Pagemike@standardsmichigan.com, Author at Standards Michigan

Electrical Meter Center Manufacturing

* See Footnote below

Underwriters Laboratories Standard for Safety for Panelboards (UL 67) articulates product specifications for a central feature of all building power chains. Panelboards are first entry of electrical energy in a residence, for example; and are found everywhere in education and healthcare facilities classified as commercial, industrial and institutional occupancies. Panelboards divide the power chain into subsidiary circuits, while providing a protective fuse or circuit breaker for each circuit in a common enclosure. Some panelboards — such as those classified as service entrances for residences — have main breakers positioned ahead of all downstream branch circuit breakers that must meet rigorous current interruption requirements.

Panelboards are continually improving and therefore the matrix of safety standards are revised continually; notably there installation safety requirements in the National Electrical Code. The redline is available at two places on the internet; linked below:

~~ANSI Standards Action | Pages 42-43~~

~~Comments are due November 3rd.~~ You may send comments (with optional copy to psa@ansi.org). It is best to set up your own (free) account at the link below:

UL’s Collaborative Standards Development System (You will need to set up an account)

You may also find the correlating section of the most recent update of the National Electrical Code — Section 230.71(B) — at the link below:

Michigan Electrical Code 2023

The most significant change to the NEC that now appears in its 2020 revision requires that each service disconnecting means and its associated overcurrent devices be located within a separate compartment; to wit:

“…Each compartment shall be constructed to prevent inadvertent contact with live parts such that with the service disconnect in that compartment in the off position, no ungrounded uninsulated live part is exposed to inadvertent contact by persons while servicing any field connected load terminal, including a neutral load terminal, a branch circuit equipment grounding terminal, or the neutral disconnect link. Exposure to inadvertent contact is determined by use of the probe illustrated in Figure 6.1. lf restriction to the compartment is dependent on the installation of field installed service conductors, conductors sized in accordance with 12.1.10 shall be installed in the terminals when determining exposure to inadvertent contact. All live parts including the connector bodies and pressure screws shall be evaluated…”

Proposals of this nature, in this section and elsewhere in related sections, have appeared in proposed changes to the NEC for many revision cycles. You can sample the specifics in the links below:

Article 230 of the NEC has always been a lively “promontory” in leading practice discovery because service panels — where meters are located — are usually the locus of the maximum amount of energy entering a building. In most new installations, this change will not be visible because its effect will be in product specification for buildings that require meter banks; most likely stand-alone student residence facilities. In legacy residential installations, however, this change may expand the scope of electrical rehabilitation projects.

We generally place product standards action in the lower tier of our priority list but because this is likely to raise the cost of the product — and to inform insurance underwriting criteria — we take special note of it. There will legions of NEC trainers that will sweep through the land for the next 3 years to explain in more detail. Advocacy activity we may contemplate for the 2023 NEC, if any, will be coordinated with the experts in the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets online 4 times monthly in the Americas and Europe. Our electrical power teleconferences are hosted on the same day. See our CALENDAR for the next meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [19-143]

Category: Electrical, Energy

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Glenn Keates, Jose Meijer

*The change to UL 67 deals specifically with the manufacture (and ultimately, specification) of meter centers. There are no images to show what product classes are effected so we keep things light with another historical image tracking the evolution of the electrical power industry. For more information you may use the search term “meter center” to find various manufacturer product offerings.

Early Childhood Development Centers

The University of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s plan construction next year on a new on-site facility to provide child care for faculty, staff and students with children between the ages of 6 weeks and 3 years old. Growing out of the recommendations of a faculty and staff committee charged with looking at child care assistance opportunities, the new facility will open in summer 2025 and be operated by KinderCare, the nation’s largest child care and early education provider.

The center will be located on the north edge of campus near White Field, adjacent to Beichner Hall and The Landings at Notre Dame apartments.

The Early Childhood Development Centers at Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College will continue to offer early childhood programs for children age 2 through kindergarten and will work in collaboration with KinderCare.

“We welcome KinderCare to the Notre Dame campus. Infant care is greatly needed in our community, and we are pleased that the University continues to support families’ needs for quality early childhood care and education. We look forward to continuing our mission to provide the community with high-quality accredited preschool and kindergarten programs at our two ECDC campus sites,”

— Kari Alford, Executive Director.

Standards Indiana

The De-Population Bomb

Brickwork

“American Bricklayer” 1904 | Alice Ruggles

A Study of Children’s Password Practices

CLICK HERE for Oxford University Press release

IoT based Safety Gadget for Child Monitoring and Notification

Life Safety Code

The Life Safety Code addresses those construction, protection, and occupancy features necessary to minimize danger to life from the effects of fire, including smoke, heat, and toxic gases created during a fire. It is widely incorporated by reference into public safety statutes; typically coupled with the consensus products of the International Code Council. It is a mighty document — one of the NFPA’s leading titles — so we deal with it in pieces; consulting it for decisions to be made for the following:

(1) Determination of the occupancy classification in Chapters 12 through 42.

(2) Determination of whether a building or structure is new or existing.

(3) Determination of the occupant load.

(4) Determination of the hazard of contents.

There are emergent issues — such as active shooter response, integration of life and fire safety systems on the internet of small things — and recurrent issues such as excessive rehabilitation and conformity criteria and the ever-expanding requirements for sprinklers and portable fire extinguishers with which to reckon. It is never easy telling a safety professional paid to make a market for his product or service that it is impossible to be alive and safe. It is even harder telling the dean of a department how much it will cost to bring the square-footage under his stewardship up to the current code.

The 2021 edition is the current edition and is accessible below:

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code Free Public Access

~~Public input on the 2027 Revision will be received until June 4, 2024.~~ Public comment on the First Draft of the 2027 Revision will be received until June 3, 2025.

Since the Life Safety Code is one of the most “living” of living documents — the International Building Code and the National Electric Code also move continuously — we can start anywhere and anytime and still make meaningful contributions to it. We have been advocating in this document since the 2003 edition in which we submitted proposals for changes such as:

• A student residence facility life safety crosswalk between NFPA 101 and the International Building Code

• Refinements to Chapters 14 and 15 covering education facilities (with particular attention to door technologies)

• Identification of an ingress path for rescue and recovery personnel toward electric service equipment installations.

• Risk-informed requirement for installation of grab bars in bathing areas

• Modification of the 90-minute emergency lighting requirements rule for small buildings and for fixed interval testing

• Modification of emergency illumination fixed interval testing

• Table 7.3.1 Occupant Load revisions

• Harmonization of egress path width with European building codes

There are others. It is typically difficult to make changes to stabilized standard though some of the concepts were integrated by the committee into other parts of the NFPA 101 in unexpected, though productive, ways. Example transcripts of proposed 2023 revisions to the education facility chapter is linked below:

Chapter 14 Public Input Report: New Educational Occupancies

Educational and Day Care Occupancies: Second Draft Public Comments with Responses Report

Since NFPA 101 is so vast in its implications we list a few of the sections we track, and can drill into further, according to client interest:

Chapter 3: Definitions

Chapter 7: Means of Egress

Chapter 12: New Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 13: Existing Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 16 Public Input Report: New Day-Care Facilities

Chapter 17 Public Input Report: Existing Day Care Facilities

Chapter 18 Public Input Report: New Health Care Facilities

Chapter 19 Public Input Report: Existing Health Care Facilities

Chapter 28: Public Input Report: New Hotels and Dormitories

Chapter 29: Public Input Report: Existing Hotels and Dormitories

Chapter 43: Building Rehabilitation

Annex A: Explanatory Material

As always we encourage front-line staff, facility managers, subject matter experts and trade associations to participate directly in the NFPA code development process (CLICK HERE to get started)

NFPA 101 is a cross-cutting title so we maintain it on the agenda of our several colloquia —Housing, Prometheus, Security and Pathways colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [18-90]

Category: Fire Safety, Public Safety

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Josh Elvove, Joe DeRosier, Marcelo Hirschler

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When lives are at stake, alternative approaches are welcome. #LifeSafety #AlternativeApproaches #Code #NFPA101 @NFPA
https://t.co/JvWyyZtuLP

— ANSI (@ansidotorg) December 20, 2018

ARCHIVE / Life Safety Code 2003 – 2018

Fire and Life Safety in Stadiums

Evensong “Melody in F”

Evensong services are typically held in cathedrals, collegiate chapels, and large parish churches, where choral music plays a prominent role. These services often feature the singing of psalms, choral anthems, hymns, and other sacred music. The Evensong tradition holds a significant place in Western civilization due to its historical and cultural importance. It has provided a space for prayer, reflection, and worship for centuries, connecting individuals with their faith and providing a sense of spiritual solace.

The beauty and solemnity of the music performed during Evensong services have also contributed to the development of Western sacred music, with composers creating choral works specifically for these occasions.

Polska

History of Western Civilization Told Through the Acoustics of its Worship Spaces

Christ Chapel

Michigan West

“De re aedificatoria” | Leon Battista Alberti

Duncan Stroik Architect

Sacred Spaces

“The Boys in the Boat”

The Boys in the Boat is a true story based on the struggles and sacrifices made by the University of Washington rowing team to compete at rowing at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men’s eight.

Joseph Sutton-Holcomb from The Seattle Times writes that author Daniel James Brown got the idea to write this book when his neighbor Judy Willman said that her father, Joe Rantz, was a fan of his works and wanted to have a conversation with the author. That conversation with Joe Rantz about life during the Great Depression led to an in-depth chat about his time as a rower at the University of Washington.

Track & Field

Aphrodite and Hermes, god of sport

Gustavus Adolphus College | Nicollet County Minnesota

Beautiful day in the neighborhood 🤟☀️ pic.twitter.com/BRbrh8Ey8Y

— Bobby Guntoro (@bobbygunt) April 4, 2024

underway on our home track!! 🏡🍊 pic.twitter.com/iNjBL5h6mH

— Tennessee Track & Field (@Vol_Track) April 5, 2024

The Spartans swept the podium in not 1, not 2, but 3 races in a row today 😤#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/UZ1nI4X84l

— MSU Track & Field/XC (@MSU_TFXC) April 6, 2024

Recreational sports, athletic competition, and the facilities that support it, are one of the most visible activities in any school, college or university in any nation. Arguably, these activities resemble religious belief and practice. Enterprises of this kind have the same ambition for safety and sustainability at the same scale as the academic and healthcare enterprises.

According to IBISWorld Market Research, Sports Stadium Construction was a $6.1 billion market in 2014, Athletic & Sporting Goods Manufacturing was a $9.2 billion market in 2015, with participation in sports increasing 19.3 percent by 2019 — much of that originating in school, college and university sports and recreation programs. We refer you to more up to date information in the link below:

Sports & Athletic Field Construction Industry in the US – Market Research Report

Today at the usual time we will update our understanding of the physical support systems for the track and field activity listed below:

Sprinting: Races over short distances, typically 100m, 200m, and 400m.
Middle-distance running: Races covering distances between sprinting and long-distance running, such as 800m and 1500m.
Long-distance running: Races over longer distances, including 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m, and marathons.
Hurdling: Races where athletes jump over hurdles at set distances, such as 110m hurdles (for men) and 100m hurdles (for women).
Steeplechase: A long-distance race that includes hurdles and a water jump.
Racewalking: A form of walking competition where athletes race over various distances while maintaining contact with the ground.
Relays: Team races where athletes take turns running a specified distance before passing a baton to the next runner. Common relay distances include 4x100m and 4x400m.
High jump: Athletes attempt to jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without knocking it down.
Pole vault: Athletes use a pole to vault themselves over a high bar.
Long jump: Athletes sprint down a runway and jump as far as possible into a sandpit.
Triple jump: Athletes perform a hop, step, and jump sequence into a sandpit, with distances measured from the takeoff board to the nearest mark made in the sand by any part of the body.
Shot put: Athletes throw a heavy metal ball for distance.
Discus throw: Athletes throw a discus, a heavy circular object, for distance.
Javelin throw: Athletes throw a javelin, a spear-like object, for distance.
Hammer throw: Athletes throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle for distance.
Decathlon (men) / Heptathlon (women): Multi-event competitions where athletes compete in ten (decathlon) or seven (heptathlon) different track and field events, with points awarded for performance in each event.

Open to everyone. Log in with the credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Chariots of Firehttps://t.co/frg3Br2y4Q @EdinburghUni https://t.co/6sAikAY4ME pic.twitter.com/SCVu1tDFBo

— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) March 6, 2021

Issue: [19-46]

Category: Athletics and Recreation, International,

Contact: Mike Anthony, Jack Janveja, Christine Fischer

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Elevators & Lifts

The first elevator in the United States was installed at Harvard University in 1874. It was not a passenger elevator as we typically think of today, but rather a freight elevator used to move heavy items within a building. The installation of this elevator marked an important development in building technology and transportation within multi-story structures. It was based on the design of Elisha Otis, who is famous for inventing the safety elevator with a safety brake system that prevents the elevator from falling if the hoisting cable fails. Otis’ innovation played a pivotal role in making elevators safe and practical for everyday use, leading to their widespread adoption in buildings around the world.

Elevator design by the German engineer Konrad Kyeser (1405)

Education communities are stewards of 100’s of lifts, elevators and moving walks. At the University of Michigan, there are the better part of 1000 of them; with 19 of them in Michigan Stadium alone. The cost of building them — on the order of $50,000 to $150,000 per floor depending upon architectural styling — and the highly trained staff needed to operate, maintain and program interoperability software is another cost that requires attention. All building design and construction disciplines — architectural, mechanical and electrical have a hand in making this technology safe and sustainabile.

We start with international and nationally developed best practice literature and work our way to state level adaptations. Labor for this technology is heavily regulated.

Its a rarefied and crazy domain for the user-interest. Expertise is passionate about safety and idiosyncratic but needs to be given the life safety hazard. Today we review o pull together public consultation notices on relevant codes, standards and regulations today 11 AM/EDT.