At this year’s Code Seminar sponsored by the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) of the Electrical Alliance, 160 participants — including Electrical Alliance contractors’ representatives and electricians — received important updates and training on the National Electrical Codes (NEC)®. The Code Seminar, held on March 23, focused on the 2017 NEC® Significant Changes and provided updates relevant to Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E) and fire alarm code.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70®, NEC® is a regionally adoptable standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. The District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia have adopted the 2014 NEC® in their building codes. Also, these jurisdictions require code-related continuing education for electrical licensures. NFPA updates the NEC® every three years. The 2017 NEC® is the current version.
“Statutorily, contractors have to build according to the appropriate building codes. The NEC® is the minimum standards customers should expect. It is important for us to know the NEC® and remain updated on the code to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.” – Code Seminar participant Gregg Kaderabek, corporate VP of Freestate Electrical.
The NEC® often references that safe installation be done in “a neat and workmanlike manner.” To go beyond that minimum calls for a new set of standards. With the support of Electrical Alliance contractors who are members of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and in partnership with several industry organizations, NECA developed the first quality standards for electrical construction — the National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS). NEIS clearly define the actions needed to perform an installation in a “neat and workmanlike manner.”
“Electrical Alliance contractors and their employees, as well as general contractors, engineers, and building owners, see ‘good workmanship’ referenced throughout their plans and specs. But no one had ever taken on the challenge of defining what constituted ‘good workmanship’ when it came to electrical construction. NECA, as the industry leader, rose to the challenge because we saw benefits to both contractors and their customers.” – JT Thomas, executive director of the Washington, D.C. chapter, NECA
Since the early 1990s, NECA has continued to develop new NEIS standards and update existing ones. Currently there are three new standards under development, and five standards scheduled to be updated. For more information about NEIS, go to neca-neis.org. Also, visit electricalalliance.org/projects to see a sampling of the extraordinary projects by Electrical Alliance contractors that went beyond code.
