Technical Articles

Electrical Testing and Maintenance Diagnostics

IEEE 1584 Next Edition

IEEE 1584 – Changes to the Next Edition

It has been sixteen long years since IEEE 1584 – IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations was first published in 2002. This standard was highly celebrated back then because for the first time there was an internationally recognized standard…

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IEC Standard 60900 was just published.

The fourth edition of IEC Standard 60900 Live working – Hand tools for use up to 1,000 V AC and 1,500 V DC was just published. This standard is applicable to insulated, insulating and hybrid hand tools used for working…

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IEEE and IEC Standards Update

By Jim Phillips March has been a busy month for me with Standards Committee work. I just returned home from three weeks of travel that included IEEE Standards meetings in Ft. Worth, Texas and various IEC meetings held at British…

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NFPA 70E Annexes

2018 NFPA 70E Informative Annexes

Almost half of the pages in the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E are devoted to 17 informative annexes. Even though technically the annexes are not part of the mandatory text, there is an incredible amount of additional information, examples and…

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Jim Phillips - IEC Office in Geneva Switzerland

IEC TC 78 Live Working Standards

By Jim Phillips, P.E. International Chairman IEC TC 78 As the International Chairman of IEC TC 78, a frequent question that I receive is “What is IEC TC 78?” IEC is the acronym for the International Electrotechnical Commission based in…

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FREE Download Arc Flash Hazard Calculation Guide

The 2017 NEC and Arc Flash

By Jim Phillips The 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) contains several changes regarding arc flash: Download FREE Arc Flash Calculations 110.16(B) Arc-Flash Hazard Warning of Service Equipment 240.87 Arc Energy Reduction (Circuit Breakers) 240.67 Arc Energy Reduction (Fuses) The severity…

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2018 NFPA 70E Update – What’s New? What’s Changed?

2018 NFPA 70E Update – What’s New? What’s Changed?: Published: June 2017 By Jim Phillips Based on Jim’s article originally published in the May 2017 Issue of Electrical Contractor Magazine . It is hard to imagine that three years have passed since I wrote the 2015 NFPA 70E update…

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Arc Flash Study Top 10 FAQs Part #2

Arc Flash Study Top 10 FAQs Part #2: How Does Everyone Else Do This? By Jim Phillips 3-Part Series ELECTRICAL SAFETY PRACTICES Does your company or client permit energized work where the incident energy is greater than 40 calories per centimeter squared (cal/cm2)? This question is about the…

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