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Intelligent Power Today Magazine
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Introducing Intelligent Power Today

Welcome to Intelligent Power Today Magazine, our publication that explores and explains the who, what, where, when, why and how of intelligent electrical devices, a collection of complex mechanical devices and sophisticated control systems used in industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities—also known as intelligent buildings.

According to the Institute for Building Efficiency, intelligent buildings use smart technologies to improve system functionality, control operating costs, and to keep building occupants safe, secure, comfortable, and, of...

Buyer's Guide

News & Trends

Counterfeiting Kills

Each year, the counterfeiting of well-known brands and products continues to rise, creating an even more threatening problem. Such well-known counterfeited brands, including consumer safety and critical electrical products, are estimated to be five to seven percent of world trade. The International...

2024 CE Code Training - Better Understanding of the Rules

CE Code training is intended to do a lot more than instruct about what changes have taken place since the last time Canada issued a national electrical code. We are producing a series of courses across Canada by one of Canada’s leading experts on the 2024 Edition of Canada’s Electrical...

Electrical Safety

Electrical Safety Lessons Learned

How to reduce electrical-related deaths and injuries to zero

BY JENIFER ROBERTSON, Electrical Safety Authority

Consider this scenario: An electrician is modifying an electrical circuit in a ceiling space at an educational institute. To perform the task, he de-energizes his specific circuit, but leaves the others in the same junction box energized.

While making the wiring modifications, the electrician makes incidental contact with a 347-volt, energized conductor with his right thumb and baby finger. He receives a shock.

Does this sound like a rarity? Well, it is not. In fact, this is a real-life incident that happened in Ontario—and it...

CSA Z462 and CSA Z463: A Powerful Combination

I recently viewed a destroyed 600-volt electrical panel board that had exploded when an operator reset an 800-ampere (A) breaker. His leather-palmed gloves had synthetic backs that ignited and seriously burned the back of his hands. His flame-resistant (FR) shirt was untucked and he was burned on his right side.

It is unfortunate that he was not following Canadian Standards Association’s CSA Z462 standard: “Workplace Electrical Safety” clause 4.3.7.3.10 (d). It is incredibly fortunate that his employer provided arc-rated clothing, as only a few years ago, he would have been wearing cotton coveralls.

Consequently, this incident would have resulted...

Popular Electrical Safety Articles

How to Improve Electrical Safety

Avoid hazards with these suggestions BY ROB PROSSER & DANIELLE GALLO, Brady With an increase in accidents and injuries occurring in a variety of industries, employers are looking for ways to reduce hazards and improve safety within their facilities. Even with a plethora of information available...

Arc Flash Mitigation 101

While the threat of shock and electrocution from inadvertent contact with energized parts has long been recognized, the arc flash and arc blast hazards have only fairly recently been incorporated into the electrical safety standards. The U.S. federal agency the Occupational Safety and Health...

Calculating Incident Energy

Over the last few decades, arc-fl ash hazards have been a significant concern for many electrical workers and employers. Many methods have been developed through the years to assess incident energy.The most common is that of the IEEE 1584, Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations. These...

Arc Flash Analysis in DC Power Systems

Advanced approaches to addressing direct-current arcing faults BY MICHAEL FURTAK & LEW SILECKY, Mersen Let’s face it: there is not very much information available about direct current (DC) arc flashes. And, if you have searched in vain, well hopefully this feature will give you some insight...