Newsletter
Spring 2013
Presidential Views
John West, 2013 President
Spring is in the air! Have you ever wondered “how does spring affect me”? The hint of a mild warm breeze as the sun peeks through the beautiful Carolina Blue skies. The wonderful sights, and smells of the flowers, the trees, and the grass as it makes the transformation from what appears to be without life, to a bright, crisp, new beginning, bursting forth from every crack and crevasse to join in on this celebration of life that our creator has so graciously blessed us with.
On the other hand, this dreadful time of the year when Mother Nature cannot make up her mind what season it is. Will today bring forth warm showers, or another day of that nasty cold, icy rain? You left your house this morning knowing you could get by without a coat, and you did until the wind started blowing from the Northeast, as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. The weatherman sure missed the forecast, as the thermostat is steadily dropping, we’ll never see a high of 65 today. Maybe tomorrow the sun will shine, but then comes the hay fever from all that pollen in the air. And my goodness, just look at potholes in the street, and the leaves and limbs in my yard, this season they call spring is getting me down.
The question is, how’s your attitude? Do you let the climate affect the way you present yourself? Do you let things that are out of your control determine how you react to a situation? At the end of the day do you feel confident that you did your best, and you are thankful for the opportunities you were given? Or do you think you were dealt a bad hand? Or maybe it was someone else’s mistake, but you got blamed for the problem it created. Are you constantly looking for an excuse, or are you looking for solutions. Look for the positive things in whatever season you are going through, there are some things that we cannot change, and some things that maybe don’t need changing just because it’s not what we envisioned
John West, Chapter President
Mecklenburg County Building Standards Department
700 North Tryon, Charlotte, NC
John.West@mecklenburgcountync.gov
704-432-4647
Industry Events
See our Meetings Page for up-to-date information
NC IAEI Electronic Newsletter:
Our newsletter continues to be our main form of communication to our members. In addition to our
quarterly newsletters, we have continued to send out special announcements for Continuing Education
classes and job available. Join our mailing list – go to www.nciaei.org (Contact us page).
Electrical Education in Our Schools
Chris Faucette, Electrical Supervisor of Alamance County Inspections Department was recently contacted by Steve Scarlett, teacher at Eastern Alamance High School. Mr. Scarlett is an instructor for Electrical Apprenticeship at the high school and he requested that Chris speak to two of his classes about his role as an Electrical Inspector and the progression of his career, leading up to the Inspector position. He asked Chris to expand his discussion to share various career options that electrical training could lead to for this students. Chris asked Mitchell Bryant, Investigator for the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors for North Carolina, to accompany him on this presentation. Mitchell spoke about the importance of being a licensed electrician and the Board’s rules for engaging in the electrical field. The presentation was a huge success and both the class and instructor appreciated Mr. Faucette and Mr. Bryant’s discussions. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Scarlett reached out to Chris again to see if he might be interested in taking the electrical students on a “field trip” to see an actual construction site. Chris agreed that this would be a great opportunity for the students and coordinated a visit to an existing project at Elon University where the students will see first-hand the electrical conduits and wiring in the pre-sheetrock stage. The date for the field trip is still pending
Behind the Scenes
The Ellis Cannady Chapter IAEI would like to express profound gratitude to Reuben Kendall. Reuben was recently awarded his 50 Year IAEI membership, which is a truly great accomplishment in our industry. (Put photo on web page). He also started the tradition of the jacket for the Chapter president, with the idea that the President should be recognizable and distinguished. Reuben also started the flower fund, the Chapter newsletter, original Chapter handbook. He also took some great photographs over the years, and was the main person responsible for making the Public Relations and Publicity Committee what it is today. Thanks again Reuben, we hope to see you at our upcoming meetings.
New Faces and Places
Mecklenburg County Inspections has two new staff members and a staff member in a new role.
Senior Plans Examiner:
Scott Van Zandt has accepted the position of Senior Plans Examiner within the Commercial Plan Review and Permitting Division. He has over 30 years in the construction industry with a strong emphasis on inspection for code compliance. He joined Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement after a long and successful career with the City of Columbus inspections department.
Controllers:
Juan Rodriguez has accepted the position of Controller with the Commercial Plan Review and Permitting Division. Juan has a Master of Architecture as well as a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Building Engineering Technology. He has worked with a few local firms and assisted with Educational projects here in North Carolina.
Thomas Nunez has accepted the position of Controller with the Commercial Plan Review and Permitting Division. He is an experienced project coordinator in the architectural field with a solid background in various types of architectural projects. He has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Technology and experience working with projects here in North Carolina as well as New York.
Scott's, Juan's and Thomas's many talents and skills will be a great asset to the department and assist the department in moving forward the many initiatives that the future holds. Please welcome them to the team.
Bereaved
Robert K. Smith 1952 – 2013. Robert K. "Bob" Smith of East Bend, NC, Loving Husband, Dad, PaPaw, Brother, Uncle, Son and Friend left his Earthly home with open arms to join his Heavenly home on April 2, 2013. The Smith's Family earthly loss is Heaven's great gain. The bells are ringing and angels are singing as those who have gone before Welcome Bob home. Angels from Heaven whispered, "Come take my Hand your work is done." No more struggling, no more pain, no more sorrow. Bob fought for a year with Stage 4 lung cancer, with chemo and radiation to stay with his loving family, but weakened each day till the Lord decided to free him. Bob was born in 1952 in Pineville, WV and graduated from Pineville High School in 1972 before joining the US Army where he served 6 years. He worked in the WV coal mines for 9 years before moving to Winston-Salem, NC. He was employed by Salem Electric for 10 years before becoming a level III electrical inspector of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. During this time he served on the Curriculum Development Committee for the education selection of the Code Official's Board. He taught continuing education classes for both the Qualification Board and the NC Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. He was also an instructor at Forsyth Community College where he taught Electrical apprenticeship courses. He was a long standing member of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. Bob has always been one to assist and share his knowledge of the electrical field with students, contractors, homeowners: anyone with a question knew to call Bob for the answers. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the NC Ellis Cannady Chapter of IAEI. Bob often credited his brother, Alvin Smith, for his interest and knowledge of the electrical field. Bob is joining his Mom's unbroken circle in Heaven. In that circle are his parents, Oley and Marie Smith; his brothers, Arville, Wendell, Alvin, David, and Michael; sisters, Helen, Sylvia, and Edith. What a joyous reunion they are having, listen closely and you can hear his Mom praising Jesus for bringing her baby boy home to her. Those left here to cherish his memories and miss him every single day are his loving wife, Janice; son, Shannon; daughter-in-law, Lynn; and his grandsons, Joey and Austen. Bob's love and pride of his family was evident in every aspect of his life. Also left here are his brothers, KV Smith and wife Wilma of Pineville, WV and Darrell Smith of Ballard, WV; sister, Gloria Dawn Spence and companion Steve Johnson of Beckley, WV; 19 nieces and nephews; 34 great nieces and nephews; and 14 great-great nieces and nephews. Also surviving are many of the Harris family, no longer in-laws but true brothers, sisters and loving family. Multitudes of family and friends will miss the example and guidance that Bob provided to all who knew him. A visitation will be Friday, April 5, at Vogler and Sons Reynolda Chapel. There will be a visitation at Tankersley Funeral Home in Mullens, WV on Saturday, April 6, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. A graveside service will follow at Walker Branch Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Phillip Spaugh, David Bailey, Jason Spence, Scott Woosley, Jacob Bailey, Tim Smith, Vince Smith, Adam Bailes, Ray Lewis, and Wayne Vernon. The Smith family would like to thank the following people for the kindness and caring they have shown to Bob and Jan: Forsyth Hospital-9 West; Cancer Center of Forsyth Hospital; Hospice of Davey County, NC; Forsyth Community College; City of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Electrical, Plumbing and Building Inspector; and The Ellis Cannady Chapter of IAEI. Online condolences to www.frankvoglerandsons.com.
Job Postings - Please Submit Jobs to NC IAEI
Our job postings and newsletter announcements are paying off. At least one jurisdiction has reported a successful hire of an inspector who received our e-mail job available notification. If you’re looking for a job, check our jobs page at www.nciaei.org. If you need to hire an inspector, electrician or other industry electrical professional, please contact us and we will post and announce your available job immediately
2013 IAEI Southern Section Meeting - October 2013 in Wilmington
The NC Ellis Cannady Chapter will be hosting the IAEI Southern Section meeting in October 6-9, 2013 at the Wilmington Riverside Hilton. This meeting will include inspectors, contractors, manufacturers and others from across the Southeast. Online Registration is now open, go to www.iaei.org/southern, or to our chapter website www.nciaei.org. Look for the “Register Now” link. Make your hotel reservations early – our convention starts right after Riverfest, so rooms might not be available closer to the event. We look forward to seeing you in October!
Product Safety
“Listed” Control Panels. Inspectors, Contractors, Engineers and others look for Labels showing a product is “Listed”. In the US, this means a label demonstrating compliance with UL, NFPA, ASME, ASTM Standards. UL, MET, ETL and other OSHA accredited testing labs have special programs for certifying only the Panel. In many cases, this is because the manufacturing company provides only a panel intended to be installed by the end user or system manufacturer.
In other cases, equipment (system) manufacturers choose to certify only the control panel of the equipment, while the rest of the system may not be built in accordance with National Standards. Pay close attention to these Labels: when a label says :UL508A”, “UL698A”, NFPA 496”, it applies only to the control panel, not to any other system components like motors, compressors, sensors and other electrical equipment components. Additionally, if a control panel label indicates “UL50” that is certification only for the enclosure, not for any electrical components inside or outside of the panel.
Why would an equipment manufacturer certify only the control panel of the equipment? There are several reasons. In some cases, the system manufacturer has purchased a Listed control panel from a “Panel shop”, then used it for controlling an infinite variety of system components. Some of these system manufacturers who buy the certified panel could very well have the entire system certified, but don’t want to go through the process with a testing laboratory. If the overall systems are custom built and unique every time, they might not be eligible for a Certification program.
Check the label for any reference to US Standards. If the certification only applies to the control panel, the remainder of the system might have some serious shortcomings and represent mechanical and electrical hazards. Testing laboratory inspectors who perform “Field Evaluations” know this well. On many systems inspected that have Listed control panels, testing lab inspectors find many non-compliances with the overall system, sometimes serious.
Safety Reminders
Spring is here, and it’s time to remember some safety items for this time of year. Make sure Landscape lighting is installer per the NEC and the system is made up of Listed products. Check to see if GFCI’s are installed in the proper locations, and that a qualified person installs al electrical equipment. Also, it’s a good time to test Ground fault on Swimming pool lights, and check electrical systems on marinas and boat docks
Continuing Education With NC IAEI
Our one day workshops for this Spring are Down East, see the entire list above in “Industry Events” section. These classes will cover Aged Wiring, Basic Electrical Calculations and Laws and Rules of the NC Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors.
The classes are designed to cover the significant requirements for electrical installations and inspections aged wiring, and will cover basic calculations as they relate to daily inspections. Also the course will cover the NC Electrical Board licensing requirements for an electrical permits.
Energy Saving News and Issus
With all the new “Green” products being installed, there’s a higher risk of unqualified persons installing LED systems and retrofits, solar equipment. Many times these are installed with no permit. There are stories of non-licensed people installing these products, even store employees with no experience are being asked to do electrical work. Remind your contacts that You Tube videos showing how to do electrical work are not a substitute for experience and training with the correct license.
On Our Website
Remember to check the NC IAEI website regularly! We are making continuous improvements and always have great information on the NEC, Continuing Education class schedules, code interpretations, important documents, new technology and electrical news.