Importance of Power Distribution Safety
Electrical power distribution systems are critical for factories, data centers, hospitals, and large commercial complexes. Without power, it’s light out for them.
If you’re in charge of a building or facility, you want to ensure that everyone who works there is safe and secure. Ensuring that power distribution equipment in facilities is safe is essential, especially for those who use it. A great way to achieve this is by choosing a busway system that puts safety first and has been certified.
Busway systems are safer than remote power panels because it helps reduce the risk of electrical shocks and arc flash explosions. By selecting busway systems, you can feel confident that you’re using a secure and reliable option for power distribution.
When choosing a busway solution, looking for nationally recognized test lab certifications, selective coordination of fuses, and arc flash certifications covering operator and equipment safety is essential.
You’ll also want to go for a system with industry-leading short circuit ratings and an Ingress Protection safety rating of at least IP2X (with options for IP3X or IP54 if possible).
Components Contribute To A Safer System
When it comes to housing couplers in joints, it’s crucial to properly maintain the ground conduction system. The aluminum housing carries ground conduction from the busway section to section. Therefore, finding a busway solution with well-designed and reliable joints is essential to ensure everything runs smoothly. By doing so, you can rest assured that your ground conduction system is functioning at its best.
When installing tap boxes on live busways, facility engineers must prioritize safety. One of the most important considerations is ensuring that every plug-in unit has a grounding tab or device to automatically ground the unit before connecting the conductors to the busbars.
In addition to this, it’s a good idea to look for a busway solution with extra safety features.
The design of the busway itself can make a big difference when it comes to safety, especially in the installation of plug-in units. Using an asymmetrical U-shaped busbar design makes it impossible to install plug-in units incorrectly, which means there’s no risk of crossing live phases or ground paths during installation. This kind of design can help cut down on accidents and injuries in the workplace.
Monitoring What’s Happening
A power monitoring system must be able to send out alarms if something goes wrong. For example, if a busway end feed gets too hot, around 85°C, the system should email or alert your BMS or DCIM to inform you that something might be overheating and could cause a fire.
The monitoring system should also let you know if any plug-in units aren’t working right, and it should be able to send you an email if something suddenly shuts off.
If you’re in the market for power delivery solutions, finding a busway system that gives you peace of mind is critical. You want to feel confident that your power distribution system will always have the necessary capacity to deliver the power you need.
Additionally, it’s essential to prioritize the safety of your workers and select a busway system that can adapt to the layout and changing power requirements of your facility.
Read our whitepaper for more on how track busway provides reliability, flexibility, and safety.