Everyone wants to make their workplace or any other organization a safer place. A safety switch can help you achieve that by providing the highest level of protection for anyone near or working on electrical equipment. Safety switches serve multiple purposes, from disconnecting faulty electrical equipment to testing the emergency stoppage in case of a complication. This blog will cover what safety switches mean, their work, and their types.
What Are Safety Switches?
Safety switches monitor the current that flows through your wiring system. It detects changes in power and cuts it off if there is variance due to leakage or overload. This aids with the prevention of potential hazards such as electrical shocks, fire, or other injuries to your employees or family members.
Safety switches are used to open and close circuits as a means of disconnecting for service entry or to assist lock-out/tag-out procedures for motors and other important power system equipment.
It is a significant priority in today’s society to establish a safer environment for everyone near or working on electrical equipment. With this goal in mind, safety switches have evolved to provide more robust protection for equipment and employees. Safety switches make it quick and easy to disconnect and reconnect power when equipment requires maintenance. With the power turned off, workers can securely work on the downstream equipment without fear of contacting live voltage.
What Are the Different Types of Safety Switches?
Safety switches, also known as residual current circuit breakers (RCCBs) or residual current devices (RCDs), are essential components in any home. When unsafe levels of electricity leak to the ground through broken switches, wiring, or appliances, they quickly interrupt the current and turn the power off. This technology offers extremely good personal protection against electrocution or electric shock.
Most importantly, a safety switch operates in 10 to 50 milliseconds. This means avoiding costly property damage and saving your life in less than a second! There are three types of safety switches available, depending on the level of protection they provide. They are as follows:
- Switchboard safety switches: These are also known as meter box-mounted safety switches are used to protect electrical circuits, appliances, and extension cords. A licensed electrician must install them.
- Powerpoint safety switches: Appliances and power cords hooked into PowerPoint safety switches are protected. Putting PowerPoint safety switches on the first PowerPoint closest to the switchboard is critical.
- Portable safety switches: Portable safety switches are, as the name implies, protective devices used for power tools and other electrical appliances that do not have access to the switchboard or PowerPoint safety switches.
What Is the Importance of Safety Switches
So, what are the advantages of including safety switches in your electrical system?
- Safeguarding your loved ones
- Your equipment will be safe
- A short-circuiting and overloading
- Identifies defective appliances
- Aids in the detection of damaged wiring
Ensure Your Safety Switches Are Tested frequently.
Even if you believe your home is completely secure, you should never jeopardize your or your family’s safety. Every safety switch in your power box should have a test button that would cut power the same way a power imbalance would. You may reset the control by clicking it back to the on position. Contact a licensed electrician if your switch does not cut electricity or does not return to the on position.