The Tale of General Lighting Loads

Christopher D. Coache

Occasionally, National Electrical Code® (NEC®) users wonder how the general lighting load values came to be included in Article 220, Branch-Circuit, Feeder, and Service Calculations. Based on the research done for this article, it is likely that the original requirements when these calculations first appeared underwent the same evaluation of data and documentation as those presented here. This article will trace the history of general lighting loads.

NFPA's "Home Electrical Fires" - Executive Summary

John R Hall, Jr.

Electrical Safety, Certified

Jeff Sargent

Industry awareness of the safe work practice requirements contained in NFPA 70E®, Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, has increased significantly over the past 15 years, as has adherence to those requirements. A number of factors are responsible for the continuation of this trend, including strong support from electrical industry stakeholders, expansion of the hazards covered in the standard to address both shock and arc-flash hazards, and proactive initiatives on preventing electrical accidents undertaken by federal and state occupational safety regulators. NFPA has supported this demand for information through the development of support products such as the NFPA 70E Handbook, alliances with industry partners such as IEEE and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and through the creation of training programs.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Electrical Safety

Michael Fontaine

What is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and what does it have to do with electrical workplace safety? Every year, OSHA receives reports of around 400 workplace deaths from cardiac arrest. Therefore, each year around 13% of workplace fatalities are due to SCA. The out-of-hospital survival rates for cardiac arrest are from about one 1% to 5%, which emphasizes the need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training, since most of these 400 deaths occur outside of a hospital . A normal heartbeat is the result of rhythmic electrical impulses. Ventricular fibrillation is when the electrical impulses in the lower heart chambers become erratic and cause the heart to stop pumping blood; these arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms are often the cause of SCA. If normal heart rhythm is not restored within a matter of minutes, death will occur. SCA is unpredictable – it can strike victims with no history of heart problems.