Kerry Heid Presents at IEEE IAS ESTMP Workshop 2014

CALGARY, Alberta - March 7, 2014 - PRLog -- Calgary – On Tuesday, March 4, 2014, Kerry Heid, president of Magna Electric Company, a division of Shermco Industries, presented a paper entitled “Criticality of Electrical Maintenance Programs and the new CSA Z463”at theIEEE IAS ESTMP Workshop 2014.

Held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the presentation addressed the CSA Z463-13 Guideline on Maintenance of Electrical Systems, the newest developed recommended practices to improve safety for workers and protect property through the adoption and systematic application of maintenance strategies for electrical equipment.

“It has become evident that one of the most important aspects of an electrical safety program is a strong understanding of what is required for electrical maintenance. Establishing safe working zones, incident energy values and associated arc flash boundaries hinge on the proper operation of the electrical protection and switching components,” said Heid. “By defining methods of identifying equipment and systems, this guideline will directly impact worker electrical safety and the reliability necessary for the safe operation of electrical equipment.”

The presentation provided an in depth look at Z463 and covered key maintenance topics such as justification for maintenance, maintenance strategies and the elements of an electrical maintenance program.

“Organizations can use the CSA Z463 Guideline to optimize the integration of other programs and systems, such as hazardous energy lockout control programs and workplace electrical safety programs, and integrate it into their business management systems for critical equipment maintenance strategies,” said Heid. “While conducting the critical analysis of existing maintenance strategies, an organization can improve the management of the electrical safety program as well as its maintenance and reliability program.”

The CSA Z463 guideline is meant to join and work alongside the maintenance practices and electrical safety standards of NETA Standards, Maintenance Testing Specifications and NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance.

ABOUT MAGNA ELECTRIC

Based in Saskatchewan, Magna Electric Corporation is a leading Canadian electrical power system engineering, testing, construction, manufacturing and commissioning service company. MEC is a division of Shermco Industries, North America’s leading independent provider of electrical services to energy, utility, infrastructure and industrial companies. With service centers located throughout North America, certified technicians and engineers focus on servicing both scheduled and unexpected projects for large commercial, industrial and utility customers.  MEC and Shermco, lead in electrical safety and technical training as well as industrial electrical contracting, utility, wind turbine maintenance and disaster recovery services. Both are members in good standing with governing and standards entities such as the CSA, Electrical Apparatus Service Association, American Wind Energy Association, Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League, and the InterNational Electrical Testing Association. For more information, visit www.magnaelectric.com or www.shermco.com