Friday, January 30, 2015

Why Ground Fault System Certification Is Important To Businesses

By Ines Flores


If given the chance, any electrical circuit will take the path that offers less resistance when going to ground. When a human being completes that connection, the result may be a damaging or fatal shock. If the fault is the result of equipment malfunction or engineering error, the cost can be severely damaged or destroyed equipment, and an increased chance of liability for injuries. Ground fault system certification helps sustain high levels of safety compliance.

Although people assume that all building electrical system or equipment design issues automatically include proper grounding techniques, each has unique requirements. If errors were made in the original planning or the installed equipment and connections have not been maintained properly, a low-level arcing ground fault can demolish expensive switching gear by producing an electrical arc similar to those used when welding metals.

NETA, or the International Electrical Testing Association, claims that up to fifteen percent of all the installations they test have problems having the potential to cause damage or injury. Protections are required by the National Electrical Code in the United States, and include the installation of specialized sensors that are able to detect and clear problems in the milliseconds before they result in costly damage.

They work by determining that electrical current is both going out and returning properly. If the pathway is out of phase, the electrical current will commonly take an alternate route that offers less resistance. That can be a building steel framework, pipes, or interior conduits. Safety devices monitor them by using current transformers to detect whether there is any deviation in the route, and a relay logic device that determines the value and timing of tripping current.

The majority of safety systems also contain mechanisms able to activate a safety switch or circuit breaker in the event of trouble, as well as testing panels designed to simulate problems and test responses. Although they commonly accompany new installations, these testing mechanisms do not always meet the high standards set by the National Electrical Code. Manual inspection is the preferred option.

Certified and trained technicians make judgments based on the latest technological assessments that are currently associated with building safety and electrical system designs, and their testing equipment conforms to uniform standards in all locations. They can provide recorded documentation of any issues that may be discovered, and retain information from the evaluations that have already been performed.

The certification that NETA provides for employees helps ensure competency when dealing with potential hazards, and deals with existing issues using accepted safety procedures. Each individual must conform to the minimum industry requirements for experience, and complete all necessary training. These employees are also required to provide impartial and independent analysis.

Insurance companies recommend annual testing. The cost involved varies, depending on the type of equipment, the scheduled timing of the event, and the actual topography of the site. Coordination with local utilities may be required, which testing companies arrange. A system that is in good working order will be able to detect and correct problems instantly, potentially saving thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs.




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