There are many electrical hazards in industrial plants including arc blasts, shock and arc flash. These can result in serious injuries. Accidents involving electricity may sometimes be fatal. Industrial plant environments create potential for these events to occur not only to plant owners, but also to maintenance staff.

Electricians often assume that these hazards do not apply to them. These beliefs often persist until a major incident occurs that results in both financial and personal repercussions, that result in a change in policy within the plant.

Implementing policies that encourage a culture of electrical safety doesn’t have to be reactive. Taking steps to minimize the risks associated with electrical hazards will create a safe working environment for everyone, and not just the maintenance team.

One of the most important aspects of enhancing safety is establishing a routine for the maintenance of electrical equipment in the facility. This is not only vital for optimizing the performance of the equipment, but also ensuring reliability, safety and preventing unnecessary downtime.

Tangled wires are a pain in the neck. That's true whether you're managing multiple devices at your computer desk, trying to find space at a cluttered kitchen counter or juggling power tools at your workbench. One way to bring order to chaos is to create an overhead power strip, a project you can DIY with some very simple electrical work. Read on for some tips to get started.

A Simple Solution for Your Electrical Work

To create the most basic version of an overhead power strip, all you really need is a piece of wood, some screws, and a mountable power strip (look for one that has slots for screw heads in the bottom). For added convenience, a plastic raceway or access to a router tool will be helpful to secure the power strip's cord to the wood.

The first step, in that case, is to either use the router to cut a slot in the wood that can hold the cord, or attach the raceway to the wood for the same purpose. Make sure you leave room to attach the power strip itself, and there is enough cord left at the other end to reach the nearest outlet.

Securely Installing the Strip

Next, measure how far apart the screw slots are on the back of the power strip, and mark the distance out on the wood. Install appropriately-sized screws at the marked spots, leaving some clearance under the screw head so the power strip can easily slide on and off. Test out the setup and make sure that the strip fits and can hang securely upside down – if it's loose, you may have to adjust some of the screws.

Finally, you need to decide how to mount your overhead power strip. Options include hanging it under a kitchen cabinet or shelf on the workbench, affixing it to a wall, or using a post to hang it closer to the center of a room. Remember, this power strip is for your convenience, so you want to position it where it will be most useful.

Customize the Power Strip to Your Convenience

Of course, once you get the idea for how to hang a power strip, you can then customize it to your liking – for example, putting a hinge on the end allows you to swing it back against the wall when you aren't using it. You can also branch out with many of the modern, innovative power strip models on the market to customize your workspace even further.

For help keeping your cords in order, or assistance with any other electrical work, contact an expert electrician today.

5-pin SPDT (single pole, double throw) automotive relay.

Relays are essentially two parts in one package. The first part is an inductive coil (pins 85 and 86). This coil is the “trigger” function of the relay. By applying both a positive (+) and ground (-) to the contacts, current passes through the coil. When current passes through the coil, a magnetic field is generated and moves the switch (the arrow in the diagram). This is where the second part of the relay comes into play.

The second part of the relay is the “switch.” The switch has three interface contacts—common, normally closed, and normally open. “Normally” refers to the state of the relay not being energized.

While relays can be used for virtually any task, there are some very useful, simple applications for adding LED lighting to a vehicle. Please note that this wiring only pertains to the relay—not the wires in the vehicle. Before interfacing with a wire in a vehicle, always ensure you test the wire with a digital multimeter first to confirm circuit function.

Positive Switching

Positive switching is used for applications where the “trigger” for your switch or circuit is positive. This could be an ignition, brake, or reverse light wire for example.  This could be used for applications such as off-road light bars, work lights, additional brake lights, and other exterior lighting.

Negative Switching

Negative switching is used for applications where the “trigger” for your switch or circuit is negative. Negative triggers are often found in door, hatch, and trunk triggers as well as many interior switches. This could be used for applications such as footwell lighting, truck bed lighting, under-hood lighting, and other interior lighting.

Switch Activated With Ignition Override

This is useful for applications where you want to turn your light on or off with a switch but only want the light to remain on when the car is running or key is in the “ignition” position. The main advantage to this is—even if the switch is left on—the light (or output circuit) will shut off when the key is turned off so that the battery will not be run down.

For technical questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

When a home or commercial building needs electrical work, many owners make the mistake of only getting a single estimate for the job. Getting multiple estimates may take longer than just having one Denver electrician visit the premises, but this extra time could lead to substantial savings and a better quality of workmanship.

There are several important aspects of any project that should be included in an electrical  estimate. Both material costs and labor costs should be specified. Any special fees for work permits or city inspections should also be listed. Sales tax and hazardous material fees should be indicated as well. In addition, the estimate should include a date that the amount is guaranteed through as well as a “not to exceed” price point.  . Any estimate should allow home and business owners to compare the quality of the materials used by different electrical contractors and getting multiple estimates in writing can help property owners compare the hourly labor rates of contractors as well as any other service fees.