What are they & How do they affect you?

On May 16, 2019, the 27th edition of the Ontario Electrical Safety code (2018 OESC) will come into effect in Ontario. These changes and updates are enhancements and modifications to the recently issued Canadian Electrical Code (CEC 2018).

Here’s what you need to know in order to make informed decisions for your clients and your projects:

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

PoE is the ability to power groups of lighting fixtures through the Ethernet cable instead of the traditional line voltage. With advances in technology and the desire for bigger, connected systems, with greater user control, PoE, Power over Ethernet, is a development that is quickly becoming a part of your built environment. This is great news for commercial developers, as your tenant’s and building’s connection with lighting systems and controls can be greatly improved, while minimizing the cost of running additional cable to your lighting fixtures.

Residential Safety

A key component of electrical safety within a residence has been the the addition of Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCI). Residential builders and electricians have been installing these for years. There were many exemptions listed that enabled the AFCIs to be omitted. Many of these exemptions have been reduced or removed altogether. This means a greater level of safety for your residents, but this also means that your construction budgets will increase with this addition.

Child Safety

If you are a parent, you can identify with the importance of safety for our children, especially when it comes to outlets. With the inclusion of tamper resistant receptacles, the ability for a child to stick something into a live receptacle was basically eliminated. This years edition of the OESC expands the safety net to now include Hotel guest rooms, Preschools, and Elementary education facilities. This will add some cost to any projects in these facilities, but knowing that our children will be safe definitely outweighs that small expense.

Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations

A big development over the last 5 years since the previous edition of the OESC was released, has been the electric vehicle market. If you have a commercial building, it’s important to note that these changes have some affect on your properties.  The code now includes new demand factors for the electrical loads placed on the system by Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) while a vehicle is charging. This will increase some of the costs for the equipment itself, but it should also reduce some of the construction costs due to its simplification of installation requirements.

The Tip of the Iceberg

With more then 270 amendments to the new OESC, there is far too much information to include in such a brief article. Your projects are important, and if you have questions about the items mentioned above or if you are wondering what other changes may affect your properties or projects, let us know and we would be happy to help you.