Standards briefs

Electrical Apparatus, Jan 2003

NEMA announces outlet box guidance

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association has published Standard OS 3-2002, Selection and Installation Guidelines for Electrical Outlet Boxes, for the benefit of electrical designers, installers, and inspectors.

Order a copy for $57 from Global Engineering Documents, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, Colo. 80112-5704; (800) 854-- 7179.

Comment sought on fiber-optic cable

The American National Standards Institute is accepting public comment until Jan. 28 on adoption of BSR/NECA FOA 301-- 200x, Installing and Testing Fiber Optic Cables. The intent of the standard is to define what's meant by "neat and workmanlike manner" of installation.

Order a copy (price $25) from Nancy Sipe at the National Electrical Contractors Association, 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Bethesda, Md. 20814; (301) 215-4504.

Send comments to Pearl Harker at the NECA address, with copy to the ANSI Board of Standards Review, 25 W. 43rd St., New York, N.Y. 10036.

New publications from the IEC

The International Electrotechnical Commission recently announced two new publications, available from Global Engineering Documents, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, Colo. 80112-5704; (800) 854-7179:

* IEC 60079-14 Ed. 3.0 b:2002: Electrical Apparatus for Explosive Gas Atmospheres-Part 14: Electrical Installations in Hazardous Areas (Other than Mines). Price $115.

* IEC 60349-1Ed. 1.1 b:2002: Electric Traction-Rotating Electrical Machines for Rail and Road Vehicles-Part 1: Machines Other than Electronic Convertor-Fed Alternating Current Motors. Price $115.

IEEE introduces two new standards

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has published two surge protection standards for low voltage systems:

* IEEE C62.41.1: Guide on the Surge Environment in Low-- Voltage (1,000 V and Less) A-C Power Circuits.

* IEEE C62.41.2: Recommended Practice on Characterization of Surges in Low-Voltage (1,000 V and Less) A-C Power Circuits.

Final action on ANSI/IEEE standards

The American National Standards Institute has adopted the following IEEE standards:

* ANSI/IEEE 1250-2002: Guide for Service to Equipment sensitive to Momentary Voltage Disturbances.

* ANSI/IEEE 1534-2002: Recommended Practice for Specifying Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitors.

* ANSI/IEEE C37.20.7-2001: Guide for Testing Medium-Voltage Metal-Enclosed Switchgear for Internal Arcing Faults.

* ANSI/IEEE C57.106-2002: Guide for Acceptance and Maintenance of Insulating Oil in Equipment.

* ANSI/IEEE C57.123-2002: Guide for Transformer Loss Measurement.

The following standards have been reaffirmed:

* ANSI/IEEE 1300-1997: Guide for Cable Connections for Gas-- Insulated Substations.

* ANSI/IEEE C57.12.58-1991: Guide for Conducting a Transient Voltage Analysis of a Dry-Type Transformer Coil.

Edited by the EA staff