one ‘new’ marketing idea thatcame out of the workshops: an A-DScholarship for Contractors’ Kids.

ATCO employees raise over $1 million for charitiesMore than 340 Alberta charities will benefit fromATCO’s employee-led fundraising campaign. Throughindividual contributions matched by ATCO compa-nies, employees have raised more than $1.2 million tosupport non-profit and community service organiza-tions across the province.

ATCO celebrated the success of its companies’ latestfundraising drives in a ceremony involving several ben-eficiaries of its charitable campaigns.

In recognition of National Volunteer AwarenessWeek, ATCO also announced the results of the2004 ATCO Gas and ATCO Electric EmployeeVolunteer Recognition Fund. More than 200employees registered approximately 36,000 volun-teer hours in 2004, and were each eligible to donate$150 to the charity of their choice. More than$33,000 was donated to charities across Alberta.This fund has been in place since 2001 for ATCOElectric and 2002 for ATCO Gas. Each year hasseen an increase in employee participation, hoursvolunteered and dollars donated.

“It’s great to have the company support our com-munity involvement,” said Jerrold Lemko, ATCOElectric employee and Outstanding Volunteer of theYear. “ATCO Electric promotes and encourages vol-unteerism in addition to matching the spirit ofemployee giving.”

Process to increase power plant output under developmentEncore Clean Energy Inc. announced an Eliminator™technology prototype is being constructed at the com-pany’s test facility in Pass Christian, Mass. TheEliminator is designed to be used instead of a liquidpump for the Rankine steam cycle used in existingnuclear and coal-fired power plants. It is expected toimprove plant output efficiencies and reduce emissionsintensity (pollution per MW).

AccelRate and Hawker solidify license agreementAccelRate Power Systems Inc. has signed an exclusivelicense agreement with Hawker Powersource Inc. forthe manufacture and marketing of battery chargersincorporating the former’s patented technologythroughout North America.

Under the agreement, Hawker will manufacture aprivate label line of chargers for AccelRate, to be soldthrough aftermarket distributors to the motorizedmaterials handling industry. Hawker will also have afive-year exclusive license to manufacture and sell bat-tery chargers incorporating AccelRate’s technologythroughout North America. AccelRate claims its tech-nology charges all battery chemistries and sizes in 80-per cent less time than conventional chargers.

Ballard partakes in drop down fuel cellceremony in JapanA public ceremony for the delivery of the world’s firstcommercial fuel cell power generator system washeld at the Japanese Prime Minister’s new official res-idence in April. Tokyo Gas delivered a unit manufac-tured by Ebara Ballard Corp., the key component ofwhich is Ballard Power System Inc.’s MK1030 1-kWfuel cell module.

Brascan Power acquires two hydroelectric plantsBrascan Power has completed the acquisition of twohydroelectric generating stations totalling 48-MW ofcapacity from Reliant Energy for $42 million US.

The Piney station is a 28-MW facility located onthe Clarion River in Pennsylvania while the DeepCreek station is a 20-MW facility located on theYoughiogheny River in Maryland. The combinedaverage annual output of the facilities (togetherwith capacity and ancillary products) will be soldinto the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Marylandelectricity markets.


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When my wife and I decided to build anew house behind our existing 60+year-old home in Didsbury, Alta.(about 60 kilometres north ofCalgary), we wanted it to be as energy

efficient and maintenance free as possible. It wouldboast double-wall construction, an insulated concretefoundation and two feet of glass fibre insulation in theattic. We moved into our new home in Fall 2000.

At that time I ran an electrical contracting businessproviding mainly commercial, residential and agricul-tural service. Shortly after the move, a customer askedme about wind power. After researching the subjectfor him, my wife and I decided we would also givewind power a try, as it should help us reduce ourexpenditures and reliance on the utility. Another fac-tor influencing our decision is that the grid is easilyaffected by weather, glitches and overloading, not tomention susceptible to vandalism.

Going it aloneEarly on we realized that reducing consumption waskey to our energy strategy: we managed to go fromusing 8 kWh/day of power to just three. In sizing the

Creating a gridless homeOne electrical contractor begs off the utility and goes it alone

BY ERHARD HERMANN

Photo

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I had plenty of help getting this wind turbine tower set up and erected on my property. Thanks guys!Continues on page 9

• JUNE/JULY 2005 • 7mag.comwww.INFO NO. 23

Once upon a time, Bob Brews (elec-trical industry champion andpast-chair of Electro-FederationCanada [EFC], among other

things) thought he would be a journalist.“I was mostly interested in covering thepolitical arena; in fact, I covered CalgaryCity Hall news during my five years with

the CBC,” he says.And though he possesses a degree in

Philosophy from Queen’s University, adegree in Journalism from CarletonUniversity and an MBA from theUniversity of Calgary, the Fates dictatedthat Bob’s real place was with the familybusiness of R.L. Brews Ltd.

Figuring out where you fitBob was born in Calgary in 1952 and,before was 10, was already busily workingat R.L. Brews, along with his sister and twobrothers. “My job was mainly sorting thepaperwork, like sales orders,” says Bob,adding that, as he got older, he startedworking in the warehouse. “It’s just some-

MEET THE PLAYERS //

From political journalist to electrical leaderBob Brews

thing you did as part of the family.”Despite episodes of ‘higher learning’ and that stint

with the CBC, Bob experimented with working for thefamily company full time in 1982, initially in inside salesthen outside. Things must have been going well because,in 1997, Bob bought the company from his family.

It also turns out Bob had higher aspirations for hiscompany. He explains: “As a small player in the West, Ifelt we needed to be more ‘connected’ with the industrythan we were.” At this point, Bob’s presence began to befelt—not just within Alberta, but across the country. Heserved on the board of the Canadian ElectricalDistributors Association (CEDA) from 1989 to 1992,then on the S&D national council from 1998 to 2003(which he chaired from June 2002 to June 2003). Healso served on EFC’s board from 2002 to the present,serving as chair from April 2004 to April 2005.

How to make improvementsBesides wanting to be a part of the ‘bigger picture’,Bob’s involvement in industry organizations was alsodriven by the desire to make things better. He tells methe biggest problem facing the industry—from manu-facturer to contractor—is the cost of doing businessthat, at all levels, “is greater than the end user is preparedto pay”. The result is constant pressure on everyone’smargin in the supply chain.

“Ten years ago, the focus of discussion on this prob-lem was ‘Who is going to take the hit? The manufactur-er or distributor’?” explains Bob, adding, “It has taken along time, but I believe the attitude has changed in ourmarket, with both groups recognizing that the problemis really about reducing everyone’s costs.”

Unfortunately, most electrical products go throughyet another stage in the supply chain: the electrical con-tractor. “I have seen no efforts made to try to reducetransaction costs between contractors and distributors,”admits Bob, noting that contractors tell him their over-head cost on material is between 15 and 20 per cent.“That seems high, particularly because they do not havethe inventory and sales costs of a distributor,” whosetotal costs run about 18 per cent, Bob says. As such,“the market is not going to support a total cost of 30 to40 per cent to get a product from the manufacturer tothe end user.”

True enough, but what is the solution? “The long-term solution is to work together to take out costs, butit will take a major change in attitude for everyone towork together rather than fight over margin.” Bob saysstakeholders must discuss the issues after first figuringout exactly what those issues are.

Meantime, as frustrating as all this can be, Bob findsrespite in his passions for skiing and cruising theCaribbean islands. Boating is also a top priority. “I owna small boat, a 19-ft. fibre glass Bayliner that I use to getto and from my cabin,” he says. Keep your eyes openfor Bob at upcoming industry events. He may be anEFC past-chair, but mark my words: this industry play-er is by no means out of the spotlight for good.

BY ANTHONY CAPKUN

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tallest tower, which ispresently 80-ft. high.)This whole process hasmade us something ofexperts ourselves in alter-native energy technolo-gies, so I’ve made it a partof my business. We havesold and/or installed sev-eral systems, and willcontinue to try differentproducts as they comeonto the market with aview toward using as lit-tle non-renewable fuel aspossible.

As for cost, there is nodenying that the equip-ment and effort we’veput into the house is a lot more expensive than grid power. Forexample, a $4500 turbine can end up costing about $15,000 to$20,000 after you’ve factored in the cost of the tower and installa-tion. This sum does not even include the battery and inverter sys-

tem, which can easilyrun you an additional$15,000.

However, our goal atthe outset was not somuch an immediatereturn on investmentbut to eliminate ourreliance on the grid. Intime, as utility rates con-tinue their climb andnon-renewable sourcesof energy are depleted,our investment andconsumption disciplinewill have made it allworthwhile.

ERHARD HERMANN is a master electrician who started in the trade 26 years ago.He has had his own business for over 11 years and does a lot of specialty workand troubleshooting. You can reach him via e-mail at [email protected] orvisit him online at www.erhardselectric.com.

Continued from page 7


power system, we figured we needed about 1280-Wworth of solar panels and one 1-kW wind generator.We decided to go with a better quality inverter and bat-teries as they were expected to last longer.

In Spring 2001, we ordered all the equipment weneeded and installed it by the fall. Late December wecalled the utility and asked them to remove their meterand power lines from our home. Needless to say, thiswas probably the first time the call centre operator hadever heard such a request. On December 28, a locallineman named Gary came by and disconnected usfrom the grid: we were now on our own.

As life progressed, we decided to add more solar pan-els to our array, as well as try different types and sizes.This gave us the courage to push the self-reliance enve-lope once more: in February 2002, we asked the gasutility to disconnect us. Again, the call centre operatorwas dumbfounded.

We installed solar collectors to heat the floors andcontinued experimenting with different products andways of using the energy. Wood stoves are kept on handfor heating when the weather gets really cold but, forthe most part, the wind and sun provide everything weneed for electricity, domestic hot water and heat.

Some information you just can’t get out of a cata-logue, so we’ve gone through a lot of trial and errorto see what works and what doesn’t. For example,catalogue information on wind generators andinverters simply does not reveal the whole story.Though similarly rated, wind generators are quitedifferent with regard to noise and output, especiallyin lower wind-speed areas.

Our original turbine, an H80, was rather noisy so wereplaced it with an AWP. The original inverter was aTrace SW5548, which we replaced with an OutbackFX3048 because it has a good sine wave and motorstarting capacity.

The height of the wind turbine also makes a hugedifference. When we first applied for a developmentpermit, we were allowed just one tower up to 50 feet inheight. After one year, we applied for three wind gen-erators, and just last year received permission to erecttowers up to 100 feet in height.

We live in a light industrial area that borders a resi-dential one and our town, thankfully, has been quitereceptive to our ambitions. Other municipalities maynot be as forward thinking.

Is it really worth it?My wife and I currently enjoy 6.5 kW of solar powerand have three of the 1-kW wind generators set up.(We have an enviable view of the Rockies from the

These guys put in a hard day’s work helping me get that wind turbine all sorted out, but it was worth itconsidering all the ‘free’ electricity I’m now able to produce.

It might look like a mess, but all my electrical equipment and metersare actually meticulously organized.

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INFO NO. 25

Finally, my wife and I can relax (somewhat) after all the work wewent through creating a gridless house.

In a competitive industry where mar-gins are low, you have to look to pro-ductivity gains to improve profitabili-ty. But achieving productivityimprovements in the construction

industry (where you rely heavily on humaninput) is not as straightforward as it may bein the manufacturing sector (where theautomation of one or more processes canhelp you achieve your goals).

Before you can improve productivity,though, you have to determine where youare. Brian Foster, a senior consultant withconstruction management consulting firmRevay and Associates, agrees, and givesanother reason for closely monitoring yourjobs. “If you aren’t measuring productivity,you can’t track performance,” he says,adding, “And if you don’t track perform-ance, you can’t formulate a realistic com-pletion program for the job.”

Keeping track of the workTracking performance means having someexpectation of how the job will progress:you need to know what should be com-pleted at each stage in the schedule.Indeed, you may already have a good senseof job progression because of your manyyears of experience, but does your goodsense have any basis in fact?

One way to find out is to closely moni-tor your jobs and plot completion againstthe schedule when the job has wrapped up.After doing this for successive projects, youwill have built up a factual database thattells you, for example, that you will havefive per cent of the work done when 10 percent of the scheduled time has elapsed and87 per cent done when 80 per cent of thetime has elapsed. Now you are able to trackcurrent projects against your average,which will alert you to any deviations.

A useful tool for capturing this data is thejobsite journal. These diaries allow the sitesupervisor to record all pertinent informa-

tion on work progress for each day... mate-rial and labour on-site, weather conditions,problems encountered, solutions found,reasons for delays, progress made, etc. Theresulting document provides a wealth ofinformation when it is time to analyze thejob. It is also invaluable when you have tomake a claim for delays or justify extras.

You can also exploit your timesheets,which you already use to record the hoursyour field forces put in to pay them prop-erly. By using codes to have them accountfor their hours based on the activities theywere doing (i.e. conduit installation,wiring, terminating), you’ll have an accu-rate record of how many hours each work-er applied to each activity. Again, this helpsyou monitor a job and build up data foryour averages.

Brian also stresses the importance ofplanning, which he describes as “thinkingout general strategy” (whereas scheduling isa list of tasks that have to be completedaccording to a specific a time-frame).“Don’t confuse the two,” he warns.

Bringing in the hardwareThe use of computer drawings allows formore detailed layouts, greatly improvingthe efficiency of an installation. Thesedrawings contain a lot of detail and can bemanipulated, allowing you to spot andcorrect interferences and other problemsbefore they become costly work stoppages.

In fact, computer skills are becomingmore important to construction managers.Brian has found that “most of the youngguys know their computers but don’t have[enough industry] experience, while manyexperienced guys don’t know computerswell enough”. Essentially, the best resultsare achieved when the person using thecomputer has a thorough understanding ofconstruction means and methods.

The reliance on computers is just one ofthe changes occurring in construction at

an accelerated pace, making ongoing training vital.Over the past few years, community colleges, contrac-tors’ associations and suppliers have begun offeringcourses in construction management, either as fullcourses of study or topic-specific workshops. Theinformation provided is often backed by years ofresearch, giving you access to industry best practices.

Impacted schedule and overtime workConstruction, however, is done on jobsites, and one ofthe biggest obstacles to productivity on-site is delays.Because a lot of electrical work is done at the tail-endof the construction process, delays in the work of anyof the other trades will often squeeze your schedule.This means that, at some point, you may have to lookfor ways to compress your schedule, such as schedul-ing overtime.

Work done in overtime can sometimes be more pro-ductive than that done during regular hours, but onlyin the short term. Long-term overtime is another mat-ter altogether: studies have shown that efficiency dropsoff with every additional day overtime is worked. Whenyou combine the cost of overtime pay with decliningoutput, it becomes very inefficient.

Brian says you are usually better off adding a shiftrather than weeks of overtime. And when you are goingto double-shift, he finds things work out best wheneach shift works in its own separate area with its ownsupplies, tools and job box. When both shifts have todo the same work, schedule a half-hour between theend of one shift and the start of the next, but invest inhaving the shift supervisors’ time overlap for an houreach day. This helps better mesh the two shifts.

Productivity improvements are incremental. Youhave to constantly monitor and adjust your systemsand processes to achieve them. But, with patience, per-severance and innovative thinking, they can beachieved. The rewards are worth it.

EARLE GOODWIN is a Toronto-based freelance writer and mar-keting consultant specializing in electrical construction.

BY EARLE GOODWIN

Increase profit throughenhanced productivity

Web TimeSheet©www.replicon.comNot a big suite of services, but not intended to be. It doestimesheets very well. Customizable. Allows sheets to be ana-lyzed and integrated into accounting software.

Copernic Desktop Search©www.copernic.comA handy utility that quickly searches your computer for a fileyou’re having trouble finding. Also searches the Web. And thebest part? It’s free.

Construction Office™ 2004www.uniteddesign.comAn integrated suite of services for small- to medium-sized con-struction firms.

Build in the Black©www.buildintheblack.comA suite of services including built-in accounting. Designed forgeneral contractors but might find application in electrical.

Will (Korky) Koroluk, who regularly writes on computersin construction, suggests several pieces of software andWeb services that could be useful to your outfit. Thesesuggestions are not endorsements: only you can tellwhether they’ll work for your company.

Thinking about software?


Roger Drew

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INFO NO. 32

It is every electrical contractor’s worstnightmare. One of your best customerscalls and tells you his building has justburned to the ground and the firedepartment says the fire is “Electrical”.

Your people installed every wire in thatbuilding, and the fact that the localauthority inspected their work does notnecessarily remove all liability from you.In fact, some would argue you are

responsible for both the fire and the costinvolved with replacing the building.

So after digging out all your inspectioncertificates for the work done at yourfavourite customer’s site, you wonder whoto call first: your lawyer, the insurance guyor your shrink.

The fire tetrahedronAlthough accusatory fingers are often lev-

elled at the electrical work, few fires (if any) areelectrical in origin. This scapegoating is under-standable, though, because electricity is so easy toblame: it is invisible and everyone can appreciateits power. However, the cause of most firesshould really be deemed “Undetermined” (some-thing that those who are ready hang someonedon’t like to hear).

Does electricity cause fires? The short answeris No. In fact, three elements must be availablein sufficient quantities to support combustion:• Fuel (something combustible)• Oxygen• Sufficient heat to raise the fuel’s temperature

above its combustion point.This trio is referred to as ‘the fire tetrahedron’.

Can electricity cause a fire? Electrical energy,when released in an uncontrolled fashion (i.e. ashort circuit) can create enough heat to raise thetemperature of a fuel above its combustion point.Today’s electrical systems, however, typicallyboast sufficient safeguards to prevent the uncon-trolled release of electrical energy. Nor does ashort circuit exist in a vacuum.

Other factors must be at work, such as themechanical breakdown of insulation. This canhappen quite easily, especially in an industrialenvironment, when a conduit or the exteriorarmour of cabling is damaged by a table, lifttruck, etc. A short circuit could now occur, andif it does, it may be below the threshold level ofthe first upstream protective device (i.e. fuse orbreaker), which may not react to it. The shortmay create enough heat to raise the tempera-ture of the thermoplastic insulation of thewires above its combustion temperature, result-ing in a fire.

Although some may classify it as such, this isnot an electrical fire, but a fire caused bymechanical damage to the insulation on thewires. In such cases, there is nothing the profes-sional contractor or tradesperson can do to pre-vent the fire. It occurred as a result of some out-side influence.

Another, classic example of which every con-tractor and tradesperson is aware is aluminumwiring. Aluminum’s co-efficient of expansion isquite different from that of copper, so alu-minum connections tend to come loose overtime, leading to potential arcing problems. Witheach arc, a small amount of carbon is deposited,until enough collects under the connectingscrew to provide sufficient fuel for ignition withthe next arc.

Technically, this is not an electrical fire. It is a firecaused by the breakdown of a mechanical connec-tion, which can be avoided through proper main-tenance procedures that include checking theseconnections and maintaining proper torque.

Reducing the risk through good work practicesRunning NMD or similar thermoplastic-cov-ered wires across structures without proper sup-port is one way to set the stage for the mechani-cal failure of the insulation on wiring. Similarly,running NMD across a T-bar ceiling withoutsupporting it properly can result in a failure thatcould lead to a fire.

Installing straps in residential applications isanother work practice under the complete con-

trol of the installing electrician that, when notdone properly, can pinch wiring and cause a fail-ure of the thermoplastic insulation.

The professional electrician can do manythings to reduce the risk of fire, such as takingextra care to ensure all connections are secureand all insulation properly protected. Wiringexpands and contracts at 120 times per second(once on the positive half of the cycle andagain on the negative half ). Although thishappens on a microscopic level, constantexpansion and contraction can chafe the insu-lation against anything with which it comesinto contact. Again, this increases the possibil-ity of fire.

Having investigated in excess of 700 fires overthe past 20 years, I can assure you there is no suchthing as an electrical fire. There are fires in whichelectrical energy provides the heat energy portionof the fire tetrahedron, but most of these are theresult of a mechanical breakdown of the insula-tion or connections.

Coupled with following local codes, takingextra care and promoting good work practicesgo far toward reducing the possibility of“Electrical” fires.

DAVID MONCUR, CFEI, P.Eng., is president of DavidMoncur Engineering and has been retained as a privateconsultant to the insurance industry, legal professionand various ministry officials. He possesses over 29 yearsof electrical/mechanical maintenance experience, rang-ing from high-voltage installations to CNC computerapplications. He has been involved in over 700 fire lossinvestigations, including origin and cause evaluation.

BY DAVID MONCUR, CFEI, P.Eng.

Is there such a thing as an ‘electrical’ fire?Understanding the fire tetrahedron


INFO NO. 33

Fifteen years have passed since Tim Jones firstopened TJ’s Electric Ltd. from the hatchback ofhis Ford Pinto. Today, his Bedford-based businessis one of Nova Scotia’s biggest electrical contrac-

tors in the gas station installation and repair business.TJ’s currently employs 18 people including 11 jour-

neymen, six apprentices and an office manager. It hasfive full-sized vans, three half-ton pick-ups and a 40-ft.bucket truck, Tim says, and it takes on everythingfrom residential service calls to projects worth up tohalf-a-million dollars.

About 60 per cent of TJ’s Electric’s business is in theinstallation and repair of gas stations and terminals forthe major oil companies (i.e. Irving, Esso, Petro-Canada, Ultramar and Wilsons) as well as independ-ents. The rest of the work includes water and sewer(i.e. treatment plants, pumping stations, standby gen-erator systems), utilities, commercial/industrial, resi-dential and insurance (i.e. fire and flood restoration).The company maintains a 24/7 emergency repair serv-ice and is trying to further develop its service to the res-idential market.

TJ’s is also getting into energy management proj-ects—both independently and in conjunction withNova Power Systems (see EB May 2005), which rep-resents U.S.-based Energy Automation Systems Inc.(EASI). Nova Power evaluates a business’ needs andpresents a plan of action detailing costs and energy sav-ings. TJ’s Electric’s work begins when the businessdecides to go ahead with the recommendations. Workcan encompass power-conditioning equipment, light-ing upgrades, and electrical loads and motors.

Uncovering niche markets like petroleum, insuranceand, now, energy management has proved an excellentway to differentiate TJ’s from potential competition.Another key to its success, Tim says, is its people, whohave “shown the ability to respond in harsh conditionsand be open-minded”.

Some of the more unique projects TJ’s has undertak-en include:• helping Boeing prepare facilities in Shearwater for

aircraft testing;• working on clarifier systems and methane gas

extraction for the landfill site in Sackville;• wiring aircraft refueller systems;• working with environmental staff on treating

contaminated soils and water;• automating the Halifax bulk storage facility for

Wilsons Fuels;• control work, including programmable logic

controllers (PLCs); and• working at major petroleum terminals across

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.TJ’s has also performed shore work for companies(Sperry-Sun, Haliburton) supplying Nova Scotia’s off-shore oil and gas industry, and worked on a project atHalifax International Airport addressing one of theprovince’s environmental challenges: pyritic slate.Pyritic slate is southern Nova Scotia’s bedrock. Itbecomes a problem when exposed (typically because of

construction) because its leachate contains heavy metals, which con-tribute to acidification of ground water, lakes and streams.

Staying competitive has been, and continues to be, a key challengefor his company, Tim admits. Problems include getting paid and‘price shopping’. Tim is also faced with managing growth, complet-ing the computerization of the office, upgrading the company’s esti-mating technology and deploying people accordingly.

TJ’s is fully insured with the Workers Compensation Board andin good standing with the Nova Scotia Construction SafetyAssociation (NSCSA). In fact, TJ’s has a construction safety officerwho manages and maintains its safety program. The company

underwent NSCSA safety audits in 2000, 2001 and 2002, scoring98, 98 and 96.5, respectively.

Nova Scotia Community College has recognized the company forits contribution to the skills competition in the college’s apprentice-ship training program. TJ’s supports Partners in Safety (a programaimed at elementary and high school students), the Cancer Societyand Red Cross. Tim sits on the board of the Nova Scotia Chapter ofthe International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) where heserves as membership director.

Fifteen years and counting. Congratulations, TJ’s Electric, andhappy anniversary!

CONTRACTOR PROFILES//

From hatchback to gas station specialistTJ’s Electric Ltd.

Tim Jones (front row, second from left) poses with his crew as theycelebrate the company’s 15-year anniversary.

Photo courtesy TJ’s Electric Ltd.


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INFO NO. 34

Keeping a company on a steady path of growth is no easytask in these complex times. However, one of BritishColumbia’s largest electrical contractors is succeeding bydelivering quality, providing a safe environment for

employees and confronting change head-on.With annual sales around $40 million, Houle Electric has

come a long way since 1944 when founder and namesakeLionel Houle opened for business as a small, residential electri-cal contractor in Port Alberni, B.C. Today, the company isheadquartered in Vancouver, with branch offices in PrinceGeorge, Nanaimo and Victoria, employing about 220 people.

Houle ran the company until his retirement in 1980, when agroup of employees got together and offered to buy him out.One of those employees was Robert Lashin, P.Eng. Robertjoined Houle as a junior engineer back in 1973 and became itspresident in 1997.

Exploiting years of experienceLike Robert, the remaining owners (Houle’s managementteam)—along with an increasing number of employees—haveamassed significant years of service. Twenty-five year serviceawards are becoming commonplace at Houle’s annualChristmas party. This is desirable, Robert says, because the“extensive experience” these employees bring to the table makesproject execution more efficient.

Keeping people for many years necessitates a strong training

regimen. At Houle, this begins with an investment in appren-tices—people the company calls its ‘foremen of the future’.Cross-training and upgrading opportunities are offered toother personnel with the knowledge that broadening anemployee’s skill base reduces the risk of having to let them goat the end of a project.

Employee retention is crucial for other reasons: finding good,new people is always a challenge and worker shortages are fore-cast in the near future, Robert says, partly because there are notenough spaces available in the schools.

Looking for ways to stand outIn addition to building an experienced workforce, Houle paysattention to the opportunities for growth inherent in some ofthe emerging electrical specialties. Two examples are Houle’srecently formed Integration and Power Quality divisions.

The Integration division assumes all responsibility for theinstallation and support of a building’s electrical and electronicsystems (i.e. networks, telecommunications, security and con-trols) giving the owner a single point of contact for all his elec-trical needs. It serves Houle by giving the company a competi-tive edge beyond price when bidding many projects.

The Power Quality division responds to a need identified byutility companies. Robert says BC Hydro estimates that prob-lems such as voltage sags and surges, transients, and harmon-ics are estimated to cost businesses in Canada about $1.2 bil-lion annually in lost production ($140 million in B.C.). Thisdivision, then, aims to reduce these losses through itsPredictive and Proactive Electrical Service Programs, whichare now part of all major contracts. The programs involve per-forming “thermal and ultrasonic scans to ensure all connec-tions are good,” says Robert, so power is used efficiently andwarranty issues are avoided.

Houle’s main focus continues to be ICI work, explainsRobert, but its Service division is growing quickly, accountingfor about 25 per cent of business. The company will do every-thing from a one-hour service call at a house to the provision of


Robert Lashin, P.Eng., president of Houle Electric.

From small residential to mega-projectsHoule Electric

Phot

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y Hou

le Ele

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FAX COMPLETED FORM TO (905) 841-4357


INFO NO. 35

basic power requirements, automated building controlsor telecommunication infrastructure systems for officebuildings, pulp mills and hospitals.

Currently, the company is involved in the $300-million Abbotsford Hospital Cancer facility, and isdoing work on the University of British Columbia’s(UBC’s) Life Sciences Centre—the hub of a new,distributed medical education program with the uni-versities of Victoria and Northern British Columbia.

In 2004, Houle won in the Vancouver RegionalConstruction Association (VRCA) Safety Award in theLarge Trade Contractor category of 200,000 or moreman-hours for the sixth year in a row. It also won the2005 Consumer’s Choice Award, which acknowledgesthe work of the company’s Service department, for theseventh consecutive time.

In 2002, Houle won major awards for two projects.VRCA presented the company with its 2002 Award ofExcellence for “extraordinary proficiency under pres-sure” on a $14-million installation of electrical systemsat the Royal Jubilee Hospital Diagnostic and TreatmentCentre in Victoria. In the same year, in the same cate-gory, Houle’s Lions’ Gate Bridge project in Vancouverwon one of two Awards of Merit.

When he’s not running the company, Lashin findstime to be the 2005 chair of the BC ConstructionAssociation and a director of the Vancouver Regional

Construction Association. He also serves on the board of the new BCSafety Authority. He is a member of the Electrical ContractorsAssociation of BC (ECABC), a council member of the ConstructionLabour Relations Association and a professional engineer registeredwith the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists ofBritish Columbia (APEGBC).

The company contributes to many charities. Recently, Houle hasprovided support to a Habitat for Humanities project in Victoria, aNanaimo basketball team called the Camosun Chargers and theVictoria Hospice Swimathon 2004.

Addressing future challengesRobert says that, in the future, a key challenge facing Houle will bethe Construction-Manager-At-Risk project delivery system. Projectschedules are tighter and electrical is one of the last trades to finishon a building site, so delays in earlier phases often leave them lesstime to do their work.

“Pay-When-Paid clauses are the greatest threat and risk,” he says,

because trade contractors are rarely dealing directly with the owner,and these clauses increase the likelihood of payment problems.

In the fast-paced world of modern construction, Robert says, man-ufacturers could do a lot to help contractors by improving how theycommunicate late delivery or failures. Manufacturers could also helpthemselves, he adds, by listening to customers. One of Houle’s pur-chasing agents recently told him of a manufacturer of EMT conduitwho had made a flanged end an integral part of the product. “He’sthe one who’ll get the business,” explains Robert. “He doesn’t have tosell cheaper; as a matter of fact, he could probably sell it for a little bitmore because he’s giving more value by reducing labour. He’s rein-vented a product that will make him way more competitive.”

Houle Electric Ltd. has been recognized for outstanding workand safe practices, and has created several new divisions in recentyears to address the evolving needs of its customers. The companyhas also put a lot of effort into retaining and cross-training experi-enced employees. With such a progressive outlook, we can expectto see more great things from B.C.’s Houle Electric.


Installation of the muffler on a 2300-kW emergency generator atUBC’s Life Sciences Centre.

This is the main distribution centre for the UBC Life Sciences Centre.At 9 MW, it has the capacity of a small city.

The atrium area in UBC’s Life Sciences Centre.

Data and fibre optic wiring distribution centre at UBC’s Life Sciences Centre.


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Steve Hibbert became interested in the electrical field whilestill enrolled in secondary school. “In truth, I started offsweeping floors, then my dad volunteered me to go to work,”says Steve (which pretty much sounds like the same way a lot

of tradespersons get into their respective fields). He worked part-time with an electrical contractor after school and on weekends,finding the work relevant and motivating. He decided to pursueelectrical full time, and successfully completed his apprenticeshipand obtained his Certificate of Qualification in 1980. After serving

as lead technician in another firm, Steve decided it was time to gointo business for himself.

Digital Electric was born in 1987; its name inspired by Steve’s pas-sion for fooling around with electronics. And the timing could nothave been better, as the company opened for business at about thetime the digital revolution was upon us. “Since then others have triedto take the name, but I’ve so far managed to protect it,” says Stevewith a smile. The company grew quickly: after just four months,Steve found himself hiring full-time help.


An Olympian in its own rightDigital Electric Inc.

Some of the local talent join Steve to help him power some of thesports venues for The Games in Athens.

Steve bought this new car to get around during the several monthshe was in Greece for the Olympic Games. He put 24 K on the carbetween April and November.

Steve and his crew erected this contraption to get all manner of cablingout of the way for vehicular traffic. Unfortunately, they had to do thejob twice, as a vehicle ending up driving into one of the side supports.

Steve Hibbert stands proudly by his Burlington operations, whichstarted as one man and has grown to 26 full-time employees.

Photo

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INFO NO. 37

Samples of the GE equipment Steve employed to bring power toOlympic venues.


Good thing Steve remembered his PPE while balancing high atop the Olympic Stadium.

Photo

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Bringing power to remote placesDigital has distinguished itself for anumber of reasons, such as becomingthe service provider for Petro-Canadacar wash systems for over 85 sites. Butperhaps one of the company’s mostinteresting niches is providing powerfor remote sites. “This aspect of ourbusiness started when my neigh-bour—a subcontractor looking aftervarious sporting events for CTV—asked me whether Digital does remotepower,” explains Steve. He decided totake on what would become the firstof many remote power jobs: the 1989Canadian Open.

Now the company averages about sixto eight events per year, relying almostexclusively on Caterpillar product.One of Digital’s proudest, and easilytoughest, jobs was setting up power forseveral venues at the 2004 SummerOlympic Games in Athens. Digital wasbrought in as a subcontractor by GEEnergy Rentals; “they provided all theequipment, while we provided theknow-how,” says Steve.

Powering the various venues histeam was assigned (such as Equestrianand Triathlon) was no mean feat.Furthermore, summer temperaturescould easily hit 45°C, local labourcould be ‘interesting’ to work with andsome days on the job seemed to go onforever. “If it wasn’t for all the externalforces brought in, the Games wouldnot have happened,” says Steve mat-ter-of-factly. “In fact, we had to do alot of stuff ‘on the go’, but we alwaysmanaged to stay in spec.”

Steve was in Athens from Aprilthrough November 2004. GE suppliedhim with a car, and despite the fact thatall the roads around Athens were underconstruction, Steve still put 24,000kilometres on it by the time everythingwas said and done. “It could easily takeus two hours to drive just 40 miles,”says Steve. He and his crew had nodays off in June or July, and “Athenshad not seen a lick of rain from Junethrough September”.

Still, the job got done. And Stevecannot praise the GE people enough.“They were an excellent group of peo-ple to work for,” says Steve. “They tookcare of housing and held weekly safetymeetings, especially for things like heatstroke.” To the best of his knowledge,Steve cannot remember a singlereportable incident in the entire timehe worked on the project.

The shop and apprenticesDigital has 26 full-time employees, allof which are encouraged to partake insome form of continuing education.“We reimburse our employees for theextra training they take,” says Steve,who feels better-trained people are notonly more efficient, but happier overall.

As for apprentices, two are becomingmillwrights and four have started thepath toward electrical. “Apprentices arevery important to Digital,” explainsSteve. “We see a generational turn-around in our company, so we invest inapprentices to stay in business.” Steveexplains the company is very selectivewhen taking on apprentices. “We’re

thinking about the long term, sowe want to take on committedpeople,” he says.

Unfortunately, Steve says,government is not doingenough in the way of incentivesto help employers take onapprentices. He thinks itshould provide some compen-sation to employers to helpthem offset the cost of training.“Some things do happen on alocal level,” he says, pointing toa website like apprentice-search.com, “but beyond that,there’s nothing.” Steve also likesto visit the halls of academe tosee just what up-and-comingapprentices are being taught.

Specifically, he likes to putyoungsters through two tests:the hacksaw and the drill. In thefirst, he asks students which waythe blade’s teeth are supposed toface. In the second, he getsthem to figure out which way adrill is supposed to spin to cre-ate a hole. Believe it or not, a lotof those students don’t knowthe answer to either test.

Is this indicative of a lack ofproper education, or does itunderscore the importance ofreal-life training, as through anapprenticeship? If you ask Steve,he’ll tell you: “We’re all appren-tices... just some of us have moreexperience.”


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INFO NO. 38

Chemco Electrical Contractors Ltd. isa 100-per cent Alberta-owned com-pany and a key player in theprovince’s heavy construction indus-

try. It is run by a hands-on management/ownership team that includes presidentBrian Halina, vice-president and estimat-ing manager Terry Milot, general manag-er Dave Harbinson, corporate construc-tion manager Gary Evans, and construc-tion managers Len Shankowsky andGarry Tkachuk.

Currently, Chemco employs 1500workers and is on course for revenues of$200 million in 2005. By the end of theyear, it will have performed about 2.5 mil-lion man-hours of work—more than athird of all the unionized electrical work inthe province.

Chemco mainstays are heavy industrialprojects in oil and gas, petrochemical, min-ing, forestry and electrical power. The proj-ects have vast scopes, often taking years andhundreds of thousands of man-hours tocomplete. For example, Brian says, thecompany has had people working on aseries of projects at the Dow Chemical andShell Canada plants in Fort Saskatchewansince 1992, while two projects forSyncrude’s oil sands facility at FortMcMurray—the UE-1 Expansion andAurora Mine—are now nearing comple-tion after four years.

Safety a top priorityThese projects, and others like them, pres-ent many risks to workers, who work withhigh voltages in often harsh and difficultconditions. These realities have ledChemco to become very proactive aboutthe safety and health of its people. “We

believe we are a leader in safety,” says Brian.It’s an effort that has paid huge dividends.In 2003 and 2004, the company loggedover four million man-hours of work withan LTA frequency rate of 0.05, and it con-sistently maintains a WCB rate below theindustry average.

The company has been recognized for itsefforts by clients and industry associationsalike. For example, Syncrude presented its1998 and 2002 President’s Awards to thecompany for safety innovations, and its2003 and 2004 President’s Awards for BestOverall Environmental Health & SafetyPerformance & Program. It won AlbertaConstruction Safety Association (ACSA)Trailblazer awards from 1997 to 2001. In2001, the Workers’ CompensationBoard–Alberta (WCB-A) presented it witha Worksafe Award of Distinction, and in2003 it was selected as one of the 50 bestcompanies to work for in Canada inHewitt Associates’ annual survey. In 2005,the Construction Owner’s Association ofAlberta (COAA) recognized Chemco withtheir Best Practice Award for SafetyLeadership and Innovation.

Chemco’s safety success begins withHART (Hazard Analysis Review Task), thecompany’s version of the ConstructionOwners Association of Alberta’s Field LevelRisk Assessment program. HART helps getworkers into a safety mindset at the start ofa job and as they face each new task.

Other safety programs include mentor-ing, fall protection and stretching (the latterof which helps workers avoid muscu-loskeletal injuries). Chemco also has amodified work program to help injuredworkers re-enter the workforce, and analcohol and drug testing program.

Some safety solutions are developed in-house, Brian says. For instance, Chemcoredesigned fall protection harnesses severalyears ago, and recently came up with adesign for a safer knife—six thousand ofwhich will soon be made available to itsworkforce.

Worker retentionLike safety, employee retention is veryimportant. “The workforce is aging,”Brian says. “Specialty people, such as qual-ity control, project management and high-voltage testers, are hard to find.”Apprentices are in short supply, as well,with the current shortage expected to lastthree to six months, with continuingshortages predicted in 2007. Many com-panies are importing workers from otherprovinces, Brian says, noting that about 20per cent of Chemco’s present workforce isfrom outside Alberta.

The company is working to address thisproblem in co-operation with other con-tractors and the International Brotherhoodof Electrical Workers (IBEW) throughapprenticeship programs. Most ofChemco’s management team actuallyapprenticed with Chemco at the start oftheir careers more than 25 years ago. Infact, almost 350 people started theirapprenticeships with Chemco, and 90 percent of those have become journeymenwith the company.

Providing a good workplace is anotherway Chemco minimizes turnover. Briansays it is one of the few employers in hisbusiness that will “move employees fromone location to another.” It also tries tomake life easier for staff by scheduling workto minimize the time away from home and


Alberta’s heavy industrial mainstayChemco Electrical Contractors Ltd.

Photo

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Chemco performed more than 610,000 man-hours of work on the electrical, electrical instrumentation and heat tracing systems at the BP Prairie Rose LAO Plant.

Introduced in 1998, Chemco’s stretching program has resulted in a sig-nificant decrease in the number and severity of strain injuries.

Syncrude Canada Aurora power distribution includes incoming 260-kVpower transmission lines, a switchyard, substation and 80-MW on-sitegas turbine generators.

Chemco contributes significantly to local charities, with employee sug-gestions serving as the primary catalyst for this generosity.


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INFO NO. 39

by flying them off a site to see their families.The company also provides opportunities forworkers to diversify into different areas of spe-cialization. He stresses that company manage-ment always maintains an “open door policy”,and invites workers to express their concerns.The results speak for themselves. Currently,37 employees have been with the companymore than 20 years, 75 more than 10, 200have logged over five years and 700 have com-pleted at least a year.

Looking back while moving forwardNot bad for a company that started in 1963as Doug Smith Electric with just 10 people.Back then most of the work involved schoolsand hospitals, but some light industrial work

in oil and gas gradually entered the mix. In1978, the company changed its name andbegan focusing exclusively on heavy industri-al projects in the construction and mainte-nance disciplines. Today, Chemco’s multi-faceted business encompasses: electrical con-struction; mechanical and electrical instru-mentation; high-voltage distribution; con-struction management; electrical heat tracing(EHT) installation and commissioning; elec-trical maintenance; and constructability.

A new area of concentration is fibre optics,where the company has been designated aCorning Extended Warranty Program con-tractor. A highlight of Chemco’s Syncrudework will be the installation the largest inde-pendent fibre network in North America,Brian adds.

Chemco’s management is very involvedwith the industry. Brian has been labourrelations chair for the Electrical ContractorsAssociation of Alberta (ECAA) for the past10 years, while Milot is the incoming presi-dent. Dave Hagan, environmental healthand safety manager, sits on ACSA’s andECAA’s boards and is involved with COAA,WCB-A and other safety focus groups.

One challenge facing the industry is fast-track construction, Brian says, where engi-neering is completed as a project moves along.This approach to construction complicateslogistics, forcing Chemco to find ways to bemore flexible.

Sometimes flexibility is gained by manufac-turing products in-house, such as Lamacoidsand cable tags. As well, Chemco has achieved

CSA certification, which allows the companyto install and wire a variety of componentsinto a CSA-certified assembly and affix a CSAsticker. The company also has a CanadianWelding Bureau (CWB) certification to dofusion welding of steel structures.

Flexibility is also gained through purchas-ing, Brian says. Chemco can purchase largequantities of materials very competitively, andhas warehousing facilities on every jobsite toensure timely supply. The extensive inventoryis electronically maintained with a customizedtracking system that can be modified to meeteach individual owner’s requirements fortracking and costing, he notes. Chemco alsoowns and maintains a large inventory ofequipment and tools to meet the requirementsof its large workforce.

Many charities, such as the United Way,Alberta Heart Institute and Habitat forHumanity, benefit from Chemco, says Brian,as do community activities and the appren-ticeship program. Employees are the catalystfor much of the generosity, Brian notes, asthey often approach him or other members ofthe management team with requests.


In memoriamShortly before this story went to print, several Chemcoemployees were involved in a horrific bus-truck collision thatoccurred 33 kilometres north of Gibbons (near Edmonton) onHighway 28. Two lost their lives at the scene while severalothers were taken to hospital. Our thoughts and prayers goout to the victims’ families, friends and co-workers, and wewish those still in hospital a speedy recovery.

— Ed.Over the past quarter century, Chemco's focus has been exclusively heavy industrial work in the construction and maintenance disciplines, providing quality electrical installations, high-voltagetesting and commissioning expertise.


INFO

NO.

40INFO NO.41

Win the ideal pick-up!Ideal customers have a chance at winning a2005 Ford Ranger Edge by filling out a ballotat participating distributors. The draw for thegrand prize will take place at the Electro-Federation golf tournament on August 30.

Axion Power International Inc. has restruc-tured its management team. ThomasGranville, a founder and principal stockhold-er of the company, has assumed the post ofCEO. Charles Mazzacato has been namedpresident and COO while John Petersen hasbeen appointed chair of the board of directors.Dr. Howard K. Schmidt has joined theboard, replacing Mazzacato.

Ron Stewart, the president and CEO ofHydro Ottawa Holding Inc., has retired.In the interim, the board of directors hasappointed Rosemarie Leclair as actingpresident and CEO for a period of 14months. She took a leave of absence fromher current position as deputy city manag-er of public works at the City of Ottawa toassume the role.

NxtPhase T&D Corp., a provider of digitalrelays, recorders and fibre optic solutions, hasentered into an agreement with BeckwithElectric for the manufacture and warrantyservice of the NxtPhase relay and recorderproduct family. NxtPhase cites strong demandand growth for the need to find a new con-tract manufacturer.

Robert (Bob) Pidgeon has been appointedmarket development manager at CooperWiring Devices. He reports to DenisChardac, director of strategic accounts. Bobhas been with Cooper Wiring Devices forseven years and has more than 20 years ofexperience in the wiring device industry. In hisnew position, he is responsible for the fieldtraining and business development associatedwith data communications products andinstallations, including end-user certificationsand troubleshooting.

Enmax Corp. has appointed Gary Holdenpresident and CEO. Gary has been in theenergy industry for over 20 years, possessingextensive experience in electricity and gasutility operations in Canada, New Zealandand Australia.

Ideal Industries (Canada) Corp. announcedNick Schkordoff has been promoted to theposition of president. Nick has served as generalmanager of Ideal Canada for the past four years.

William Fodor has beenappointed director ofmarketing of LevitonManufacturing’s Elec-trical Distribution divi-sion. He will focus oncreating marketing,advertising, merchandis-

ing, promotional, customer loyalty and in-house and distributor sales training programs.

William joined Leviton in 2000 as a productmanager in the company’s OEM division.

Mariah Energy Corp. appointed two newdirectors: Kevin Gilchrist and DanCloutier. Kevin brings energy sector experi-ence to the Mariah board. He is an inde-pendent energy consultant and has beeninvolved in the development and operationof energy projects for over 15 years. Besidesjoining the board, Dan also joins Mariah’ssenior management team as director, busi-ness development.

Peter Love has been appointed Ontario’sfirst chief energy conservation officer. He willhead the province’s new ConservationBureau, a division of the Ontario PowerAuthority (OPA). Love has worked in thefield of energy conservation for more than 10years and in the environmental field for over20. He is currently executive director of theCanadian Energy Efficiency Alliance

(CEEA) and is the former president ofEnerQuality Corp.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC)reappointed Peter D. Clark executive directorfor another three-year term. He is currently amember of the International ElectrotechnicalCommission (IEC) Council Board andInternational Organization for Standardization(ISO) Technical Management Board, and isalso a board member of the Pan AmericanStandards Commission (COPANT).Kevin King, director, customer operations,Schneider Electric Canada, announced theappointment of Arif Dhirani to the positionof pricing manager. In this role, Arif will beinvolved in developing and executingSchneider Electric’s Canadian pricing strategy.He comes to Schneider from IBM where healso held a position as pricing manager. Arifstarted his career after graduating from theMBA program at York University’s SchulichSchool of Business.

PERSONALITIES //

William Fodor

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Back in February, EB told you about the WorkTruck Show® put on by the National TruckEquipment Association (NTEA). We’vechecked out some of the products either

launched or showcased at the show, and came up withour shortlist of some ‘must-check-out’ items.

Vans to offer turbodieselGeneral Motorsannounced theavailability of theDuramax 6600 tur-bodiesel engine inthe 2006 Chevrolet

Express and GMC Savana G2500 and G3500 seriescommercial models. This engine offers great horsepowerand torque, as well as a quieter driving experience andbetter projected fuel economy. It is teamed with theHydra-Matic 4L85-E electronically controlled four-speedautomatic transmission, which is specially tuned fordiesel-engine compatibility, givingthe Express and Savanaexceptional towingand grade capa-bility. TheDuramax 6600also is compatiblewith biodiesel fuel.Visit www.gmfleet.com

Remote AC powerContour Hardening Inc. unveiled Real Power™: afully-integrated AC generator that can turn a heavy-duty pick-up truck into a mobile power station capableof generating a continuous 12,000-W stream of power.Rather than fuss with a vehicle’s electrical system, RealPower works off of the truck’s existing power take-off(PTO) gear found in the transmission. The generatormounts under the floor pan between the vehicle’s framerails, so there’s no lost ground clearance.Visit www.realacpower.com

TRUCKS FOR THE TRADE //

Some fancy stuff for your truckWork Truck Show delivers the goods

Conspicuity markings3M Traffic Safety Systems showed off its Diamond Grade™ conspicuity mark-ings (Series 983). They are six times brighter than conventional markings, boast

excellent reflectivity (even at 90° angles) and an aggressive adhesive, and comewith a seven-year warranty.Visit www.3m.com/tss

The 2006 Work Truck Show will be held March 1–3 in Atlanta, Ga.Meantime, keep your eyes open for Canada’s national truck show, TruckWorld, being held next year April 20–22 at the International Centre in

Toronto. Visit www.truckworld.ca.

CALENDAR//

Annual Federation Cup Charity Golf TournamentElectro-Federation Canada (EFC)August 30Milton, Ont.Visit www.electrofed.com

Annual Meeting (Canadian Section)International Association of ElectricalInspectors (IAEI)September 30–October 2London, Ont.Visit www.iaei.org

Edmonton WorkshopNorthern Canada & Southern Alberta sections of IEEEOctober 24–26Edmonton, Alta.Visit www.ieee.ca/safetyworkshop05

Electrical Learning ExpoAlberta Electrical League (AEL)November 17Calgary, Alta.Visit www.elecleague.ab.ca

WILL BETHERE!


That’s the retail value of the Work-Ready Equipment you can receive when youpurchase or lease an eligible new GM van through the Business Choice program.Quality Adrian Steel® all purpose storage bin system helps you put all the plentifulspace inside Chevrolet Express/Astro and GMC Savana/Safari Vans to very good use.With Adrian Steel, you know the upfitting equipment is going to be durable, just likeyour GM van. The right choice for your line of work – Business Choice. It’s Your Business,It’s Your Choice. Visit fleet.gmcanada.com or call 1-800-866-0313 for more information.

2618*

*2287 for Chevrolet Express/GMC Savana or 2618 for Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari.®Adrian Steel is a registered trademark of Adrian Steel.

INFO NO. 44

Next generation CFL lampsThe Standard profession-al series PAR compact flu-orescent lamps arespecifically designed as areplacement to BR, Rincandescent and PARhalogen lamps. Availablein an array of colours inboth PAR 30LN and PAR

38 shapes, the company claims they offer up to 75-percent energy savings and four times longer life thantheir halogen counterparts. Applications includerecessed cans, ceiling fixtures, track lights and difficult-to-service areas.

Standard Products

Recessed luminaire

Ledalite’s PureFX™ recessed lighting system promisescontrolled brightness and significant energy savingsover traditional recessed fixtures via MesoOptics® tech-nology: a holographic material that produces diffusepatterns of pure white light that are highly controlledand directed. These optical capabilities minimize shad-ows and glare to create a more naturally luminous envi-

ronment with enhanced visual comfort. PureFX offersdesign flexibility with a range of lamping options andhousing sizes: TT5, T8, T5 and T5HO lamping; and 2 x 2-ft., 2 x 4-ft., 1 x 4-ft. and 1/2 x 4-ft. housing sizes.

Ledalite Architectural Products Inc. (div. of Genlyte Group)

Intelligent LED seriesThe IntelliWhite™ series of solid-state lighting productsfrom Color Kinetics extends the benefits of LEDs (i.e.efficiency and long life) to white light applications,such as architectural accent, art and exhibit, and hospi-tality ambience lighting. The products are also targetedfor areas where conventional light sources are imprac-tical. Products in the IntelliWhite series include: iWCast; iW Blast; iW Profile; iW MR; and iW SceneController, iW PDS-150 and iW Data Enabler.

Color Kinetics Inc.

Keyless drum fixtureTCP offers a keyless drum fixture for utilitarian lightingapplications, such as garages, basements and laundryrooms. It uses either a Springlamp® or T6 circline com-pact fluorescent lamp that lasts an average 10,000hours, while the replaceable ballast lasts 50,000 hours.The Energy Star-rated fixture also offers an optional dif-fusion cover.

Technical Consumer Products Inc.

Ballast line expandedAdvance has expanded its line of Centium electronicballasts with Intellivolt-Hi technology to include afour-lamp model for 54-W T5/HO applications. The bal-last’s programmed-start lamp ignition providesextended life in frequent switching applications andsupports the frequent lamp ON/OFF cycles associated

with the use of occupancy sensors or motion detectors.Advance Transformer (div. of PhilipsElectronics North America Corp.)

Solar beacons and luminairesA new line of products introduced by BL InnovativeLighting combines UV-powered panels that chargecapacitors, which in turn power low-consumptionLEDs. All models charge throughout the day and turnon at dusk. Each unit has a life of seven to 20 years, andis suitable for roadways and traffic control. Flush-mounted units flash in single and double directions,and are designed to withstand 60 tons of weight (forintersection and crosswalk applications).

BL Innovative Lighting

Fixtures for linear track system

W.A.C. Lighting has introduced QuickConnect halogenand xenon lamped elements for its low-voltage lineartrack system, which is suitable for applications rangingfrom under-shelf/cabinet and surface-mounted to ceil-ings to suspended from sloped ceilings with suspensionkits or mounted to walls with brackets. Low-voltagetransformers, offered in electronic and magnetic ver-sions, are available for surface or remote installations.The system uses proprietary QuickConnect components,making it suitable for use with other W.A.C. systems.

W.A.C. Lighting

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE //PRODUCTS FOR LIGHTING APPLICATIONS

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Tackle the Code Conundrum... if you dareSo, you think you know the electrical code, eh? Well, we’ll soon find out if you’re an electrical code junkie or downright code-clueless.Take a look at the following questions and check your answers online at www.ebmag.com, or in August’s Electrical Business.

Questions and answers compiled by Ted Olechna

Answers to Code Conundrum Electrical Business May 2005

Question 1: What is the maximum distance betweensupports for a busway that is run horizontally?Answer: b) 1.5 m. Rule 12-2006(1) states “Buswaysinstalled horizontally shall be supported at inter-vals not greater than 1.5 m unless marked as beingsuitable for support at greater intervals”.Question 2: What is the working space required fora three-phase pad mount distribution transformerthat is protected by an internal current-limitingfuse and equipped with a pressure relief device?Answer: a) 3 m on the access side of the trans-

former, and 1 m on other sides. Rule 26-242 states“Transformers that are protected by an internalcurrent-limiting fuse and are equipped with a pres-sure relief device shall be permitted to be installedwithin the distances specified in Subrule (2), pro-vided that a working space around the transformeris at least: a) 3 m on the access side of the trans-former and b) On all other sides: i) 1 m for three-phase transformers.

Question 3: Where a gas supply piping or a gas con-

nection outlet has been provided for a freestand-ing gas range, one receptacle shall be installed inany convenient location in the space behind theintended gas range location.Answer: b) False. Rule 26-712(d)(ii) states “Where agas supply piping or a gas connection outlet hasbeen provided for a free-standing gas range, onereceptacle behind the intended gas range locationnot more than 130 mm from the floor and as nearmidpoint as is practicable, measured along the floorline of the wall space intended for the gas range”.

3 of 3 = Not only are you smart, you love to show off. 1 of 3 = Your understanding of these questions is not up to code.2 of 3 = You’re pretty smart, but you still missed one. 0 of 3 = Did you come up with your answers by playing Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe?

Question 1: A 120-V high-intensity discharge (HID)luminaire in a commercial installation shall be per-mitted to be connected to a circuit protected by anovercurrent device rated or set at not more than [ ___ ] amps. a) 15 b) 20 c) 30 d) 40

Question 2: Every outdoor high-voltage stationrequired to be grounded by a station ground elec-trode consisting of a minimum of four driven groundrods not less than 3-m long and 15.8 mm in diameterspaced at least 2 m apart.a) True b) False

Question 3: Where overcurrent protection is not pro-vided for a photovoltaic power source circuit, the ratedshort-circuit current of all available photovoltaicpower sources shall be multiplied by [ ___ ] per cent.a) 300 per cent b) 125 per centc) 100 per cent d) 80 per cent

HOW DID YOU DO?

ACSR cable cutter

Greenlee’s 776 high-performance ACSR cable cutter isdesigned for power utility line crews, utility contractorsand anyone who regularly cuts ACSR. It is has a patentpending, two-speed mechanism that closes the bladesrapidly until they make contact with the cable, then itautomatically shifts to a power speed so that handle effortremains low while making the cut. When the cut is com-plete, the 776 opens automatically to get ready for thenext cut. The cutter is only 20-in. long and features a light-weight fibre glass handle.

Greenlee (a Textron company)

Premium hole saws

Klein Tools offers an expanded line (46 new products andaccessories) of professional hole saws designed to cut fasterand stay sharp longer. Great White™ hole saws cut throughsteel, stainless steel, plastic, wood with nails, drywall,cement board, plywood and cast iron. Bi-metal hole sawsfeature bi-metal cobalt construction for heavy-duty cut-ting, and cut deeply through studs in one pass. Carbide grithole saws are designed for smooth cuts with minimal tearout, and will not dull in abrasive materials. The Great Whiteline also includes four hole saw kits with popular sizes:Electrician, Journeyman Master Electrician and Large.

Klein Tools

10-A micro-ohmmeter

AEMC’s 10-A micro-ohmmeter (model 6250) is a rugged,

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INFO

NO.

45

low-resistance tester designed for both plant mainte-nance and field use. The 6250 employs a four-leadKelvin method of testing, achieving results within 0.05per cent. Resistance measurements are automaticallycalculated, taking into account the measurement value,ambient temperature, metal type and metal tempera-ture co-efficient. Three test modes are available: resis-tive (instantaneous), inductive (continuous) and auto(repetitive).

AEMC Instruments

Power cable jacketsFor applications involving industrialpower cable, Southwire’s Solonon™power cable promises easier pullingand improved mechanical, chemicaland flame performance. Solononnon-halogen, low-smoke jacketcompounds pass UL’s limited smoketest to win an LS rating. The companyalso claims Solonon jackets providehigher reliability in conduit installa-tions because of their lower co-effi-cient of friction than CSPE, and thefact that they exhibit lower mechani-cal water absorption than CSPE.

Southwire Co.

MNC cooling fan

Continental’s MNC cooling fan is designed for quiet andrapid heat dissipation. It employs the patented MFmixed flow impeller, incorporating an adjustable bladegeometry to provide a range of performance options.MNC cooling fans have medium-pressure capabilitiesand are available in nine sizes that can produce airflowsup to 20,000 cu. ft./min. Custom mounting arms andspecial designs accommodate numerous applications,which include electronic cabinet cooling, heat exchang-ers, refrigeration equipment and computer rooms.

Continental Fan

Spiral wrap for organizing wiresA full line of spiral wrap—a spirally cut plastic cableharness that bundles wires and permits breakouts inany direction—is available from M.M. Newman. Heli-Tube® spirally cut cable wrap features a precise angularcut and provides protection against abrasion. The wrapapplies without tools and comes in a variety of materi-als and sizes. Available in UV-resistant black polyethyl-ene, polyethylene in colour, fire-resistant white andblack polyethylene, natural and black nylon, and PTFEin natural and colour, Heli-Tube® can be supplied inseven sizes (1/16-in. o.d. to 1.5-in. o.d.) for wire bun-dles up to 10-in. o.d.

M. M. Newman Corp.

Network documentation andcable management softwareBrady Corp.’s Web-enabled NetDoc™ network documen-tation and cable management software allows users tomanage cabling, network, telephony and legacy con-nections. The software package simplifies the process ofdocumenting horizontal and backbone cables, hard-ware, assets, pathways, locations, users and more.NetDoc integrates directly with Brady’s LabelMark™label design software.

Brady Corp.

Custom VDV power columnsPost Glover LifeLinkhas introduced aline of custom VDV(voice, data andvideo) powercolumns suitablefor theatres, con-ference facilitiesand other venues.The columns pro-vide power anddata connectionsfor multiple appli-

cations, while custom design and construction accom-modate any configuration of receptacles, switches,ground jacks, and data and communication outlets. Fordurability and clean lines, the VDV columns are con-structed of anodized aluminum, and custom colour fin-ishes can be applied to match site décor.

Post Glover LifeLink (part of the Halma Group)

Wire labelling printer and software

K-Sun’s LABELShop® 2010-PC and MaxiLabel® V2Windows® software are made for designing and print-ing professional labels for applications ranging fromsafety identification and industrial parts to equipment,wire and cable. Although the software contains over 600general industrial and office symbols, it nonetheless letsusers import their own graphics and images into labeldesigns. The printer connects to a laptop or PC via USB

cable and features a small footprint. Users can print cus-tom labels with industrial-grade adhesive in 23 differ-ent colour combinations from 1/6-in. up to 1-in. wide.Special shrink tube labelling material can be used forwire, cable and medical instruments.

K-Sun Corp.

Spray-on silicone productAnderson and its newAerosol division have intro-duced AeroCure: a siliconespray designed to protectelectrical connections frommoisture and temperaturevariances without imped-ing electrical conductivity.The thickness of the coat-ing (which can be removedwhen required) can be

built up to as much as 2.5 mil.Anderson & Associates LLC

PRODUCT SHOWCASE //

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Illuminaire™The new shape of light.™

The “Crest” from Holophane

Be among the first to use the most dramatic new idea in lighting. With an innovative shape,

timeless borosilicate glass optics and proven Holophane performance, the Illuminaire “Crest”

brings a new level of sophistication to your lighting choices. Maintenance is easy, too—simply

remove the bottom piece for access. “Crest” is one of five unique new shapes in the Illuminaire

line and the latest in a 100-year legacy of superior lighting performance from Holophane.

Start your own lighting revolution. Contact your local Holophane

factory sales representative, call (905) 707-5830

Visit us at www.holophane.com.

EGG CREST TRI-EGG TRI-CREST QUAD* Quad design in large optic only

INFO NO. 46

LIBRARY//

Clarify the things that mat-ter with a Brother P-touch®electronic labelling system.

Able to print from 6mm to 24mm, therugged PT-1650 comes with download-able custom templates, the ability toprint industry standard bar codes andbuilt-in telecom and datacom templatesto help keep things clear on the job.

Brother1-877-BROTHER

(1-877-276-8437)www.brother.ca

6

More Options. More Brains.More Brawn. Less Waste.BRADY's new handheld labelling system has

everything it takes to make you an

Identification Expert! The IDXPERT is the first

handheld cartridge based labelling system

that can print die-cut labels, self-laminating

labels and sleeves as well as continuous

tapes...You name it IDXPERT prints it!

Choose from two keyboard layouts, then

select from a wide range of label materials

engineered just for your application. That

includes wire and cable markers; panel, rack

and frame ID; facilities labels; and specialty

labels for labs and work spaces.

BradyTel: 1-800-263-6179Fax: 800-387-4935

www.bradycanada.com

12

Industrial, Commercial &Datacom EnclosuresHammond Manufacturing offers thou-sands of Industrial, Commercial andDatacom enclosure solutions. We cancross our products to other major sup-pliers and provide service and qualitysecond to none.

Email us today to request our full prod-uct catalog or visit our website formore information.

Hammond ManufacturingTel: 519-822-2960

[email protected]

9

For more information, enter the number on the card in this issue

Marrette® Twist-on Wire ConnectorsUpdated catalogue now availableon line.Discover the latest developments in theoriginal marrette® wire connector fami-ly on line at www.tnb-canada.com. TheMarrette® Wire Connector Catalogueincludes product and ordering informa-tion for the complete marrette® productoffering including the all-new Resimarr®833® residential wire connector.

Thomas & Betts Limitedwww.tnb-canada.com7

ICE HALOGEN... SOFT, EVEN LIGHT!

ICE Halogen frosted lamps from STAN-DARD Products Inc. boast consistent,even light distribution eliminatingdark lines and shadows of convention-al halogen lighting. STANDARD ICEHalogen lamps are ideal for all resi-dential, commercial and retail applica-tions where soft,no-glare illumination is desired.

For more information or to locate yourlocal distributor, please contact:

STANDARD Products Inc.1-(800) 361-6965 Dial option [email protected]

www.standardpro.com

4

The Product CatalogueFerraz Shawmut’s new 75-page prod-uct catalogue boasts more productthan previous versions and containsmore in-depth information. The cata-logue covers fuses and fuse holders ofevery shape and size, including somereally innovative products making theirfirst appearance: FSPDBs (finger-safepower distribution blocks); HSJ (high-speed fuse); US14 and US22 ultra-safeholders; RK5 and J fuses withSmartspot; and 8.25-kV ferrule-mount-ed, E-rated fuses.

Ferraz Shawmut Canada Inc.www.ferrazshawmut.com

Toll Free 1-800-AMP-TRAP (267-8727)

5

Three new free CD-Roms on Structured

Wiring for Installers, Homebuilders and

Remodelers are now available.

49 The Donway West, Suite 415

Don Mills, Ontario, M3C 3M9

Canadian Copper & Brass Development AssociationTel: 1-877-640-0946

[email protected]

8

The MAXIAMP Cable BusFeeder SystemMAXIAMP is a unique and completecable bus feeder system packagedesigned by United Wire & Cableengineers which includes technically

selected power cable and a well ventilated aluminum or steel enclosure,along with all the necessary associated components, tailored to achieve aneffective and highly reliable system. This cable system can carry phase con-ductor loads up to 7000 Amps for a full voltage range of 600 V to 230 kVwhile providing a lowest comparative cost, reduced power losses, EMF sup-pression, simple installation and expandability. MAXIAMP offers an ideallysimplified end to end power delivery solution for all project applications.

United Wire & CableTel: 1-800-265-8697Fax: [email protected]

11

Superior Flexible Conduits, A Canadian

owned and operated manufacturer of

metallic flexible conduits, prides itself

on being a company as flexible as its

products. Superior excels at workman-

ship and exemplary customer service,

offering standard and specialized

unique products for the electrical

industry. Find out more about our cus-

tomized product line….

We invite you to contact us with your

inquiries and visit our website.

Superior905-355-2959

www.superiorflex.com

10

USHIO LINE VOLTAGE MR-16 LAMPS FOR GENERAL LIGHTINGPro-Star™ line MR-16 lamps aredesigned for applications where thecompact look of an MR-16 is desiredwithout the requirement of a low volt-age transformer. Pro-Star lamps areshorter than PAR-16 and JDR Halogenlamps and feature "turn-in / turn-out"locking base for easy installation incompact spaces, making them perfectfor compact lighting designs.

USHIO CANADA, INC.Tel: 905-829-3338

2730 Brighton RoadOakville, ON, L6H 5T4

13

Wunpeece Duct SpacerThe Wunpeece Spacer is the ideal ductspacer for all concrete encased ductbank projects. The Wunpeece replacestraditional base and intermediate ductspacers. With its sturdy one piece con-struction and snap-in design, fieldassembly is significantly reduced andlabor can be cut by as much as 50% oninstallation. Additionally, with only oneitem to order, inventory hassles areeliminated.

Underground Devices Inc.Call (800) 800-2118,

or visit www.udevices.com for more information

16

Custom Armoring,Jacketing and SpecialConstructions: Northern Cables Inc. provides custominterlocked armor services on othermanufactured cores supplied by thecustomer. The most common materialsfor armor are aluminum or galvanizedsteel. Choice of material thickness andgrade can vary depending on the physi-cal properties required by the end user.Other materials are available uponrequest.

Northern Cables Inc.888-524-5050

[email protected]

17

RSi SX Series

The RSi SX series is a family of modu-lar high performance sensorless vec-tor drives which feature the easiestprogramming on the market today.Standard are the Nema 1,12 enclo-sures, Modbus RTU (optional devicenet, metasys communication), built inDB resistor and a wide variety ofinputs and outputs.

Benshaw CanadaTel: 519-291-5112Fax: 519-291-2595

www.benshaw.com

14

Now Available in French: Cataloguedes Produits Ferraz ShawmutAt last, those who have been patientlywaiting can now read all about theincreased product line in FerrazShawmut’s new French version of TheProduct Catalogue. This 75-page indus-try premier catalogue for fuses and fuseholders boasts many products and con-tains in-depth information. Some coolitems making their first appearance inthis catalogue include: FSPDBs and8.25-kV ferrule-mounted, E-rated fuses.

Ferraz Shawmut Canada Inc.www.ferrazshawmut.com

Toll Free 1-800-AMP-TRAP (267-8727)

18

Ruud Lighting Canada introduces asleek new dayform in the Aviator sitelight. Great lines combine with terrificfull-cutoff performance. 7-year finishwarranty, 3-year electrical warranty!Ruud Lighting Canada sells only to elec-trical and lighting distributors.

For catalog information on the Aviatorseries and to get information on yourlocal Canadian agent for Ruud Lighting please contact us.

Ruud Lighting Canada1-800-473-1234

[email protected]

15


MARKETPLACE //For more information, enter the number on the card in this issue


WANTEDMolded Case Circuit Breakers. New & Used, All Brands.

Motor Control & MCC. Buckets in A&B, S.D. & W.H. & C.H.Please call, email or fax Ralph Falvo with your list.

FALVO ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LTD.5838-87A St., Edmonton, Alberta

1-800-661-8892780-466-8078 Fax 780-468-1181

email: [email protected] NO. 47

INFO NO. 50 INFO NO. 51

INFO NO. 52

INFO NO. 49

EB MARKETPLACEYour source to

• buy or sell• search for an employee• advertise a course• promote a product• advertise a job opening

at great rates! Over 18,000 coast to coast distribution!

EB MARKETPLACE.... your market... covered!Contact Bill Begin at 905-713-4335.

INFO NO. 48

Multimeter accidents and ‘user error’W

hen the 2002 OntarioElectrical Safety Code came intolaw, it required the reporting ofall serious electrical incidents to

the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). Thisallows ESA to investigate incidents andcompile data, and suggest changes to codesor standards when it feels such changescould prevent similar incidents from reoc-curring.

A good example is the common multi-meter. These high-tech, multi-functiongadgets have grabbed the market because oftheir ability to do almost anything when itcomes to measuring electricity.Unfortunately, the number of seriousinjuries involving multimeters is on therise. As the 2002 code took hold, ESA wascalled to investigate an increasing numberof serious accidents—a number of theminvolving multimeters. In fact, there havebeen 26 reported serious incidents inOntario since 1998.

User errorESA investigations revealed that incorrectsettings, applied voltage, CAT areas andprobe slots were usual causes of the prob-lem. Hence, the most common denomi-nator behind these accidents is deemeduser error.

Take the CAT rating system: most usershave absolutely no idea what CAT meansor how to apply it (Figure 1). A number ofincidents investigated involved CAT IImeters being used in CAT III areas.Another problem with the CAT system isthat it relies on where the user is locatedelectrically in the distribution system at the

time of testing, not necessarily where he islocated geographically. Confusing? You bet,but it is still user error.

In most of the accidents investigated,meters either did not have internal fuses orthe fuse was only on the current measure-ment portion. (And why do most of thesemeters have a 250-V fuse when they canmeasure up to 1000 volts?) Typically, a sim-ple mistake with a multimeter would see thedevice destroyed, but worse than that, thedistribution system being tested would seethe fault created as a dead short. This wouldbe the equivalent of replacing the testprobes with a coat hanger then putting itright across the testing points. With faultcurrents in commercial and industrial com-plexes easily hitting the 20,000-A range, it isno wonder a typical victim receives horribleburns to his face, hands and upper body.

Most workers do not realize that theintroduction of a fault like this into the sys-tem being tested will cause a dead short atthe test point, then the ionizing, swirling,conductive, vaporized copper gases will cre-ate a second failure—mere cycles apart—involving all phases in the equipment. Thevictim is now at the mercy of whateverenergy the system can throw at him. If theexpelled molten copper and balls of flamesdo not take their toll, the radiation andtoxic gases will.

Have we traded convenience forcritical injury?So the two main issues at hand are:1. Why are so many mistakes made with

multimeters?2. Why does CSA C22.2, No. 61010-

1-04, Safety Requirements for ElectricalEquipment for Measurement Controland Laboratory Use (a.k.a. The 1010Standard), not anticipate and accom-modate user error?

With the first issue, problems erupt whentoo many features are packed into a smalldevice, each with a specific requirement foruse. This creates a lot of room for user error.In fact, if you are involved in a reportableaccident involving a multimeter, chancesare 50/50 you’ve sustained a critical injury.In a survey of electrical contractors con-ducted for ESA, over 11 per cent of respon-dents stated they have experienced a violentfailure of a multimeter during use. Wouldthe industry tolerate such a failure rate withany other product?

Among other initiatives, ESA has submit-ted a proposal to The 1010 Standard com-mittee to require multimeters to accommo-date user error without consequence to themeter and/or the system being tested. Thismay represent a significant change to theway meters are made and may take time tobe realized in the field.

CODE FILE //

Safety tips for the interimBefore placing the probes of a multimeter on an ener-gized piece of equipment, check the following:1. Use only approved and properly rated equipment.2. Understand and comply with CAT ratings. (In fact,

only use CAT III or better on jobsites to avoid usererror.)

3. Ensure the meter’s settings are correct before testing,and do not change them while energized.

4. Wear proper personal protective equipment.5. Replace standard test leads with approved fused test

leads.Remember, CEC states electrical equipment shall be of akind of type and rating approved for the specific purposefor which it is to be employed. This means it is yourresponsibility to know your equipment and how to useit safely. So choose and use your equipment wisely.Accidents affect us all: like a pebble dropped in a pond,the ripple effect travels in many directions.

STEVE SMITH, CTech, CFEI, CEI, is a technical advisor with theElectrical Safety Authority (ESA) and is also directly involved inelectrical accident and fire investigations. Steve is a member of anumber of CSA Part 1 and Part II committees and sits on the exec-utive of the Canadian Section of the IAEI.

BY STEVE SMITH, CTech, CFEI, CEI


Advertiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Website . . . . . . . . . . . PageAccubid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.accubid.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Acuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.holophane.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Aird & Berlis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.airdberlis.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Arlington Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.aifittings.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Benshaw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.benshaw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Eaton Electric Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.eatonelectrical.ca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Electro Rent Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.electrorent.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Falvo Electrical Supply Ltd. . . . . . . . . . www.falvo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Ferraz Shawmut Canada. . . . . . . www.ferrazshawmut.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Fusetek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.fusetek.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4GM Fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.fleet.gmcanada.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Hammond Manufacturing . . . . . . . www.hammfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Harper Detroit Diesel Allison . . . . . www.harperddl.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Humber College. . . . . . . . . . www.appliedtechnology.humber.ca . . . . . . . . . . . 25Icon International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.iconltd.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Ideal Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.idealindustries.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8L. Stoch and Associates. . . . . . . . . . . . www.lstoch.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Legrand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.wiremold.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Lighting Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.railite.biz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Megger Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.megger.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Milwaukee Electric Tool . . . . . . . . . . www.v28power.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Nexans Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nexans.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Panduit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.panduit/com/ie22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Power Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.powersurvey.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Shat -R- Shield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.shatrshield.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Standard Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.standardpro.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 & IFCTechspan Industries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.techspan.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBCThomas& Betts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.tnb-canada.com. . . . . . . . . . . . 1 & OBCUltrasave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ultrasave.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Underground Devices Inc . . . . . . . . . www.udevices.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26United Wire and Cable . . . . . . . . . . . www.unitedwc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Ushio Canada Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ushio.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10VJ Pamensky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.pamensky.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Waltech Associates . . . . . . . . . . www.waltechassociates.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Weidmuller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.weidmuller.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

ADVERTISER INDEX //

These images show some of the destruction that can be caused when multimeters are combined with ‘user error’.Ph

oto co

urtes

y ESA

INFO NO. 53

PRODUCT COUNTER For more information, enter the Info. No. on the card in this issue

www.techspan.biz/te/power90% of shipments made same day

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*For CSA approved shops only. Simply type in the web link below,fill in the free sample order form, fax it to us, and we’ll have ourlocal stocking distributor deliver the samples to you at no charge.

Stock only single pole.They snaptogether easily to make multi-pole units.

INFO NO. 54

INFO NO. 55

INFO NO. 56

INFO NO. 57

The only marrette® you need under one roof.

Introducing the resimarr ® 833®, THE residential marrette®.It’s new. It’s fast. It’s the only marrette® you’ll ever need for residential wiring.

• Highly visible

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• Connects all typical wire combinations for residential applications (#22-#8)

Connect with the newest member of the marrette® family at yourlocal electrical distributor.

®

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Made in Canada.

INFO NO. 58

Documents

June_July 2005.pdf