During the week of January 30, Bill Jordan of Booth & Associates conducted a National Electric Safety Code (NESC-1) class at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ training facility at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount.

Twenty-two students – predominately linemen from across North Carolina – attended the course. Topics included NESC history, electrical terms, electrical power systems, construction of overhead and underground distribution, transmission lines, materials used, maintenance procedures and an overview of the meter-side of the safety code.

Changes to the 2017 edition of the NESC handbook include updates to:

• Definitions
• References
• Grounding methods
• Safety rules for substations, overhead lines, clearances, strengths and loading, and underground lines
• General Work Rules

The course is offered every year, broken into two modules. Module 1 was divided into two parts: classroom and fieldwork. Upon completion, students were able to effectively use the NESC. Module 2 will be held Oct. 15-19.