by Larry Brownell
Last month we had an article on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issuing a final rule prohibiting hand-held cell phone use while operating commercial vehicles. It went into effect on Jan. 12. Over the past several weeks I have been getting questions from members on this and I wanted to break it down further.


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Longtime employee of Peabody Municipal Light Plant, Glenn Trueira, has been hired as plant manager following the retirement of former manager William Waters. Trueira has worked for the light plant for 26 years, both as the chief engineer and, for the last year and a half, as Waters' assistant manager.
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South Hadley Electric Light Department is now offering residential customers substantial incentives to install solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal energy projects at their homes. The unique package of incentives, the first of its kind in Massachusetts, is part of a new solar program adopted by SHELD to encourage local residents to consider solar energy installations.
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A refunding bond issue closed yesterday by the Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Company (MMWEC) will save $16.8 million for 28 Massachusetts municipal utilities, strengthening their ability to secure stable and reliable power resources for the future.
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Mistras Group is a full-service NDT testing & inspection company providing aerial lift, fire apparatus, ladder, bucket truck & dielectric testing. The firm also provides transformer inspection, testing & monitoring along with infrared, vibration, oil, acoustical, ultrasonic and condition monitoring services. Third-party acceptance testing, factory and on-site monitoring services including root cause analysis are also available. Mistras has offices in Auburn, Mass. and Granby and Waterford, Conn. Mike Devine can be reached by phone, (781) 733-4216 or email at mike.devine@mistrasgroup.com. His office is at 2 Millbury St., Auburn, Mass, 01501. Fax is 508-832-5557.

Utility Service New England is an electrical utility contractor apparatus repair center located at 4 Coleman Ave., Westfield, Mass. 01085. Primary contact is David J. Miller, Jr., Senior Vice-President. He can be reached by phone at (413) 485-7177 or by email at david@utilityservicenewengland.com. Fax is (413) 485-7179.

 

Feb. 14-17    May 8-11 Sept. 18-21   Dec. 11-14 Substation Technician Training 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. NEPPA Training Center Pascoag, R.I

Feb. 27, March 12, April 2, May 7 Meter Technician I 2012 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. NEPPA Training Center Pascoag, R.I

Sept. 16-19, 2012 Annual Conference 2012 Sunday River Resort, Bethel, Maine

 

The very basics of electrical safety are what OSHA considers the four requirements employees should meet to be considered a qualified employee. This article is based on Certified Utility Safety Professional Chuck Woodings' 18 years of experience developing and teaching OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 classes.
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by Jackie Pratt
Training. It’s something many utilities embrace for new employees, but perhaps something that falls to the bottom of the to-do list for long-time personnel. Why is it important to your organization?

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