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Schneider Electric Contributes $500,000 to IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Project
PISCATAWAY, N.J.-(Business Wire)-February 19, 2008 - The Schneider Electric North American Operating Division has pledged a $500,000 contribution to become a Platinum Level sponsor of the Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The donation will help expand the knowledge of the electric arc phenomena and enhance worker safety through advances in the codes and standards relating to safe employee work practices.
Arc Flash is an electric current that is passed through air when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to withstand the applied voltage. The flash is immediate, but the results can cause severe injury. 2000 times a year, workers are admitted to burn centers for extended injury treatment caused by arc flash.
"Schneider Electric's contribution toward Arc Flash research aligns with its commitment to improving electrical standards and ongoing initiatives to protect worker safety," said Jim Pauley, Vice President, Industry and Government Relations for Schneider Electric. "We believe this project will produce the data necessary to further our understanding of the arc flash phenomena which will help us design safer components and provide better guidelines for safely maintaining electrical equipment."
"We are very excited to welcome Schneider Electric as a sponsor of the Arc Flash project," said Sue Vogel, Director, Technical Committee Programs for the IEEE Standards Association. "Their contribution will help speed the work of this project and ensure a solution that will help save lives."
The IEEE and the NFPA have joined forces on an initiative to fund and support research and testing to increase the understanding of arc flash. The results of this collaborative project will provide information that will be used to improve electrical safety standards, predict the hazards associated with arching faults and accompanying arc blasts, and provide practical safeguards for employees in the workplace. The multi-year project is estimated to cost a total of $6-$7 million (US).
About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric, the world's power and control specialist, anticipates and satisfies its customers' requirements in the residential, building, data centers and networks, industry and energy and infrastructure markets. With 112,000 employees and operations in 190 countries, Schneider Electric generated revenue of EUR 13.7 billion in 2006 through 15,000 distributor outlets. www.schneider-electric.com
About the National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
About the IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open process that brings diverse parts of industry together. These standards set specifications and procedures based on current scientific and technological consensus. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 870 active standards and more than 400 standards under development. For information on IEEE-SA see: http://standards.ieee.org/.
About the IEEE
The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.) is the world's largest technical professional society. Through its more than 370,000 members in 160 countries, the organization is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world's literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization also sponsors or co-sponsors over 450 international technical conferences each year. Additional information about the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.
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