![]() | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(July 2015) |
An electrical contractor is a business person or firm that performs specialized construction work related to the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical systems. [1] An electrical contractor is different from an electrician; an electrician is an individual tradesman and an electrical contractor is a business person or company that employs electricians. Both usually hold licenses and insurances to properly and safely operate a business, protecting the employees and home owners/business owners from insurance liabilities. These requirements vary from state to state. Electricians may work for an electrical contractor, or directly for individuals or companies.
Electrical contractors are generally classified by three major types of work performed.
Electrical contractors employ workers in many capacities, determined by their level of training and experience. Some common jobs include:
In the United Kingdom, the two main trade associations are the Electrical Contractors' Association, covering England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and SELECT - the Electrical Contractors' Association for Scotland. The main certification bodies are the National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting and Elecsa. [3]
The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is the largest trade association in the electrical contracting industry, with about 4500 members. NECA publishes an industry magazine, and sponsors an annual convention and trade show. [4] Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) is another trade association for electrical contractors with 70 chapters across the U.S. They provide education and training via a U.S. Department of Labor recognized apprenticeship program.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers organizes and represents over 700,000 members, and provides training and apprenticeship programs.
Electrical contractors in the United States are required to follow National Electrical Code (NEC) to ensure systems work in a safe manner. [5] [6] The NEC is a widely adopted model code for the installation of electrical components and systems, designed to safeguard persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity. [7] While these are the default minimum requirements and guidelines, some states modify selected areas of the NEC code to suit their specific circumstances. [8]
A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee. They earn their license by education, supervised experience and examination. Although journeymen have completed a trade certificate and are allowed to work as employees, they may not yet work as self-employed master craftsmen.
An electrician is a tradesperson specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, transmission lines, stationary machines, and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also specialize in wiring ships, airplanes, and other mobile platforms, as well as data and cable lines.
Electrical wiring in North America follows the regulations and standards applicable at the installation location. It is also designed to provide proper function, and is also influenced by history and traditions of the location installation.
The National Electrical Code (NEC), or NFPA 70, is a regionally adoptable standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. It is part of the National Fire Code series published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a private trade association. Despite the use of the term "national", it is not a Federal law. It is typically adopted by states and municipalities in an effort to standardize their enforcement of safe electrical practices. In some cases, the NEC is amended, altered and may even be rejected in lieu of regional regulations as voted on by local governing bodies.
Power engineering, also called power systems engineering, is a subfield of electrical engineering that deals with the generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization of electric power, and the electrical apparatus connected to such systems. Although much of the field is concerned with the problems of three-phase AC power – the standard for large-scale power transmission and distribution across the modern world – a significant fraction of the field is concerned with the conversion between AC and DC power and the development of specialized power systems such as those used in aircraft or for electric railway networks. Power engineering draws the majority of its theoretical base from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.
In electrical engineering, ground and neutral are circuit conductors used in alternating current (AC) electrical systems. The ground circuit is connected to earth, and neutral circuit is usually connected to ground. As the neutral point of an electrical supply system is often connected to earth ground, ground and neutral are closely related. Under certain conditions, a conductor used to connect to a system neutral is also used for grounding (earthing) of equipment and structures. Current carried on a grounding conductor can result in objectionable or dangerous voltages appearing on equipment enclosures, so the installation of grounding conductors and neutral conductors is carefully defined in electrical regulations. Where a neutral conductor is used also to connect equipment enclosures to earth, care must be taken that the neutral conductor never rises to a high voltage with respect to local ground.
Electrical wiring is an electrical installation of cabling and associated devices such as switches, distribution boards, sockets, and light fittings in a structure.
High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, high voltage refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant special safety requirements and procedures.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a labor union that represents approximately 820,000 workers and retirees in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Guam, Panama, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands; in particular electricians, or inside wiremen, in the construction industry and lineworkers and other employees of public utilities. The union also represents some workers in the computer, telecommunications, and broadcasting industries, and other fields related to electrical work.
An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that switches on automatically when a building experiences a power outage.
A lineworker constructs and maintains the electric transmission and distribution facilities that deliver electrical energy to industrial, commercial, and residential establishments. A lineworker installs, services, and emergency repairs electrical lines in the case of lightning, wind, ice storm, or ground disruptions. Whereas those who install and maintain electrical wiring inside buildings are electricians, lineworkers generally work at outdoor installations.
In theatre, the master electrician is responsible for implementing the lighting design for a production drawn up by the lighting designer. This involves overseeing the preparation, hanging, connection and focusing of stage lighting fixtures.
IEC 60364Electrical Installations for Buildings is the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)'s international standard on electrical installations of buildings. This standard is an attempt to harmonize national wiring standards in an IEC standard and is published in the European Union by CENELEC as "HD 60364". The latest versions of many European wiring regulations follow the section structure of IEC 60364 very closely, but contain additional language to cater for historic national practice and to simplify field use and determination of compliance by electricians and inspectors. National codes and site guides are meant to attain the common objectives of IEC 60364, and provide rules in a form that allows for guidance of persons installing and inspecting electrical systems.
NFPA 70E(Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace) is a standard of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The document covers electrical safety requirements for employees. The NFPA is best known for publishing the National Electrical Code.
High-leg delta is a type of electrical service connection for three-phase electric power installations. It is used when both single and three-phase power is desired to be supplied from a three phase transformer. The three-phase power is connected in the delta configuration, and the center point of one phase is grounded. This creates both a split-phase single phase supply and three-phase. It is called "orange leg" because the L3 wire is often required to be color-coded orange. By convention, the high leg is usually set in the center lug in the involved panel, regardless of the L1-L2-L3 designation at the transformer.
In electrical engineering, low voltage is a relative term, the definition varying by context. Different definitions are used in electric power transmission and distribution compared with electronics design. Electrical safety codes define "low voltage" circuits that are exempt from the protection required at higher voltages. These definitions vary by country and specific codes or regulations.
Construction electrician is a United States Navy occupational rating.
The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) is the former name for the Electrical Training Alliance, a nonprofit organization created in 1941 by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).
As the #1 event for electrical professionals, the NECA annual convention and trade show, National Electrical Contractors Association draws attendees and exhibitors involved in all aspects of the electrical construction and integrated building systems industries. The NECA Show is open to the entire industry, and it is held in conjunction with the NECA Convention, which is primarily for NECA member firms.
The National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) or ANSI Standard C2 is a United States standard of the safe installation, operation, and maintenance of electric power and communication utility systems including power substations, power and communication overhead lines, and power and communication underground lines. It is published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). "National Electrical Safety Code" and "NESC" are registered trademarks of the IEEE. The NESC should not be confused with the National Electrical Code (NEC) published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and intended to be used for residential, commercial, and industrial building wiring.