FOCUS
Ease your load
Alessandro de Danieli shows how advances in technology, such as circuit protection, are mitigating a host of electrical hazards
A
S ONE of the most important advances in technology throughout history, electricity has vastly improved living standards the
world over and powered countless generations of innovation. Indeed, many of today’s modern amenities from on demand lighting to computing and the internet could not exist if it were not for electricity. Yet, it is all too easy to forget how dangerous it can be. When not properly controlled or protected
against, electricity can be a wild and unpredictable force. It is highly sensitive to environmental factors and climactic conditions. In the wrong environment, it can be potentially deadly to those who use and try to control it. This is particularly true of electrical installations
as they age. Over time, circuits and controls deteriorate due to heat, humidity and damage during use. If safety precautions are neglected or ignored, the result can be dangerous hazards producing electric shocks, burns, explosions and fires that endanger the lives of installers and end users. Home Offi ce fi gures suggest 27,621 accidental
dwelling fi res occurred from 2017 to 2018, 34% of which were caused by ‘misuse of equipment or appliances’. These dangers are very real, so installations must always be treated with caution.
32 OCTOBER 2019
www.frmjournal.com Fortunately, technology provides many ways
to protect against the worst effects of electrical fi res. It is impossible for building, facility or energy managers to monitor all parts of a circuit at once, so organisations should look for solutions that actively hunt for faults, and intervene to protect users from harm and mitigate hazards. In light of the great variety of electrical hazards, sometimes the best form of defence is offence and prevention is better than reaction.
Overloads/short circuits
In electrical circuits, electrical disturbances are very common and often result in inconsistent power quality. However, when a rise occurs in electrical current that exceeds the capacity of the cable it is being carried by, it will cause it to overheat which may, in turn, lead to a fire. In the extreme case of a short circuit, the sudden release of a large amount of energy could even result in a dangerous explosion. Since the very early days of electrifi cation, fuses and circuit breakers have been instrumental in preventing these kinds of safety hazard. The principle behind these technologies is that when a disturbance
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
