Sparks Electrical News January 2015

January 2015

FEATURES

• Earthing, lightning and surge protection • Cables and cable accessories • Lighting

14 15-17 18-19

• Contractors’ corner • Buyers’ guide • People on the move REGULARS

2 -9, 12-13 10 -11 20

www.crown.co.za

IN THIS ISSUE

Court hands down R100 000 fine for selling counterfeit circuit breakers

the life and limb of members of society in danger”; that“the consequence of a malfunction of a counterfeit circuit breaker could be fatal”; and“the sale of such illicit goods directly impacts on the innocent law-abiding consumer and/or trader who wishes to deal legitimately in thembut has to pay the increased costs as a result of losses suffered by the complainant that need to be recovered”. The trial of four other persons who were also accused in this case will be heard separately in April, 2015. AndrewDickson, divisionmanager, engineering and quality at CBI- electric: low voltage, says,“CBI-electric has always been about protecting people and installations with top quality products. There are compulsory specifications for good reasons and I hope that with this sentencing, users and installers will begin to take heed of the very real dangers posed by the counterfeit and substandard products that enter the South Africanmarket.”

ANOTHER battle in the war against poor quality, potentially harmful counterfeit products was won in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Johannesburg on November 26 when Ismail Khan, the sole member of Greatech cc was convicted of one count under the Counterfeit Goods Act and another count under the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifica- tions (NRCS) Act. Khanwas sentenced to a fine of R100 000 or five years’imprisonment suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of contraven- ing Section 2 of Act 37 of 1997 (the Counterfeit Goods Act) during the period of suspension. In addition Khanwas sentenced to 12months’imprisonment wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of contravening Section 14 of the NRCS Act during the period of suspension. Additionally, Khan’s company, Greatech cc, was fined R20 000 for contraven- ing the Counterfeit Goods Act and R5 000 for contravening the NRCS Act.

The convictions relate to Khan selling 80 CBI-branded circuit breakers to Mystic Plumbing and Hardware Supplies in Midrand during January and April 2013. According to a document read out in court, on 4 April 2013, CBI-electric : low voltage“caused test purchases”of one CBI-branded 20 A circuit breaker and one CBI-branded 10 A circuit breaker fromMystic Plumbing and Hardware. CBI-electric : low voltage obtained a search and seizure warrant and, on 9 April 2013, a “duly designated inspector”conducted a search of the company’s premises and found 78 CBI-branded circuit breakers, which were seized under the Counterfeit Goods Act. According to the document, Khan failed to take all reasonable steps to avoid contra- vening the Counterfeit Goods Act“by not becoming apprehensive”when his supplier informed him that the devices were im- ported from the People’s Republic of China and“regarding the irregularly low price” of the devices. Khan also failed to take any reasonable steps“to verify the authenticity of the devices”. However, subsequent to the seizure of the counterfeit devices, Khan had stopped selling the products. Khan’s conviction under the NRCS Act relates to the same 80 circuit breakers, “to which a compulsory specification ap- plies”, namely the compulsory specifica- tion for circuit breakers VC 8036. CBI-electric : low voltage conducted tests on 61 of the seized circuit breakers and, according to the document read in court, the tests“revealed that those devices were not in accordance with, did not comply with and were not manufac- tured in accordance with the compul- sory specification for circuit breakers VC 8036 and which do not comply with SANS 10142-1, governed by the Occupa- tional Health and Safety Act, 85 of 1993 as amended”. Khan had furthermore admitted that the devices tested by CBI-electric : low voltage were“not safe and not func- tioning safely and correctly during the normal and abnormal circuit conditions” thereby contravening the related provi- sions of the NRCS Act. Aggravating circumstances listed in the document included that“the posses- sion of counterfeit circuit breakers place

Michael Straton to serve another year

The annual general meeting of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of SA took place on 21 November and as the only nominations received were for the current office bearers, Michael Straton will serve another year as president of the ECA(SA) – a unanimous decision that was greeted with applause from the members present. Seen after the AGM are the ECA(SA)’s Johnny Cunniff (first vice-president), Mark Mfikoe (national director), Michael Straton (president) and Thursdon Duncan (second vice-president).

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Personality of the Month

Sometimes I sits and thinks …

Sparks: Name three things on your‘bucket list’(things you want to do before you‘kick the bucket’). JC: A 4x4 trip through the Namibian desert is top of my bucket list. I also want to experience the great wildebeest migration and I’d like to weigh less than 100 kg.

the NBCEISA crack teamwill solve this problem. Sparks: What do you enjoy most about your job? JC: Lunchtime. Seriously though, I am always happy when I’ve completed a job, the lights are working and the customer has paidme. I also get a kick out of solving a problem for a customer – and in a way that he never thought possible. Sparks: How do youmotivate your staff?

manager. During 1998 Elkoin was established and was awarded the tender for electrical mainte- nance at UP until 2007. Sparks: What are the greatest changes you have seen over the years? JC: We have gone fromhaving enough electric- ity to a point where we all have to seriously think about using energy efficiently. Automation has become commonplace and technology is evolv- ing so fast that it’s a real challenge to keep up with all the new innovations. I definitely believe that technology has changed the way people think and do business. Sparks: What major projects have you worked on and what is your greatest accomplishment? JC: Elkoin has done a series of emergency genera- tor installations. In some installations there are up to three gensets in parallel. This translates to a lot of cables – 12 x 300 mm four-core plus sensing cables) and trenches more than 2 mwide. Some of the generators were a distance away from the buildings and this meant that roads had to be closed for the trenching and cabling, whichmade JC: I`ve wonmany awards but the best one so far has been‘Clown of the Day’on the golf course! Sparks: Who has been your inspiration or have you had a mentor who has influenced your career? JC: I’ve always been fascinated with electricity and, when I was a little boy, I used to open up electrical appliances to find out how they worked. But my momdidn’t like that toomuch because I wasn’t able to put themback together again. I haven’t had any specific mentors and have always drivenmyself to succeed. Sparks: What, to your mind, is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry at this time? JC: Eskom’s challenges have become everyone’s problem and it’s worrying that there is no immedi- ate solution. The other problem facing the electrical industry is that illegal contractors are taking a lot of work away from the legitimate contractors. The ECA(SA) and the National Bargaining Council for the Elec- trical Industry are doing a great job and hopefully the planning extremely important. Sparks: Have you won any awards?

JC: I pay themwhat I believe is a good salary – that is a good motivator in anyone’s books. I also keepmy cool even if they drive me up the wall! Sparks: If you could‘do it all again’, would you change any- thing? If so, what would that be? JC: I would have listened tomy mother and studied harder. And I would not have worked for all those people who never paidme for the work I did. Sparks: Would you advise a person leaving school to enter the electrical industry? And why? JC: If someone has a passion for electricity, they should become an electrician – and not because their father is an electrician or it’s the only job available. And I would never advise anyone to leave school before Grade 12. As an electrician, you can derive great satisfaction from a job that has been well executed. Sparks: What is your advice to electrical contractors and/or elec- trical engineers? JC: Take the time to plan each job well and, when the job has been completed, make sure that you are proud of the installation. Sparks: What is your favourite quote? JC: “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits ...” – A AMilne..”

Johnny Cunniff.

All children deserve to be able to smile JC: I startedmy apprenticeship at the post office in 1983 and qualified in 1987. In 1988 I started Cunniff Electrical – a one man showwith that one man working 24/7. But then, with a new baby and the financial constraints that come with a‘little bundle of joy’, I took a permanent position at the University of Pretoria (UP) as an electrician and ended, after ten years, as a project WHEN Johnny Cunniff, the first vice-president for the ECA(SA), walks into a room, everyone sits up and takes notice. At just under 2 m tall and with the build of a Springbok rugby prop, Johnny looks like the kind of person no one would want tomess with – but he’s actually a BFG (big friendly giant). He’s one of those principled peo- ple – there’s a right way to do things so there’s no other way, boet – and to have himon the ECA(SA)’s executive committee augers well for the future of the association. Sparks: Where were you educated? JC: I went toWonderboomHigh School in Pretoria. Sparks: How long have you been involved in the electrical industry? JC: I startedmy apprenticeship in 1983 so that’s 31 years, but it actually feels as though I’ve been in this industry forever. Sparks: When and where did you start your career?

DURING 2014, Crown Publi- cations supported theWits Students’Surgical Society in its bid to raise funds for the Smile Foundation, a non-profit South African charity organisation that sets up resources to enable chil- dren with severe facial deformi- ties to receive the treatment and care that they need to be able to eat, speak and develop normally. As part of the fund-raising effort by theWSSS, a group of students climbed to the top of Kilimanjaro from 21 to 29 November. Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant volcanic mountain inTanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing

mountain in theworld at 5 895m above sea level. The Kilimanjaro Challenge 2014 formed part of the Society’s community outreach project and Crown Publications was“delighted”to be part of the initiative says director, Jenny Warwick. The funding will be used to support the surgeons in the Department of Plastic and Re- constructive Surgery to operate on as many children as pos- sible who need reconstructive surgery, psychological support, speech therapy and dental as- sistance. The students, who aimed to collect R500 000, exceeded their target by over R100 000.

Graeme Moore and Matthew Grant at the top of Africa's highest peak.

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ECA News by Mark Mfikoe, national director of the Electrical Contractors’ Association of South Africa The ECA(SA) will be rising to new heights in 2015

New strategy At the ECA(SA)’s recent national executive com- mittee meeting held in November 2014, it was decided that a strategic conference would be held early in 2015, which I find very exciting. At this conference we will shape the strategic direc- tion of the Association, not only in terms of its role here on home ground, but the role it can play north of our border as we look to expanding into the African continent. Victor Kgomoeswane, the author of the book,

‘ Africa is open for business’ and who was the guest speaker at the ECA(SA) Presidential Excellence Awards, issued a friendly warning, which is worth repeating.“If your focus does not include expan- sion into Africa, you will perish!” The new year As we begin 2015, I wish every person or busi- ness associated with the ECA(SA) all the very best! May you build strong and sustainable part- nerships where everyone wins. Be courageous and aimhigh. Enjoy the challenge!

ship with all our sponsors. I hope that still more ties will be established with other businesses andmajor role players in the industry over the course of 2015 with a view to further strengthen- ing relations between them and our members, who are the primary users of their products. Be their businesses big or small, it is a fact that our members contribute immensely to the continued growth of suppliers; and I look forward to a time that the ECA(SA) will become an integral part of their commercial strategies.

THE ECA(SA) closed off 2014 with its Presidential Excellence Awards at the Ruimsig Country Club. It was the kind of celebration that I cherish with all my being. Congratulations to the winners and grateful thanks to the sponsors of the awards for buying into the concept of rewarding the top achievers in the electrical industry – may it continue for many years. I would like to encourage this year’s winners – and indeed all the entrants – to go all-out in 2015 and embrace the wisdom expressed in this quotation by Charles Schultz:“Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.” Training 2015 And talking about gears, the ECA(SA) will take teaching and training up a gear in 2015. There is a Chinese proverb:“If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees. If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind”. With this inmind, the ECA(SA) will offer our members an enriched training experi- ence as we climb new heights in training in our partnership with the Construction Seta. Calli Pieterse, our most recent‘Life Membership Award’winner, challengedme to revive the Electrical Contracting Manage- ment Diploma; and, when I am challenged to achieve, it not a good idea to bet against me! For some time, Calli has been calling for this diploma course to be improved and re- vived. It was at the funeral of the late James Baker – a former national director of the ECA(SA) – that Calli brought up the subject again. He said James Baker’s passingmeant that he was the last one alive of all the people who had pioneered the introduction of this diploma course to benefit electrical contracting business owners. To throw in another quote, Don Marquis said that“procrastination is the art of keep- ing up with yesterday”, which reminds us that the time to deliver is now. So this is why we must prepare now and work towards this goal in the new year. There are highly skilled and experienced leaders in this industry but they won’t be around forever and, at some point, they would have to be replaced. Which is why the ECA(SA) must wise up to the fact that“the best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”…another quote, this time from John F Kennedy. Sponsorship The ECA(SA) is grateful to Crabtree, Heller- mannTyton, Brother SA and Major Tech for their continued sponsorship. I look forward to a long andmutually beneficial relation-

MAKE A SPECTACLE

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Getting to grips with SANS 10142–1 by Hannes Baard

To your good health!

for theperiodof their designation in terms of Section 17 (1). It might sound trivial that someone has to be appointed in writing, but believeme, it’s not such a bad thing although it may be a tedious process. ( 4) Ahealthand safety committee shall holdmeet- ings as oftenasmay be necessary, but at least once every threemonths, at a time and place determined by the committee: Provided that an inspectormay by notice inwriting direct themembers of ahealthand safety committee tohold ameeting at a time and place determined by him: Provided further that, ifmore than 10%of the employees at a specificworkplace have handed a written request to an inspector, the inspectormay by writtennotice direct that suchameeting be held. It stands to reason that the safety committees meet regularly and, if there aremore than one, information and learnings can be exchanged. But in the total absence of suchmeetings, an inspector (of the Department of Labour) can give written notice that suchmeeting be convened. (5) The procedure atmeetings of ahealthand safety committee shall be determined by the committee. This should be a simple process. ( 6) (a) Ahealth and safety committeemay co-opt one ormore persons by reasonof his or their particular knowledge of healthor safety matters as anadvisorymember or as advisory members of the committee. (b) Anadvisorymember shall not be entitled to vote onanymatter before the committee. It’s such a pity that a lot of sections and subsections in the Act are not worded as simply as this last point above. ( 7) If an inspector is of the opinion that the number of healthand safety committees es- tablished for any particular workplace is inad- equate, hemay inwriting direct the employer to establish for suchworkplace suchnumber of healthand safety committees as the inspector may determine. Personally, I haven’t heard of any such interventions but, quite clearly, the legislator envisaged that some employers would try to shrug off their responsibilities in this regard. Stay safe and healthy in 2015.

safety committees with three safety representa- tives means that two representatives could serve on one committee and the other in the second committee. Pardonme if I sound blasé but I am only trying to illustrate what I believe that the legislator hoped to communicate. (c) The number of persons nominated by an employ- er onany healthand safety committee established in terms of this section shall not exceed the number of healthand safety representatives on that committee. It would be rather silly for an employer to nomi- nate seven safety representatives if there are only three safety committees, don’t you think? But then again, in the current situation where lots of people are pushed into positions purely for a company to be‘politically correct’, it is understandable that em- ployers can easily be put in a position where they may have to ask their employees if they washed their hands or brushed their teeth. (3) The persons nominated by an employer ona healthand safety committee shall be designated inwriting by the employer for suchperiod asmay be determined by him, while the healthand safety representatives shall bemembers of the committee

The above subsection follows on fromSection 18 in the Act and it must be understood that this kind of structure will only be found in fairly large and diversifiedworkplaces. Doing themaths, two employees in a company employing 20 people would constitute a good 20%, which is a bit much inmy humble opinion; I believe that the legislator envisaged a larger organisation when it comes to committees. (2) Ahealthand safety committee shall consist of suchnumber ofmembers as the employermay from time to time determine: Provided that (a) If one healthand safety committee has been established in respect of aworkplace, all the health and safety representatives for that workplace shall bemembers of the committee. This should pose no problem…three safety representatives make up one safety committee. (b) If two ormore health and safety committees have been established in respect of aworkplace, eachhealthand safety representative for that workplace shall be amember of at least one of those committees; and… This should pose no problemeither as two

FIRST, I wish all Sparks readers a very happy 2015! Let’s begin the year on a healthy note andwith a positive attitude towards the people who are elected tomaintain workers’health and safety. There are some employees who believe that wearing a reflective vest makes them invincible. Personal protective equipment (PPE) does not stop a truck, it won’t miraculously become a para- chute if you step off a 10metre high scaffold and it won’t stop a crane from crushing you – hard hat or no hard hat. And now on to Section 19 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 1993) that deals (1) An employer shall in respect of eachworkplace where two ormore health and safety representa- tives have beendesignated, establish one ormore health and safety committees and, at everymeeting of such a committee as contemplated in subsec- tion (4), consult with the committeewith a view to initiating, developing, promoting, maintaining and reviewingmeasures to ensure the health and safety of his employees at work. with health and safety committees… 19. Healthand safety committees

Training and development by Nick du Plessis How to: A ‘wireman’s licence’ for people with degrees or diplomas

at http://pandttechnology.co.za/ To find information about courses – a course calendar and course content – click on‘courses’. To find information about supporting docu- ments, click‘supporting documents’in the menu bar or go to http://pandttechnology.co.za/portfo- lio-items/supporting-documents/ Here you will have access to the Department of Labour brochure as well as the exam instructions outlying the installation rules content. For more information, call (011) 827-4113/6 or email nick@pandttechnology.co.za

personwho has been registered as an installation electrician in terms of Regulation 11 (2) for the verification and certification of the construction, testing and inspection of any electrical installation, excluding specialised electrical installations ’. In this column, I will only explain Option 3 of the registration criteria for installation electrician registration, which can be found in the Depart- ment of Labour Registration Criteria brochure: OHS 3/1/5/7/9: Registration as a Registered Person, Revised March 2014. This document outlines the registration criteria with which a personmust comply in order to be registered by the Chief Inspector as an‘Electrical Tester for Single Phase’,‘Installation Electrician’ and‘Master Installation Electrician’as defined in the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 (promulgated by Government Notice R.242 of 6 March 2009). Installation Electrician Option 3 Theoretical Qualification A candidatemust: (a) Submit a diploma or degree in electrical engineering: • T3 Diploma (heavy current). • S4 Diploma (power engineering). • B Tech degree. • B Sc or B degree. • Government Certificate of Competency (factories or mines). (b) Submit documentary proof of successfully com- pleted unit standards on inspection, testing and certification of three phase industrial/commer- cial installations as prescribed by the EWSETA. Knowledge of statutory requirements Submit proof of knowledge on the legislation and relevant health and safety standards applicable to electrical installations by having passed the subject ‘Installation Rules’ as administered by the Depart- ment of Higher Education and Training. From this, it can be seen that it is possible for a person who has not completed an apprentice- ship as an electrician to register with the Depart- ment of Labour as an Installation Electrician for the purpose of issuing Certificates of Compliance for electrical installations. All registered persons must understand and apply the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993, applicable regulations and codes, before signing a Certificate of Compliance. Please be sure you understand the criteria and responsibilities before embarking on any training intervention. For more information please visit my web page

I FREQUENTLY receive requests that begin: “I have a B Tech degree in Electrical Power Engineer- ing and I have been in the electrical field for more than 10 years. I am interested in acquiring awire- man’s licence. Any assistance or directionwould be highly appreciated.” Before I begin clarifying the registration criteria, it must be understood that the term‘wireman’s licence’is an old term that was used in the electri- cal industry many years ago for people who inspected and tested electrical installations. The termwas changed to‘accredited persons’and, in the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009, ‘accredited persons’became‘registered person’– and this registration is done by the Department of Labour. Put simply, this means that anyone who wants to acquire their‘wireman’s license’or become an‘accredited person’has apply to the Depart- ment of Labour in order to become a‘registered person’. This column will provide guidance to those persons who have not done a trade and who wish to register with the Department of Labour as a registered person. However, before reviewing the registration criteria, as determined by the Department of Labour, I will first provide some clarity on the purpose and responsibility of the registered person. When application is made to the Department of Labour, the applicant is re- quired to have a‘theoretical qualification’and be able to demonstrate that he or she is competent by being found competent in the unit standards on inspection, testing and certification of three phase industrial/commercial installations as prescribed by the EWSETA . Installation rules and unit standards Competent means that the applicant is able to practically carry out the verification and certifica- tion of the construction, testing and inspection of any electrical installation, excluding special- ised electrical installations. In addition, the applicant must be able to apply the legislation and relevant health and safety standards applicable to electrical installa- tions and have passed the subject, ‘Installation Rules’– which is usually written at a Further Education and Training (EFT) college – as administered by the Department of Higher

NewYear’s messages from the ECA(SA) and the ECB

Tony McDonald, chairman of the ECB: Thinking back over the last year I realise that it has been a difficult year for many. About a thousand people attended the ECB’s semi- nars this year and it was found that there has been a general perception amongst delegates that work opportunities are becoming fewer and competi- tion fiercer. One usually thinks of the employer having a tough time, but it may be tougher for employees, not knowing if they will still be employed in the New Year and realising that there is little that they can do about it. In 2014, we bid farewell to James Baker who had served the industry loyally for many years and we will miss him. I have learnt it pays to remain positive as things are seldom as bleak as they may seem and, for the ECB, the new year has started withmuch that is en- couraging and I look forward to announcing good news in 2015. I wish to take this opportunity on behalf of the ECB to thank everyone for their support during 2014 and wish all Sparks Electrical News readers and their families a prosperous NewYear.

Michael Straton, president, ECA(SA)'s: 2015 has started and I trust that the shutdown period for most has become a pleasant but dis- tant memory. I predict that 2015 will be a year of greater success. However, for success to be realised it must be remembered that, in the words of Vince Lom- bardi,“The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success, and hard work can help you ac- complish anything.” We are proud of the artisan and Elconop training that was undertaken during 2014 in all the ECA’s regions and we intend to increase the number of train- ees in 2015. Personally, I amproud that the Eastern Cape Region – under the capable leadership of Lucas Bowles – took the award for Re- gion of theYear at the Presiden- tial Excellence Awards in 2014. Mark Mfikoe’s appointment as national director in May 2014 proved to be a masterstroke as Mark has done much to unite the association and improve service

the first quarter of 2015 will set the ECA’s strategic path for the next five years in order for the ECA(SA) to become more influential as an organisation on the African continent and internationally. We acknowledge that the bulk of ECAmembers comprise of small andmedium enter- prises and we will continue to support all members to the ultimate benefit of the industry as a whole. In 2015 the ECA will join forces with Safehouse, the in- dustry‘watchdog’that identifies non-compliant products and informs the industry and, in the process, assists in safeguarding our members and the South African public. We will continue strengthen- ing the ECA’s valuable partner- ships with industry suppliers and continue to bring our members together with these valued stakeholders. The ECA(SA) is proud to ac- knowledge our valued partners, members, staff and stakehold- ers as together we continue to usher in an era of prosperity in this magnificent country of ours.

Education and Training. Registration criteria Applicants need to understand that the

registration criteria and responsibilities are listed in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 and within the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009, which define‘installation electrician’as ‘a

delivery tomembers. Highlights for 2015 The Strategic Conference in

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8 contractors’ corner

Electrobase Suppli

Working knowledge by Terry McKenzie-Hoy And so, the year begins ... Have a good one!

DESPITE some fears of load shedding, it was not to be a candle lit dinner at this year’s Electrobase Annual Supplier of the year awards and Eskom managed to keep the lights on for this prestig- ious affair, which was held at the Balalaika Hotel in Sandton on Friday, 21 November. Electrobase, a group of independent electri- cal wholesalers located across Southern Africa, evaluates suppliers based on their products and the services provided to the Electobase group nationally. This year’s silver certificates were awarded to: Bright Star Lighting, Crabtree, Eurolux, Kwikot, Rabro and Sturdy, Reeflite, Strutfast, Stone Stam- cor andWaco Industries. Gold certificates were awarded to Enerji Electrical, HellermannTyton and Major Tech. Waco Industries was awarded the certificate for the most improved supplier. It was an extremely close race this year and HellermannTyton was awarded the much cov- eted award,‘Supplier of theYear’. Alec Hogg, the founder and past owner of Moneyweb and now founder and owner of Biznews.com captivated the audience with an upliftingmessage. He said that a successful entrepreneur will leave politics to the politicians and get on with the task of finding solutions in an ever-changing environment – and that entre- preneurs weather the storms and navigate their way out of them. “Knowwhat you don’t know and stick to what you are good at,”was his advice – an apt message during a rather tumultuous time in South Africa. Once again through the generous contribu- tions from suppliers and service providers together with the proceeds of the raffle held at the dinner, Electrobase raised R17 277 for the SCHNEIDER Electric SouthAfrica has set itself a target to create access to energy for 20 000Africans by the endof this year. An ambitious goal, but the energy efficiency giant believes that this is achievabledue to its solid sustainabledevelopment strategy, products and solutions. ZanelleDalglish, headof sustainabledevelopment for southernAfrica at Schneider Electric says the com- pany needs toprovide solutions to all sectors of society and, for this reason, it has established a programme to address global energy povertywithin its business strat- egy. “Through its global BipBopprogramme (Business, Innovation, and People at the Base of the Pyramid),

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ergy contractor reduces illumination levels too much, people may bring in their own lamps; if heating from air conditioners is reduced, peo- ple will bring in their own bar heaters. Oh, one can regulate the use of private appliances but does one really want this extra trouble? At the same time, beware of the energy performance contractor who claims a fee when the enterprise does something they were go- ing to do anyway – for example, install power factor correction or use infrared heating. Thus, if you have a client who tells you, the local contractor, that they are thinking about employing an energy performance contractor – help the client to establish that the chosen contractor has a good reputation. Something else to think of now in these times of load shedding is the idea of ‘dip proofing’a client’s plant or production process. It goes like this: The client has a standby diesel generator. All the important loads are wired to one busbar. The main incoming supply is fitted with a reverse power relay. All‘not important loads’are wired to a bus- bar, which will de-energise if mains power is lost. Then, when load shedding is anticipated, the diesel generator is started and synchro- nised to the important load busbar in parallel with the main incoming supply. If load shedding occurs, the diesel generator will pick up the important loads and the main incoming supply will trip as will unimportant loads. It does work. Then, the final thing to do for your client is to insist on a test to see if the client’s diesel generator can‘pick up’the full load it is required to in an emergency. This sounds obvious but it’s not. Often clients tell staff that they will be having a‘simulated power failure’on a certain day; and they do this and all goes well. Later, in an actual power failure it doesn’t – because by telling the staff that the test is going to take place, many employees will turn off their computers and electrical stuff before the test, which reduces the load the generator should supply. Tests must be real and unan- nounced. And so…Have a good one.

ONE thing for sure is that the price of electric- ity is going to go up and up and up ... This is good news for many people – sellers of power generators, installers of the same, sellers of solar geysers, solar panels and the like. And, in- variably, there will arise any number of‘energy performance’contractors. An energy performance contractor is a contractor who undertakes to analyse the electricity bill of some enterprise and then fund some changes to theway the enterprise uses electricity – either by applying for a tariff change, installing power factor correction, rationalising compressed air storage, changing light bulbs, or similar. At the end of the process, the contractor pre- sents an invoice, which is based on a calculation of howmuchmoney the enterprise has saved using thesemeasures and the enterprise pays it – awin-win situation. The enterprise savesmoney for ever and didn’t even have to pay for all themodifications to the various items. Now, there are energy performance contrac- tors out there who are good. A clue is to look at the qualifications of the senior staff – they are qualified engineers or technicians and are registered and knowwhat they are doing. But, beware! There are energy performance contractors who are self-appointed crooked, scheming liars who should not be allowed to do what they do. For a start, the electricity bill of any enter- prise varies quite a bit – factors that affect it are the economy, the weather, the time of year, the number of public holidays and, not least, the degree to which the enterprise produces the goods it is supposed to produce. Thus, if an energy performance contractor is to prove that the measures the contractor has introduced have savedmoney, like must be compared with like – the claimed reduc- tion in energy cost must be adjusted for all the above factors, not just compared on a month by month basis or, even worse, on a yearly average basis. It is important that the claimed saving is not at the expense of some other item – if the en-

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Johannesburg Children’s home. Thanks to Crab- tree, Crown Publications, Enerji Electrical, Eurolux, HellermannTyton, Major Tech, Safehouse, Stone Stamcor, Valem Financial Services andWaco Indus- tries as well as all those who bought raffle tickets. Congratulations to all our winners especially to Waco Industries and HellermannTyton – well done! Enquiries: +27 11 023 0314

Creating social change in Africa Schneider Electric develops collective solutions for comprehensive rural electrification, domestic solu- tions for energy-related needs, and the business models that make these solutions sustainable,”she explains.

The company has developed solutions adapted to the means and needs of populations in remote, primarily off-grid communities.“Many of these are solar based, such as our In-diya and Mobiya lighting solutions, both are developed to take advantage of the African sun in order to lessen the burden of daily life in poor and off-grid communi- ties,”adds Dalglish. According to the International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook, 2013 Factsheet, there are 1,3 billion people worldwide that still do not have access to energy. In addition, there are 2,6 billion people globally, about the joint populations of the US, Europe and China, without cooking facili- ties. TheWorld Resources Institute, in its report “The Next 4 Billion”, reveals that up to 30% of BOP household revenue goes to energy-related needs. “The effects of our solutions can therefore have a far-reaching impact on social and economic development. In projects already undertaken, we have observed an enhancement in lifestyle, safety fromdwelling fires, the ability to study at night and improve education, establishing small busi- nesses, and somuchmore,”says Dalglish. She highlights that to have a significant impact and initiate lasting change, a performance meas- urement tool is a requirement.“Schneider Electric’s Planet & Society barometer covers the triple bot- tom line: planet, profit and people. The results are shared with the public and the measurement tool aims tomobilise the corporate community around sustainable development objectives. “Importantly, we do not want to walk this path alone and encourage partnerships with other businesses, NGOs, NPOs and funders to establish an electrificationmodel and fund our sustain- able solutions, which we sell at cost, to off-grid communities; establishing a consciousness of social and environmental commitments, govern- ance, reducing CO 2 emissions, launching solutions that respect the planet, social changes, local and regional positioning, corporate citizenship, ethics, business and poverty,”concludes Dalglish. Enquiries: +27 11 254 6400

New lighting CEO gets warm welcome in South Africa

The new CEO at OSRAM South Africa was introduced to media and clients at OSRAM’s ultra-modern new offices and showroom in Midrand on 1 December. The new CEO, Tobias Badelt (left) shares his limelight with Robbie Kreymborg (GI head, trade and retail, OSRAM South Africa) and special guest fromOSRAM Germany, Peter Mannhart (regional head, OSRAM, Europe Middle East and Africa). Enquiries: +27 11 207 5600

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january 2015

ELECTRICAL NEWS

contractors’ corner 9

r of theYear Awards 2014

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James Calmeyer, CEO at Crabtree (right) re- ceives a silver certificate from Hilton Maklin.

Hilton Maklin presents the much coveted Elec- trobase Supplier of the Year award to Claude Middleton of HellermannTyton.

Electrobase chairman, Hilton Macklin, with Claude Middleton (HellermannTyton – gold certificate and Supplier of the Year award); Jaco Coetzee (Waco Industries – Most Improved Supplier of the Year); Pat Shaw (Major Tech, gold certificate); and Donné van Eeden (Enerji Electrical, gold certificate).

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Hilton Maklin hands over the Most Improved Supplier of the Year award to Jaco Coetzee of Waco Industries.

Chairman of Electrobase, Hilton Maklin presents a silver award to Anthony Lloyd (Eurolux).

LED GU10 4W, 6W, 7W (Dimmable)

sparks

january 2015

ELECTRICAL NEWS

earthing, lightning and surge protection

BUYERS'

10

Manufacturers

Contact

Mains protection

Conductors (aluminium and/or copper)

ABB South Africa Dudley Bath Aberdare Cables Annelene Sivalingum AC/DC Dynamics Sales ACTOM Electrical Products Russel Ramsden ARB Electrical Wholesalers

ABB South Africa Full range of mains protection devices AC/DC Dynamics Mains Protection ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of surge protection products ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of mains protection products Atlas Group Full range of mains protection devices Bellco Full range of mains protection devices CBI-electric : low voltage Full range of mains protection devices Clearline Protection Systems Full range of locally manufactured distribution board protection devices Innopro Full range of mains protection units Legrand Full range of mains protection units Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of mains protection units MCE Global Suppliers Onesto dedicated socket mains protection; Onesto circuit breakers and isolators; Schenker circuit breakers and isolators’ Hyundai MCCBs and ACBs O-line Type 1, 2 and 3 surge arresters suitable for commercial and industrial use Phoenix Contact Full range of mains protection units Schneider Electric Full range of mains protection devices Surge Technology Dehn & Sohne surge arrestors for both direct (Class 1) and indirect (Class 2) lightning from 2 V to 1 000 V Voltex Full range of mains protection Voltex LSis Full range of mains protection devices Waco Full range of mains protection devices AC/DC Dynamics Earth rods and accessories ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of earth electrode, earth rods ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of earth electrodes, earth rods Atlas Group Full range of earth electrodes, earth rods Bellco Full range of earth electrodes, earth rods Citilec Full rangeof earth electrodes, earth rods Innopro Full range of earth electrodes O-line Full range of earthing systems Surge Technology Supply and installation of a full range of earth electrodes and rods Voltex Full range of earth electrodes and earth rods Waco Full range of earth electrodes, earth rods Earth electrode / earth rods

Atlas Group ABB South Africa Aberdare Cables AC/DC Dynamics Bellco CBI-electric : low voltage

Aberdare Cables Bare earth copper conductors AC/DC Dynamics Full range of conductors ACTOM Electrical Products Bare copper earth wires ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of conductors Atlas Group Full range of conductors Bellco Full range of conductors Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of conductors O-line

Clearline Protection Systems Crabtree Electrical Accessories

Eaton Electric SA HellermannTyton

Arvi Ramdass Atlas Group Annie Storar Bellco Richard Lowe Brady Corp Cliff Theunissen

Legrand Newelec O-line Phoenix Contact Radiant Group Schneider Electric South Ocean Electrical Wire Co Stone Stamcor Surge Technology Versalec Voltex Voltex LSis Waco

Cable Croc Lex Harvey CBI-electric : low voltage Sales Citilec Jeff Forman Clearline Protection Systems Vernon Kyzer Crabtree Electrical Accessories Sales

Conductors ranging from galvanised flat steel to round aluminium cable with PVC sheeting South Ocean Electrical Wire Co Full range of aluminium and/or copper conductors Surge Technology Supply of a full range of copper and aluminium conductors Versalec Full range of conductors Voltex Full range of conductors Waco Full range of conductors

Eaton Electric SA Marlene Coetzee Grafo Cliff Theunissen HellermannTyton Sales Innopro Ian McKechnie

Distributors

AC/DC Dynamics ACTOMElectrical Products ARB ElectricalWholesalers Atlas Group Bellco

Legrand Luk Ivens Magnet Electrical Supplies Kevin Govender Major Tech Werner Grobbelaar MCE Global Suppliers Sales Newelec Luc Dutrieux O-line Sales Phoenix Contact Sales Pretoria Motor Control Gear Products (PMCG) Hannes Swartz/John Vorster Radiant Group Ashveer Lalla

Masts/power supply filtering

Brady Corp Cable Croc Citilec Crabtree Electrical Accessories Eaton Electric SA Grafo HellermannTyton Innopro Magnet Electrical Supplies Major Tech MCE Global Suppliers Newelec O-line Pretoria Motor Control Gear Products (PMCG)

AC/DC Dynamics Mains filter, single-phase 250V up to 30A, three-phase 400V up to 30A ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of masts/power supply filtering Clearline Protection Systems A range of protected power filters for most voltages Innopro Full range of masts and power supply filtering O-line Full range of interception devices and mast holders Surge Technology Supply and installation of a full range of masts

Schneider Electric SurgeTechnology Stone Stamcor Versalec Voltex Voltex LSis Waco

Schneider Electric Nico van der Merwe South Ocean Electrical Wire Co. Yasmin Mahomed Stone Stamcor Theo Momple Surge Technology Paul van As Versalec Roland Fry Voltex

Exothermic welding

Telecoms/data protection

ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of equipment for exothermic welding ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of exothermic welding equipment Atlas Group Full range of exothermic welding equipment Bellco Full range of exothermic welding equipment Surge Technology Supply and installation of a full range of exothermic welding accessories Voltex Full range of exothermic welding equipment

Hugh Ward Voltex LSis Gary Paterson Waco Industries Jaco Coetzee

AC/DC Dynamics Telecoms/data protection Clearline Protection Systems Full range of protection devices for telecoms and data protection Eaton Electric SA Full range of protection devices for telecoms and data protection Innopro Full range of telecom and data protection units Legrand Full range of telecom and data protection units MCE Global Suppliers Onesto dedicated socket data protection; Onesto circuit breakers and isolators; Schenker circuit breakers and isolators; Hyundai MCCBs and ACBs O-line Full range of surge protection devices for data and information technology Phoenix Contact Full range of telecom and data protection units Surge Technology Dehn & Sohne – complete range of surge arrestors for most telecoms and data applications; Copa – range of surge arrestors for domestic data applications such as fax/ modem, television and intercom protection

Air termination systems / down conductor systems

ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of air termination systems/down conductor systems Bellco Full range of air termination systems/down conductor systems Innopro Full range of air termination and down Supply and installation of full range of air termination systems and down conductor systems Voltex Full range of air termination systems/down conductor systems Waco Full range of air termination systems/down conductor systems conductor systems Surge Technology

Power supply filtering

Constant V transformers

AC/DC Dynamics Power supply filtering ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of power supply filtering Atlas Group Power supply filtering Bellco Power supply filtering Voltex Power supply filtering Voltex LSis Power supply filtering Waco Power supply filtering

Atlas Group Full range of constant V transformers Bellco Full range of constant V transformers Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of constant V transformers Voltex Full range of constant V transformers Voltex LSis Full range of constant V transformers Waco Full range of constant V transformers

sparks

january 2015

ELECTRICAL NEWS

11 earthing, lightning and surge protection

GUIDE

Surge protection

Other

Earth leakage

Clamps and saddles

ABB South Africa Full range of domestic and industrial earth leakage protection devices AC/DC Dynamics Earth leakage ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of earth leakage protection devices ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of earth leakage protection products Atlas Group Full range of earth leakage devices Bellco Full range of earth leakage devices Crabtree Electrical Accessories Crabtree RCCB Eaton Electric SA Full range of earth leakage devices HellermannTyton Full range of quality earth leakage test instruments Innopro Full range of earth leakage protection Legrand Lexic DPX; Lexic 4ELCB Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of earth leakage protection Major Tech 25 A, 40 A and 63 A double pole earth leakage (no overload protection); 25 A, 40 A and 63 A four pole earth leakage (no overload protection) MCE Global Suppliers Onesto earth leakages; Schenker earth leakages Pretoria Motor Control Gear Products (PMCG) Full range of earth leakage devices Schneider Electric Full range of earth leakage devices Voltex Full range of earth leakage products Voltex LSis Full range of earth leakage devices Waco Full range of earth leakage devices AC/DC Dynamics Full range of isolation transformers ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of isolation transformers Atlas Group Full range of isolation transformers Bellco Full range of isolation transformers Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of isolation transformers Voltex Full range of isolation transformers Voltex LSis Full range of isolation transformers Waco Full range of isolation transformers Isolation transformers

ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of clamps and saddles Bellco Full range of clamps and saddles Citilec Full range of clamps and saddles HellermannTyton Full range of clamps and saddles Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of clamps and saddles O-line Full range of cable clamps and conduit saddles Radiant Group Full range of clamps and saddles Surge Technology Supply of a full range of clamps and saddles Voltex Full range of clamps and saddles Waco Full range of clamps and saddles

Brady Corp Cable and wire identification Cable Croc Anti-cable theft systems Citilec Vision lighting – energy saving and LED Grafo Brady Corporation cable identification products O-line Surge arrestors for photovoltaic systems and explosion-protected spark gaps as well as a full range of measuring and test systems Stone Stamcor Connectors for earthing

AC/DC Dynamics Plug-in types for homes and small businesses; plug-in tops with surge protection; Soule lightning and surge protection ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of surge protection devices ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of surge protection devices Atlas Group Full range of surge protection devices Bellco Full range of surge protection devices Eaton Electric SA Full range of surge protection devices HellermannTyton Full range of surge protection devices Legrand Lexic surge protection devices Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of MV surge protection devices MCE Global Suppliers Onesto surge arresters; Schenker surge arresters Phoenix Contact Full range of MV surge protection devices Schneider Electric Four-series surge protection DIN Surge Technology Dehn & Sohne – complete range of surge arrestors for most telecoms and data applications; Copa – range of surge arrestors for domestic data applications such as fax, modem, television and intercom protection Voltex Full range of surge protection devices Voltex LSis Full range of surge protection devices Waco Full range of surge protection devices

+27 11 872 5500

Disclaimer: Information will be published as supplied. Only manufacturers who meet the deadline are included in the guide. The onus is on manufacturers to ensure that the editor is notified of any changes to existing listings.

+27 11 452 1415

+27 11 879 6600

+27 11 879 2000

+27 11 683 0641

+27 11 704 3295

+27 11444 7971

+27 11 874 7600

+27 10 202 5000

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january 2015

ELECTRICAL NEWS