Valpo Cleaners Catches Fire

Clothing rack motor causes fire at Valparaiso cleaners Officials from multiple state and federal agencies have determined that last week’s fire at a Valparaiso, Indiana dry cleaners shop was caused by an electric motor. This was a cleaning rack motor, overheated from extended use, highlighting the importance of regular maintenance for motors in retail industries […]

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Quiet Storm

Way-too-close call in New Zealand exposes one issue with green trains There are three main reasons for the rail industry’s electric movement: environmental cleanliness, affordability, and noise reduction. Few questioned any of the three until recently, but a near miss in Auckland, New Zealand April 7 illustrated the severity of risks involved with low-volume electric […]

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Lawsuit Follows Tragedy

Did NEC violations lead to a tragic teenage death?  An electric motor repair company is being sued for claims of negligence in a tragic North Carolina death. Rachel Rosoff died on Sept. 3 in a public pool where she worked, in the Heritage Point neighborhood of Raleigh, N.C. The 17-year-old lifeguard was electrocuted and drowned that Labor Day […]

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Where There’s Smoke

Questionable usage of motors and generators causes fire at Utah residence Motors and generators being used independently by residents at a home in Sandy, Utah caught fire and caused extensive damage to the dwelling, the displacement of the inhabitants, and potential danger to surroundings on Sunday, March 25. While the reason for personal use of […]

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Mergers & Awards

Shermco, AWEA, Allied Reliability, T.F. Hudgins… Shermco wins AWEA award. At the AWEA Operations, Maintenance and Safety Conference, held February 27 through March 2 in San Diego, Shermco Industries was among the recipients AWEA’s Gold Safety and Health Achievement Award. Included was ‘Silver Recognition’ which is based on 3 years of exemplary OSHA reported safety statistics.  Shermco’s […]

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A Strong Donation

AFT donates $10,000 to WaterAid Armstrong Fluid Technology announced March 14, 2017 that its employees have donated $10,000 to WaterAid, an international charity dedicated to providing access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation worldwide. The Canadian government added another $30,000 in matching funds to bring the total donation to $40,000. The donations were raised as […]

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Hold the Door

Handle security for the good of the realm First came the latch, then the padlock, then the chain, then multiple padlocks, then the slide lock…before anything electrical was installed. The first element of electromechanics to appear in door security was the keycode. Now, electromechanics appear to be rapidly permeating the industry. Allegion Electronics, for one, […]

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Need A Lift?

In the Swiss Alps, ABB powers first chairlift for the disabled In Switzerland, some holiday uplift for even the crankiest scrooge. Beginning this winter season at the Madrisa ski resort in the Swiss Alps, a new, wheelchair-accessible chairlift model is in operation. The handicap and disabled-friendly Madrisa 6-seater lift is the first of its kind, and […]

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Nightmare Scenario in Oakland

Last weekend’s lethal warehouse fire in Oakland, which killed 36 people, is yet another reminder of the severity of electrical fires and the need to take safety measures, for those within the industry and outside of it. While nothing has been confirmed yet, all signs point towards the cause of last Saturday’s fire in Oakland being electrical. […]

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OSHA’s Annual “Not Top 10”

Much of the same in 2016’s most frequently cited safety and health violations As odd as it may sound, OSHA would probably like to see this list change. At least, if that change were due to certain injuries decreasing in frequency (and thus falling off the list), not new kinds of injuries overtaking them.  Every October, OSHA releases a preliminary […]

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