How to Ensure Switchboard Safety
When it comes to building custom switchboards and supplying power solutions for your next project, safety should always be the number one priority.
To ensure switchboard safety, periodic testing is essential to check for hots spots and faults, but safety starts well before technological devices come into use.
Below are the steps you need to take to protect your staff and ensure your switchboard is functioning at optimum level.
Check for faults and damage
The first step after you’ve received your switchboard is to check what has been delivered against the inventory list. If anything is missing, or you notice damage, you should flag this immediately to minimise risk.
Protect personnel
Staff should not be permitted near a live or inactive switchboard without the appropriate operational and safety training. Its imperative that personnel working around live parts have protection. All necessary measures should be put in place to prevent individuals coming into accidental contact with any part of the switchboard.
Treat all connections as live
When taking precautions to protect staff from coming into contact with live circuits, every connection should be treated as energised until it has been fully assessed by a competent person who can confirm the circuits in question are dead. When working on parts of a switchboard that carry electrical current, its essential to make sure these sections have been disconnected from the system before commencing work.
Keep detailed records
Maintaining your machinery in optimal condition is much easier with a maintenance schedule in place. Regular maintenance will prevent a sudden breakdown which can be very costly and time consuming.
By looking after your switchboard, you will extend its lifecycle, and reduce the need for replacement parts and expensive repairs. You will be in a position to detect faults and operating issues before they turn into failures. A machine which is operating efficiently also uses less power.
Your maintenance checklist should include the following:
· Records of installed switchboards and related maintenance plans.
· A list of equipment and components, replaced or renewed parts and accompanying blueprints.
· Detailed accounts of inspections made during testing and all changes made.
· A record of all previous inspections, including testing results and maintenance plans.
When it comes to safety you need to be proactive not reactive. Keeping detailed records and maintenance checklists will protect everyone working with or around the switchboard.
Be aware of damaging conditions
Regular maintenance of your switchboard can prevent sudden breakdowns, but there are conditions you should be aware of which may lead to unexpected failure. These include:
· High temperatures and humidity
· Corrosive atmospheres
· Excessive dirt and dust in the environment.
By being attuned to the conditions that can cause electrical equipment to fail more frequently you can assess your surroundings and design a maintenance schedule to address these issues.
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