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Infrared Electrical Scan

Whether it’s high rise office buildings, hospitals, or an industrial facility, the approaches to accomplishing an infrared electrical scan or Thermal Image can vary as much as the locations.  One universal thread throughout these inspections is the manner in which most electrical maintenance folks expose panels for inspection. Most industrial grade panels have a two part cover but these configurations can, and do, vary from one manufacturer to another.  We commonly see an outer cover that has the enclosure door built in and held in place by a number of fasteners.  Once this outer cover is removed, many panels have what’s called a deadfront.  A deadfront usually describes the inner most layer of covering internal to an electrical apparatus that covers the energized circuit parts.  However, the electrical industry has sort of unofficially come to call what is essentially an inner panel cover, or bus cover, a deadfront.  This cover is usually the piece of sheet metal that has slots cut in it allow for the faces of the individual circuit breakers to show. Removing the outer cover will reveal the breaker wire-to-lug connection points for each circuit.  So, if you have a wire-to-lug anomaly, you’d be able to view it only with the outer cover removed.  If you leave the deadfront in place, what is not visible is the bus-to-breaker connection point, where power is distributed from the panel’s internal bus work to the individual circuit breakers. Often, high resistance will develop in the termination points where each circuit is initially installed, the wire-to-lug junction.  However, any connection point in the circuit is a potentially failure point, including the breaker-to-bus connection. Take the extra step, and removed that deadfront.  It only takes a few additional minutes but can add [...]

Emergency Lighting Standards Ireland 2013 – IS 3217:2013

The latest version of the Emergency Lighting Standards Ireland IS 3217 has now been approved. It will be known as I.S. 3217:2013 and supersedes all previous versions. Any projects designed prior to 27 December 2013 will have to comply to I.S. 3217:2008. Any projects designed after the 27 December 2013 will have to comply with I.S. 3217:2013. The standard has gone to print and should be available from SAI-GLOBAL the N.S.A.I. portal for purchasing standards from 14 January 2014 onward.   Home NSAI IS3217 - 2013

Electrical Competence

Electrical Competence: Electrical Competence....Some say “I’m a good electrician, but I don’t have the qualifications to prove it!” Many client organisations and consequently employers are growing in their awareness of the requirement to prove that individual electrical workers are competent. Most public sector tender prequalification questionnaires continue to show a trend towards precise interest in the specific competency of individual electrical workers. So why keep up to date? You will improve your understanding of current requirements, make better decisions, spot threats and opportunities and prepare yourself or your business to be PQQ ready. Secondly, keeping up-to-date is key to building and improving your reputation. By developing expertise in your  job and your industry, you'll earn the trust and respect of customers. Finally, it will alert you to changes that may just give you and your employer an edge when comes to winning a tender opportunity. Training can be a significant cost both in terms of time and money to any business or individual. However, failure to train and update yourself or your workforce may cost a lot more in lost opportunities. IPAT Qualifications: Fire Alarm Testing for both Conventional and Addressable Systems ( Advanced, Morley and CTEC Certified), Emergency Lighting Testing (BESS & FETAC Level 6 Certified), Periodic Inspection Testing of Electrical Systems(ECSSA Certified), Portable Appliance Testing of any Appliance with a plug on it (110v, 230V, 415V) NSAI Certified & Thermal Imaging (ASNT Certified, American Society of Non-destructive Testing). ATEX EX14 Certified   Are you electrically competent. If you say you are an electrician, be prepared to prove it.  Better training, means better electricians. Better electricians, means happier customers, repeat business and renewed tendering opportunities. Home Health and Safety at Work Act - Part 3 [...]

PAT Testing Certificate

PAT Testing Certificate                 We at IPAT Ltd. provide a full PAT Testing certificate including a register of all the appliances that have been inspected and tested. What is a PAT Testing Certificate? A PAT testing certificate is a document confirming that all electrical appliances belonging to one business or organisation have met the necessary safety and functionality requirements expected. A credible PAT test certificate should, at the very least, contain this relevant data: Details of the company (client) where the PAT Testing was done Individual entries for all appliances stating whether they passed/failed the test Details of the person or company by whom the PAT test was performed Why do I need a PAT Testing Certificate? We conduct the portable appliance test to ensure the safety of the appliance, and the certificate issued serves as the evidence you require to prove you have had the inspection done. This is the evidence you will need for: Insurance Companies Health and Safety Inspectors Fire Officers PAT testing certificates are provided to the client after portable appliance testing has been completed. The PAT certificates show that the company is maintaining compliance with health and safety regulations by having their electrical equipment inspected for damage and/or risks; to ensure the maintenance is being kept to the necessary levels. The certificate acts as evidence that the duty holder responsible responsible for equipment maintenance has taken the necessary action to ensure safety. IPAT Ltd.  use PAT testing certificates to provide their customers with the certificates needed to show proof that they are compliant. Certificates normally will include details about the test showing which portable appliances have been tested and which have failed. Persons performing [...]

PAT Testing Tautology

What is a PAT Testing Tautology What is PAT Testing Tautology and what is a Tautology..... This term is considered an unnecessary repetition where two words meaning the same are used simultaneously; PAT is an abbreviation for Portable Appliance Testing, but another “testing” has been put on the end; it’s necessary as otherwise people think we’re talking about a postman, alternative if it was PA Testing we may be confused as someone that only tests public address systems. All Appliance Testing on 110V, 230V, 415V and Microwave Testing carried out at IPAT Ltd. For all your PAT Testing requirements contact IPAT Ltd on 025-34636 or 086-8237639 or willie@ipat.ie   Tautology Description: A tautology is an expression or phrase that says the same thing twice, just in a different way. For this reason, a tautology is usually undesirable, as it can make you sound wordier than you need to be, and make you appear foolish. Occasionally, a tautology can help to add emphasis or clarity, or introduce intentional ambiguity, but in most cases it's best to choose just one way to state your meaning and eliminate the extra verbiage. Sometimes a tautology involves just a few words that mean the same thing. Consider the following sentence: I went to see him personally. This is an example of tautology, because the adverb "personally" repeats the idea already expressed in the single word "I". In everyday conversation, the addition of "personally" is used for emphasis to point out that the subject of the sentence is invested in the action, has overseen something, etc. Technically, the word "personally" doesn't add any new information and could be cut from the sentence without changing its meaning. In the realm of logic, a tautology [...]