IAEI Archives

Welcome to the Archives of the IAEI News-Bulletins

Thanks to the generous contribution from the collection of our Friend and colleague Mr. Joe Tedesco, we have received almost three decades of historical International Association of Electrical Inspectors – IAEI News Bulletins.

Beginning with the first edition published January 1929 through the 1950’s, Brainfiller had the privilege of scanning and are presently archiving this important collection with the permission (and encouragement) of the IAEI.  The archiving is a work in progress and will continue until all of these historic documents are uploaded here.

By preserving this extensive historical collection and providing this archive, everyone can have insight about how far the electrical industry has evolved from before the Great Depression in 1929, through World War II and into the 1950’s.

Each article is uploaded as a flip book format meaning you can read it like an actual magazine on line.  Review each description and simply click Continue Reading—–> to be taken to each edition.

There is much more in each issue than the highlighted articles.  Some of it is a bit funny from our present day perspective.  Happy Reading!

Reprinted with permission from “IAEI News” by the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI). Copyright © 1929 to 2020 by the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. Current articles may be found online at https://www.iaeimagazine.org.

From the archives, Did You Know:

In 1932, small air circuit breakers thermally actuated and approved by UL for services and branch circuits were celebrating their third year on the market with over 200,000 circuits using this new form of protection.
– IAEI News Bulletin – Volume IV No. 2 – March 1932

In 1947, a licensed electrician was required to install a television.
– IAEI News Bulletin, Part One – Volume XX No. 4 – September 1948

The cartoon is a bit of electrical humor from the January 1932 Edition of  IAEI News-Bulletin.

Take a stroll through history – Enjoy!

2027 NFPA 70E – Additional Person Requirement

A conversation that you do not want to have. John: Have you seen Bill? Sue: I saw him this morning as he

2027 NFPA 70E – Absence of CURRENT

NFPA 70E Hazard Elimination – Absence of Current NFPA 70E emphasizes hazard elimination as the first priority in the implementation of safety-related

9.0 Earthquake | Fukushima | Arc Flash | and Me

Fifteen years ago on March 11, 2011, a devastating earthquake struck Japan with a magnitude of 9.0. Little did I know at

Impedance Grounding and Arc Flash

A short circuit happens when energized conductors accidentally make contact with each other and/or to ground. When that connection forms, the load

When Horizontal Bus is NOT HCB

Question:I have a switchboard with horizontal bus. Should I use the HCB model? Short answer:Not necessarily. Wait! What? Horizontal might not be

Arcing Fault Current, NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584

IEEE 1584 defines arcing fault current as the reduced current that flows during an arc flash event, differing significantly from bolted fault

NFPA 70E and Arc-Flash Calculations Above 15 kV

IEEE 1584 is validated only up to 15 kV, leaving higher-voltage systems outside its empirical model. This article explains what NFPA 70E

Why NFPA 70E Labels Aren’t Always Consistent

NFPA 70E arc-flash labels often display distances and incident energy in different units, leading to confusion. This article explains why IEEE 1584

Proud Partner of Electrical Safety UK, Ltd. Rotherham (Sheffield), England

Brainfiller and Jim Phillips are proud to partner with Electrical Safety UK (ESUK), a leading authority in arc flash and electrical safety

NFPA 70E Arc-Flash Label Colors and Words — What’s Correct?

NFPA 70E requires arc-flash labels, but it does not mandate specific colors. This article explains how ANSI Z535 signal words influence label

IEEE 1584, NFPA 70E and the “2-Second Arc Duration” Myth

The 2-second arc duration is often misunderstood in IEEE 1584 and NFPA 70E applications. This article explains what the assumption really means

Arc-Flash Boundary and NFPA 70E — Is It a “Safe” Place to Stand?

The arc-flash boundary in NFPA 70E is often misunderstood as a “safe” distance. This article explains what the boundary actually represents and

NEW! IEEE 1584.2 was Recently Published

IEEE 1584.2 was recently published! The full title is: IEEE Guide and Checklists for Data Collection for Performing an Arc-Flash Hazard Calculation

Why Jim Phillips Is a Trusted NFPA 70E Expert

Electrical safety isn’t theory—it’s protection for people, equipment, and uptime. For more than 40 years, Jim Phillips has helped engineers, electricians, and

Over Two Decades of IEEE 1584 Standards

No, the title doesn’t have a typo — “Standards” is plural for a reason. Over 20 years ago, in 2002, the original

Quick List

International Expert​

Jim is the International Chair of Geneva, Switzerland based International Electro-Technical Commission’s TC 78 for Live Working. He is also Vice-Chair of IEEE 1584, Technical Committee Member of NFPA 70E and active with many other standards organizations. 

He continues to travel the globe typically flying over 150,000 miles a year to work with various U.S. and international standards organizations and speak at many conferences and training events.

Jim and his wife of over four decades live in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Multi-Award Winning: Best Paper at PCIC Conference and Electrical Safety Excellence recipient - to name a few.