New General Manager of Marketing at Clipsal
16 December, 2009
Dirk Howindt has recently taken up the role of General Manager of Marketing at Clipsal Australia.
ADC Krone wins Electrical Communications Excellence Award
16 December, 2009
ADC Krone was awarded ‘Data Project of the Year’ at the Electrical and Communications Association Excellence Awards for its involvement in the Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence building in Queensland.
Protection against non-conforming electrical appliances and installations
15 December, 2009
A conference was held recently in the Middle East to promote the global standardisation of electrotechnology that seeks to eradicate the trading of non-conforming electrical products.
ACT government takes stand against ‘sham’ contracting
14 December, 2009
A recently released Bill in the ACT endeavours to prevent employers engaging in ‘sham’ contracting to avoid their legal obligations to workers.
HPM Legrand merger creates one-stop shop for five brands
08 December, 2009
Legrand's unification of the HPM, Nelson Industries and Legrand Australia operations will combine the products and services of several companies into a 'one-stop shop'.
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.
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?
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.
