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Editorial Contact: |
Mark Stone |
PEARL “Safer, Cheaper, Greener” Educational Program Dispels Myths and Misunderstandings of
Standards-based Reconditioned Electrical Product
International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) meeting provides perfect setting for
educational program kickoff.
January 30, 2009 – The Professional Electrical Apparatus Recyclers League (PEARL) countered the spread of myths and misconceptions surrounding reconditioned electrical product at the kickoff presentation of PEARL’s new “Safer, Cheaper, Greener” education program during a recent meeting of the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI).
“Reconditioned product is a controversial topic for electrical inspectors,” explained George Anchales, retired Chief Electrical Inspector for San Bernardino County, and IAEI’s chairman of the education committee for the Southern California Chapter. “That’s why I asked PEARL to make the presentation. We usually break after a half an hour, but the meeting ran a few hours, even continuing after lunch. When it was done, I was impressed with PEARL’s standards, training, and the other requirements for membership. I think the Southern California inspectors with IAEI learned a lot…If they see a piece of equipment with a PEARL logo on it, they now know about the standards and technical training behind that sticker. I know I would approve PEARL equipment after that meeting. ”
PEARL members, David Rosenfield, President of ROMAC Inc. (Commerce, CA), and Malcom Frederick, President of Coastal Switchgear & Controls Inc. (Angleton, TX), delivered the PEARL presentation to a packed room at Los Amigos Country Club. The “Safer, Cheaper, Greener” presentation explains how reconditioned electrical apparatus can be Safer than new product because every device is 100% tested rather than batch tested; Cheaper because reconditioned product saves the customer from having to replace older equipment around the electrical apparatus to accommodate a new replacement part with different OEM specifications; and Greener because reconditioning and remanufacturing keep thousands of tons of waste from U.S. landfills each year. The presentation further makes its points by explaining that PEARL standards only apply to electrical apparatus designed by OEMs for servicing, are based on OEM maintenance procedures and third-party engineering review, and can only be applied by PEARL member companies that voluntarily meet strict business, ethical, and technical requirements. Finally, the presentation explains the different PEARL seals, PEARL’s required device testing documentation, and how all these efforts form a guarantee that tells the end user they can safely operate the PEARL-certified reconditioned electrical device.
“Whenever you try to do something new, you face challenges,” explains Mr. Frederick. “Whether we’re educating electrical inspectors or writing standards, PEARL is out there trying to pull together all the assets of the electrical industry and fill a hole that’s been around for decades. It’s interesting to note that no one looks to a rewound motor done to EASA standards and questions its safety because people know, understand, and trust the EASA standards. In a few years, we hope that the industry will look at other types of reconditioned electrical product from switches to transformers bearing the PEARL seal and have that same feeling of trust and safety – while saving a few bucks and the environment to boot.”
When asked if the meeting had a real impact on the audience, Mr. Frederick replied: “There was a lot of skepticism at the beginning of the meeting, but after we showed them the standards, and the maintenance manuals that are the basis for the standards, people stopped questioning PEARL and started asking how they can recognize PEARL product. And that’s what we’re all about.”
PEARL’s “Safer, Greener, Cheaper” presentation is available to all interested parties. Contact PEARL Executive Director Mark Stone at 877-AT-PEARL to arrange for a PEARL member to present “Safer, Cheaper, Greener” to your group, or to receive a digital copy of the presentation.
Founded in 1997, PEARL is an electrical apparatus recycling trade association that creates, collects, and disseminates information, policies, procedures, and standards to ensure the proper recycling and reuse of electrical power equipment. PEARL’s extensive library of technical standards is designed to help member companies recondition and reuse common electrical devices from circuit breakers to transformers. PEARL standards come in two categories: Reconditioning, which includes both Test & Inspection, and Reconditioning procedures along with documentation forms; and Test & Inspect Standards, which do not include reconditioning procedures. Only devices that comply with these standards and come from companies that meet PEARL’s business, ethics, and integrity requirements qualify to carry the associated PEARL Quality Seal (blue for Reconditioned devices, green for Test & Inspect).
Today, more than 70 dealers of new, reconditioned, and surplus electrical devices are members of the PEARL trade association. For a full list of member companies, visit the PEARL website (www.pearl1.org)
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*Editor’s Note: For more information about the various PEARL standards, recycled device certifications and associated ‘seals’ and ‘stamps,’ please contact PEARL’s Marketing Director, Winn Hardin.
Caption: PEARL past president and President of ROMAC Inc. (Commerce, CA), David Rosenfield, presents “Safer, Cheaper, Greener,” a presentation on the PEARL association and its hundreds of electric apparatus reconditioning standards, to the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors at Los Amigos Country Club (Downy, CA), on November 19, 2008.
