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TnB_earlug_EB_Nov08.indd 1 11/6/08 3:04:29 PM Page 5 Anamet Inc. celebrates 100 years of manufacturing flexible conduits. Page 26 Standard introduces low profile Gold Label series of T8 electronic ballasts. Page 26 2-ft and 3-ft T8s deliver a 24,000-hour rated life at 12 hours per start. PM # 40063602 PAP registration # 10774 PM # 40063602 PAP www. mag.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • 1 Nexans_EB_NovDec08.indd 1 11/21/08 11:40:40 AM EB_Nov_08_1-16.indd 1 12/8/08 2:04:14 PM Standard_EB_Oct08.indd 1 9/29/08 12:39:05 PM EB_Nov_08_1-16.indd 2 12/8/08 2:04:53 PM lectrical ▼ From the editor E usiness THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE OF BCANADA’S ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY Time to get smart about health & safety November/December 2008 • Volume 44 • Issue 10 hey say there’s a time and a place for everything so, logically, To them I say it’s time you got smart about health & ELECTRICAL BUSINESS is the magazine of the Canadian electrical industry. It reports on the news and publishes articles in a manner I should wait until the next edition of Electrical Business— safety. lectrthat is informative and constructive.ical Twhich has a special focus on health & safety—to discuss And not because if you kill yourself, or seriously wound your- H&S matters. Some people are patient. I find it hard to be, self, your family will be shattered and your livelihood taken away. E Editor which is why when something looms so largely in my mind, I Not because you may have to kiss your old way of life good-bye. Anthonyusi Capkun - [email protected] cannot help but tackle it right away. And not because there’s no shame in working safely. THE AUTHORITATIVE VOICE OF CANADA’SPublisher ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY Electrical contractors are increasingly recognizing the impor- No, it’s time you got smart about H&S because should some- BJohn MacPherson - [email protected] tance of—and executing—a documented health & safety plan. thing bad happen, you could herald the destruction of both Account Manager (I say “documented” because if you’re not keeping track of your your employer’s business and the livelihoods of everyone he Scott Hoy - [email protected] H&S endeavours, your efforts to protect your workforce may employs. EB Editorial Advisory Board go unnoticed by the courts should an accident occur.) Knowing I’ve spoken with many contractors who are trying to be pro- Tom Crist, Kerry Heid, Ron Bergeron, Stephen Tatrallyay, Dan that all it takes is one successful lawsuit showing a disregard active about H&S, and their number one complaint is getting Mott, John Vickery, Ian Dempsey and Pierre Dowd for H&S to lose their businesses, forward-thinking owners are their guys on-side. (If you’re one of these contractors, at least Art Director taking steps to train their crews in electrical hazard and risk you know you’re not alone.) If, as one of their workers, you get Svetlana Avrutin - [email protected] management, proper use of personal protective equipment, and hurt or killed, you’re not the only one who will suffer. And while Production Manager so on. you may bring no charges against your employer in a court of Robert Russell - [email protected] I’m not concerned about them, and my message is not for law, you can rest assured the ministry or department of labour Editorial Intern them. Nor is my message for contractors who pay lip service in your jurisdiction will. Scott Hamilton - [email protected] to health & safety. Regardless of the moral obligation, if they And make no mistake: blame has a way a travelling far and Creative Director cannot see the writing on the wall—that is, that the courts will wide. If you get hurt through your own disregard for H&S, Einar Rice - [email protected] nail ‘em to the wall and take them for everything they have and your employer can prove he’s done everything reasonable Manager, Production should something bad happen to one of their employees—then and practicable to keep you safe, then you’re just plain screwed: Lisa Drummond - [email protected] there’s no helping them. physically, financially, emotionally and more. And if, after an Subscriber Customer Service Representative No, my message is to the guys who work for a contractor accident, you’re able to rejoin the workforce, who’s going to Kristen Schulz-Lacey - [email protected] that’s trying to establish and/or carry out an H&S strategy, want to hire you? You’re a walking lawsuit; a pariah. yet continue to work unsafely; the ones who refuse to use the So get smart about health & safety. Get on-side with your PPE their employer has provided to keep them safe; the ones employer, and everyone wins. who attend training sessions, then go back to the way they’ve 240 Edward Street, Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 Tel: 905-727-0077 Fax: 905-727-0017 always done things; the ones who are convinced that while bad things might happen to other people, they could never President happen to them. Stuart Morrison Vice President, Media, Publishing Niel Hiscox Vice President, Finance/Corporate Development Kent Milford Vice President, Human Resources Susan Bishop Vice President, IT and Operations CONTENTS David Overall Director, Industrial Group Frank Shoniker On the cover and page 16 Director, Professional Group Karen Lorimer Are you ready to be TechReady? Director, Manufacturing Group Jump into the world of residential low-voltage! As an electrician, you can continue down the normal road of high-voltage Nigel Bishop work, where there is comfort and consistency in your area of expertise. However, there just might be a world of opportunity Director, Editorial and Production Jackie Roth out there for the brave souls willing to take the road that includes a deeper understanding of low-voltage technologies. Director, Facility Management and Logistics Photos by Anita MacPherson • AMac Photography. Special thanks to Shane Wambodt of Uberhome. Steve Dale Director, Human Resources Denise Desrosiers Director, Product & Business Development feAtUreS DEPARTMENTS Todd Phillips 4 Industry News Director, IT 8 10 easy steps for entering the fiber optic market Phillip Damianidis 7 Personalities Fiber optics are just part of the continual evolution of the communications and electrical trades 9 Calendar Circulation and, for the forward-thinking contractor, can be an ideal area in which to expand services and grow Nancy Gaston - [email protected] the business. 18 From the Legal Desk Urszula Grzyb - [email protected] Even one-minute jobs demand safety precautions 19 Mind Your Safety SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Meeting the new CSA Z462 standard Canada: Single issue $7.00 • Ten issues: $35.00 (including tax) 10 You may walk the licensed contractor walk.. but can you talk the 20 Counter Intelligence USA: $59.00 (US) and International: $75.00 (US) per year LEC talk? A year of possibility lay ahead United States Second Class Postage Paid at Lewiston, NY While electrical contractor licensing in Ontario is considered by some to be nothing more than an 22 Trucks for the Trade (USPS-741-470) US POSTMASTER: send address changes to administrative burden, it can also be wielded as a powerful marketing tool. (Here we also present a Five revelations on growing your business ELECTRICAL BUSINESS, P.O. Box 8145, Lewiston, NY 14092 short sidebar on what Ontario’s electrical contractors have to say about licensing.) with wireless The contents of Electrical Business are copyright by ©2008 CLB Media 26 Products Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. 28 Multimedia Resources CLB Media Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability 14 Wiring for the information age: how to wire Ethernet 29 Product Showcase in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon 30 Code File information in this publication. REPRINTS: Contact The Reprint Outsource Non-power and light wiring constitute a good part of any new construction and renovation. And Rigid PVC conduit in residential applications at (877) 394-7350. while there are plenty of cabling contractors available to do this work, the ‘traditional’ electrician is PAP Registration No. 10774 usually first onsite, so why not make low-voltage work part of the overall electrical contract? 30 Code Conundrum Send address changes to: ELECTRICAL BUSINESS 240 Edward Street, Aurora, ON L4G 3S9 Return Postage Guaranteed 24 Hybrid heating a winning solution for Winnipeg’s MTS Centre page 26 Canada Post - Canadian Publications Mail Sales Products (Case Study) Although it opened just a few years ago, the owners of Winnipeg’s MtS Centre knew Agreement 40063602 ISSN 0013-4244 Printed in Canada they could do more to curb greenhouse gas emissions and save on energy costs, so they retrofitted a hybrid heating system. www. mag.com • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • 3 EB_Nov_08_1-16.indd 3 12/8/08 2:06:07 PM INDUSTRY NEWS OEL and CFIB demand changes to apprenticeship rules ECA GTA, IBEW support current apprentice ratios The Ontario Electrical League (OEL) and electrical tradespersons required for each The Greater Toronto Electrical Contractors “The notion that there will be a huge exodus Canadian Federation of Independent Busi- apprentice from 3:1 to 1:1, which they say is Association and its labour counterpart, IBEW from the industry from retirements is also inac- ness (CFIB) recently joined with Ontario in line with ratios in other provinces. Local Union 353, announce they strongly curate,” says O’Donnell. youth representatives at Queen’s Park to “The Ontario government actively encour- endorse the current 3:1 journeyman to appren- “To properly train an apprentice to become an demand “action from the provincial govern- ages young people to enter skilled trades and tice ratio for electricians.