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Guns, Rock & Roll Pave Way for Technical Certification Program, ANSI Standards Submission at Electrical Safety, Reliability and Sustainability Conference & Exhibition May 2012 Also available in PDF format. PEARL committee chairs discussed a proposed Technician Certification Program and ANSI standard submission process after a day of visits to local electrical reconditioning shops that included a trip to a gun range to shoot a .50-cal rifle, a pig roast, and evening concert.
AURORA, CO - What do the world's fastest electric car, an arsenal of U.S. military firearms, pig roasts, rock & roll, and cutting-edge research on electrical safety have in common? Attendees saw them all at PEARL's recent Electrical Safety, Reliability and Sustainability Conference & Exhibition held in Pittsburgh, PA, May 5-7.
"This year, we had some of the best technical content the conference has ever had, and more than a little fun," notes Malcom Frederick, PEARL President and Houston Operations Manager for Shermco Industries (Houston, TX).
During the first day of the conference, attendees were able to view electrical reconditioning operations at local PEARL members Voyten Electric & Electronics, Inc. (Franklin, PA) and The Motor Control Center (Pittsburgh). After an introduction to the facilities and a discussion of standards-based reconditioning operations, Voyten treated attendees to a taste of U.S. military technology at a local shooting range that included a .50-cal rifle. The Motor Control Center put the finishing touches on the day - along with more than a little barbeque sauce - thanks to an outdoor pig roast and live concert.
"PEARL members Voyten Electric and The Motor Control Center really outdid themselves this year," says Frederick. "It's going to be tough to top this year's social activities, but luckily, next year we're meeting in New Orleans."
Technician Training & ANSI Standards
The learning began in earnest on Sunday, May 6, with two days of training and technical presentations. Presenters included William Gager of the Automotive Parts Remanufacturers Association, IEEE fellow and switchgear expert Nigel McQuin of McQuin Electrical Power Consulting, Inc., and electrical safety specialist H. Landis "Lanny" Floyd, II from DuPont. Gager explained his association's ongoing efforts to work with the U.S. Congress and corporate interests and educate them on the environmental and cost savings offered by remanufactured product, while McQuin discussed the critical importance of standards when retrofitting and retrofilling electrical switchgear. Floyd continued the standards discussion, explaining the critical need for technical guidance and standards related to electrical safety.
The final two presentations on Sunday, however, may have the most impact on the electrical reconditioning and remanufacturing markets. Stuart Jackson, PEARL Director and President of Instel Power Products, Inc. (Simpsonville, SC), who also chairs PEARL's ANSI exploratory committee, suggested that the best path forward for PEARL would likely be to submit all 100+ reconditioning standards as a single document. Today, PEARL is the only publisher of technical standards for reconditioning industrial and commercial product. PEARL was recently accepted as an ANSI member and is in the processing of becoming an Accredited Standards Developer.
Doug Powell, President of National Switchgear Systems, Inc. (Lewisville, TX), gave PEARL members their first look at a proposed Technical Certification Program. Working with a small group of volunteers, Powell suggested a four-phase approach to developing the program, starting with a Technical Certification Committee and PEARL Technician Profile, followed by development of a Practice Analysis Program Handbook and development of Level I and Level II exam questions. The final phase will mark the beginning of the Technical Certification Program, including training and testing for certification Levels I and II.
Training was also the central topic during a two-day dual-track electrical training course that focused on low-voltage circuit breakers and medium-voltage contactors, running concurrently with the technical program. Day one involved classroom work presented by Shermco Industries at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel, while day two offered hands-on electrical training presented by Voyten Electric & Electronics, Inc. at The Motor Control Center. During the training, veteran electrical technicians shared equipment-specific defects and trouble areas commonly found in service-aged equipment.
"The 2012 training session on Medium Voltage Contactors was the best offsite training I have ever received," said Michael Habeeb, National Sales Representative at North American Switchgear (Cleveland, OH). "When you get top players in the industry together and give them two days to complete a project you will want to learn! It was an honor to be a part of it."
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