I sat down for my NETA Level 4 exam and immediately realized I was in trouble. The first question, I didn’t know the answer. The second, totally clueless. After working through nearly twenty questions, I finally found one I could confidently answer. That is not a great feeling when you are supposed to be operating at the highest level in …
The energy sector has entered an era defined by speed, scale, and continuous delivery. Data centers, renewables, and grid modernization programs demand faster project cycles and higher utilization of field resources. In response, business models have shifted toward volume-driven delivery, aggressive schedules, and increasingly distributed responsibility. However, many project management practices—particularly those governing field execution—remain rooted in legacy delivery models …
In today’s tight labor market, retaining top talent is a challenge, especially as some firms race to the top with salary offerings. The data center market expansion and the onshoring of our country’s manufacturing base have created unprecedented demand. Project timelines continue to compress, requiring more man-hours in a shorter duration of time to complete work that just a few …
Tens of millions of people work in the skilled trades in the United States. A survey recently conducted by NFPA® sheds light on major trends across these industries, from the anticipated impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in 2026 to tradespeople’s desire for more education and training opportunities. The survey, conducted virtually between October 27 and November 3, 2025, gathered responses …
When electrical equipment is designated as non-serviceable, a natural question follows: What comes next? From the standpoint of NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, this is a legitimate concern. While the standard provides clear criteria for classifying equipment as serviceable, limited service, or non-serviceable, it offers limited guidance on how to return that equipment to normal operation once deficiencies …
A proper safety program will be intentional, but what does that really mean? Let’s consider the ground circuits installed in homes and businesses. For normal operation, zero current will be flowing in the grounding conductors. By code, we are required to intentionally install a grounding circuit that we hope will never be used for current, and many measures are in …
Testing plays a critical role in verifying that the protection scheme is designed to meet its intended purpose. It ensures the field wiring matches the schematics and everything works seamlessly. This article defines function testing and functional testing and explains the advantages and disadvantages of each test. WHY DO WE TEST? While engineers and electricians are highly skilled professionals, they …
Modern power-system testing and commissioning environments are no longer static. Compressed schedules, evolving access windows, and multi-party coordination have introduced a new operational reality: Priorities shift midstream, and without deliberate control measures, safety and quality can degrade simultaneously. THE NEW REALITY OF FIELD EXECUTION Here’s a scenario many teams recognize: A job lead steps onto a site with a plan: …
Wind turbines are a critical pillar of renewable energy production, yet workers routinely encounter significant operational risks, including overheating, electrical fires, and arc flash incidents within the nacelle, the large housing on top of the wind turbine tower, right behind the rotor blades. These issues threaten the reliability of energy output and endanger maintenance personnel, increase operational costs, and contribute …
Today, we’re going to talk about electrical safety. After listening to people talk at PowerTest25, I realized that NFPA 70 E and other standards always refer to arc flash and arc blast, so we’ll start with that. ARC FLASH How many of you have taken an arc flash class? I’d hope everybody! How many have taken a shock class? Very …