Course teaches safe and effective way to install and troubleshoot arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) designed to detect electrical fire hazards.

ROSSLYN, Va., August 9, 2012—The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) today announced it is collaborating with Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a world leader in advancing safety, to offer a free online training course designed to educate electrical professionals on safe and effective ways to install and troubleshoot issues with arc-fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). The course will be available through Knowledge Services, UL's training, advisory and software solutions business unit.

AFCIs are innovative circuit breakers designed to detect dangerous electrical conditions in the home that may lead to electrical fires. According to the U.S. Fire Association, there are an estimated 28,300 electrical residential building fires annually that lead to 360 deaths and $995 million in direct property loss.

The course will help electrical professionals complete trouble-free installation of AFCIs and other residential branch circuit components and provide expert advice on finding and fixing electrical system problems that may cause AFCIs to trip.

More information about the free training program and how to register to take it is available at 'NEMA Collaborates with UL to deliver Free Online Training Course for Fire Prevention Technology'.

Exida, a global supplier of functional safety products, services and certifications has released SILStat, software that helps evaluate risk reduction by collecting and analyzing operation and maintenance data.

The tool captures key operational and maintenance data, including equipment failures, process demands, success or failure of protection layers and proof test results. The data is reviewed and analyzed as required by the IEC 61511 / ISA 84.00.01-2004 standard and as part of compliance with an OSHA PSM Mechanical Integrity Program.

“The SILStat software addresses one of our most frequently asked questions: I’ve designed this Safety Instrumented System (SIS); now how do I determine how well it works in my plant,” says Iwan van Beurden, exida director of engineering. “Data collected by SILStat can help determine the actual risk posed by a hazardous situation and the effectiveness of the individual layers of protection. Comparing actual vs. expected risk reduction allows safety practitioners to evaluate the effectiveness of their process safety design.”

For more information please click 'EXIDA releases SILStat Operation and Mainenance Data Collection Software'

ProSoft Technology's EtherNet/IP to IEC 61850 gateway enables communication between the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) on an IEC- 61850 network and Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) on an EtherNet/IP network.

The module operates as an EtherNet/IP server, supporting both Class 1 and Class 3 EtherNet/IP services. Primary data transfer is performed through a Class 1 server connection supporting up to 10 Implicit I/O connections. Additionally the module can also communicate with up to 2 other EtherNet/IP Clients using Class 3 messaging services.

The gateway’s IEC 61850 Client is responsible for obtaining data from up to 20 IED devices on a 61850 network (servers). The network configuration software uses IED configuration files to import complex IEC 61850 data structures and allow this information to be mapped into a RSLogix 5000 based ControlLogix or CompactLogix PAC.

For further information please click 'EtherNet to IP Server to IEC-61850 Intelligent Gateway'

De-tronics: When used in harsh outdoor conditions, devices that promote life safety and continuous operations should have an ingress protection IP66/67 rating. Gas detectors should have such a rating — especially for onshore and offshore applications in the petrochemical, oil and gas industry.

An IP66 or IP67 rating is achieved as a result of robust design that protects the gas detector against dust and forceful water during operation. Specifically, IP66 means the device is dust proof and protected from strong water jets. IP67 means the device is dust proof and continues proper operation after temporary immersion in water one meter deep for 30 minutes.

Det-Tronics NTMOS hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas detector has earned global approval for use in locations that require an ingress protection rating of IP66/67.

The new certification joins the list of other previously obtained approvals and certifications for the NTMOS H2S gas detector, including CE, CSA, ATEX, IECEx, FM tested and certified to ISA-92.0.01.

In addition to multiple certifications, the NTMOS boasts a life-saving, speed-of-response performance that detects H2S in six seconds (T20) and delivers a proper detection solution in challenging environments where electrochemical sensing technologies are not preferred.