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?
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?
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.
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?
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 Electrotechnology School Student Awards
01 December, 2009
The national winners of the NECA 2009 Electro-technology School Student Awards were announced on 25 November.
Best electrical trade teacher in Australia announced
30 November, 2009
NECA announced the Electrical Trade Teacher of the Year Award for 2009 at its national industry awards held in Melbourne on 26 November.
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.
