Business and management

NECA welcomes new SA Security of Payment Bill that will protect contractors

08 December, 2009

The NECA South Australia Chapter has applauded the passage of a new bill to guarantee security of payment for the construction industry.


Electrical apprentice safety pilot program in Queensland

07 December, 2009

The Queensland government is planning to expand a successful pilot training program that raises safety awareness among apprentice electricians.


Energy revolution required to meet carbon targets

04 December, 2009 by Wayne Kayler-Thomson*

Nothing short of an ‘energy revolution’ will be required to successfully transition to a carbon-managed economy while fulfilling its energy needs, according to a VECCI report.


Luminaires for industrial and hazardous environments

02 December, 2009 by Sebastian Beier, Market Sector Manager, CSE Division, Sylvania Lighting Australasia | Supplied by: Sylvania Lighting Australasia

Industrial environments can pose significant challenges to the safety and effective operation of lighting systems. Luminaire selection and system design must meet performance goals where mechanical strength, weight, thermal, electrical, corrosion resistance, hazardous environment and water and dust ingress requirements must be considered. Designers must gain a firm understanding of all environmental factors that can cause system failures to deliver ‘environmental compatibility’ of lighting.


Graduate electrical power engineer of the year

02 December, 2009

The practical, theoretical and community achievements of electrical engineer Blake Harvey of Rockhampton, Queensland, have been rewarded by his selection as Engineers Australia’s Graduate Electrical Power Engineer of the Year 2009.


A snapshot of the current employment landscape

02 December, 2009 by Paul Stathis

There’s been a lot of negativity about the job market lately, much of which is fuelled by uninformed speculation. I found that it’s not all bad news, as I researched what’s going on at ‘street level’, especially in the electrical industry.


Avoiding costly underground cable problems - now and in the future

02 December, 2009 by Paul Stathis

Recently, a friend of mine who operates an excavator tore through a mains cable as he was digging footings on a commercial site. Not only did he get the scare of his life, but he had a few anxious moments afterwards wondering if he would cop the huge repair bill for the damage he had just caused. Fortunately for him, he called Dial Before You Dig before commencing to excavate.


Why calibrate your test equipment?

01 December, 2009 by Paul Stathis

Test and measurement equipment is essential to the electrical trade, be it for electrical, data or control systems. Whether it’s for commissioning a new installation or finding a fault in an existing one, electrical tradespeople and technicians put a lot of faith in the readings from these instruments. But how can they be certain what’s being reported is correct?


Is it time to genuinely adopt 230 V as our distribution voltage?

01 December, 2009 by Prof Alex Baitch, Principal, BES (Aust) Pty Ltd and Visiting Professorial Fellow at University of Wollongong

The article in September/October 2008 Electrical Solutions raised many questions regarding supply voltage variances. Author Paul Stathis was warned that he could be opening a can of worms. The advice he received was not wrong. In this article, I will attempt to answer some of the issues raised in the previous article and bring attention to more issues that need to be addressed by the electrical industry.


Professional training vs the school of hard knocks

01 December, 2009

In today’s economy, many look at the bottom line more than usual and don’t do anything unless it’s mission critical. When we cut costs, we also decrease expenses, but to what end? Training seems to be one of the first things companies eliminate without thinking about the outcome. But why is training and development so important? Why can’t people learn the way that many of us did - by the school of hard knocks?


Dealing with the halogen downlight conundrum

01 December, 2009 by Paul Stathis

The 2007 Wiring Rules introduced a number of installation directives for halogen downlights because of the high incidence of fires directly attributable to the extreme heat output from them igniting nearby combustible materials. One of these directives is to leave considerable clearance around them from all materials, including insulation. But this introduces the problem of potentially compromising a home’s thermal efficiency. How do electrical contractors deal with this conundrum?


NECA Electrotechnology School Student Awards

01 December, 2009

The national winners of the NECA 2009 Electro-technology School Student Awards were announced on 25 November.


Schneider Electric circuit breaker wins Master Electricians Award

01 December, 2009

Schneider Electric's Compact NSX circuit breaker was awarded the ‘Innovative Product of the Year’ prize at the recent 2009 Master Electricians Australia Awards for Excellence.


NECA Apprentice of the Year Awards for 2009 announced

30 November, 2009

The NECA 2009 Apprentice of the Year Awards were announced in Melbourne on 25 November, recognising the most outstanding electrotechnology apprentices in Australia.


Action needed on safety inspection standards to combat dangers of installing insulation

30 November, 2009

NECA has called for urgent action by federal and state governments to introduce new safety inspection requirements for the insulation installation industry.


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