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INTRODUCTION TO

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
SAFETY
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INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRICAL ENG’G
SAFETY

PROTECTION AGAINST
DIRECT CONTACT
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 INSULATION OF LIVE PARTS

In order to operate, electric equipment contains parts at different

potentials, which must be properly insulated from each other
and from their enclosure through the functional insulation.
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 INSULATION OF LIVE PARTS

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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND BARRIERS

Both enclosures and barriers are constructions, firmly held
in their positions, intended to prevent persons from
intentionally, or accidentally, touching live parts without
the aid of tools.
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND BARRIERS

As the term suggests, enclosures provide protection in any
approaching direction to the equipment by “enclosing” it.
Live parts are inside the protective construction. Barriers,
instead, may offer the same defined degree of protection
against direct contact, but only in a limited number of
approaching “routes” to the equipment. Safety is equally
achieved if live parts are kept “behind” barriers, instead of
inside of an enclosure.
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND BARRIERS

The IEC International Protection Code has standardized
designations composed of the letters IP followed by two characteristic
numerals, which describe the degree of protection offered by different
types of enclosures and barriers.
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND BARRIERS

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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND BARRIERS

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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND BARRIERS

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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND MECHANICAL IMPACTS

RELATION BETWEEN IK CODE AND IMPACT ENERGY

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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 IP and IK CODES
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 IP and IK CODES
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 IP and IK CODES
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ENCLOSURES AND MECHANICAL IMPACTS

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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION BY OBSTACLES

Obstacles are elements placed between exposed live parts

and persons (e.g., fence, handrail, mesh, screen, etc.).
They prevent direct contacts by increasing the distance
from energized parts, which, otherwise, would be
accessible. Safety is, therefore, assured by keeping
exposed live parts out of reach.
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PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

 ADDITIONAL PROTECTION BY RESIDUAL

CURRENT DEVICES
Residual current devices (RCDs) are also referred to as
residual current operated circuit-breakers (RCCBs) or
ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). RCDs with
operating current Idn not exceeding 30 mA are additional
means of protection against direct contact. When they are
used in households and similar environments, non-trained
people should be able to easily operate them.
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INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRICAL ENG’G
SAFETY

PROTECTION AGAINST
INDIRECT CONTACT
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION BY AUTOMATIC DISCONNECTION

OF SUPPLY
Passive means of protection, that is, not involving
disconnection of supply, may be used to prevent the
occurrence of hazardous situations in case of failure of the
basic insulation. The continuity of the service is, then,
preserved, which is particularly important in installations
where the loss of energy can be detrimental to safety. Such
protective measure is typically used when skilled and
instructed persons strictly supervise the installation.
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION WITHOUT AUTOMATIC

DISCONNECTION OF SUPPLY
The automatic disconnection of the faulty circuit from its
source is an active protective measure aimed to limit the
persistence of prospective touch voltages on an ECP to a
time that the human body can withstand without incurring
harmful physiological effects. The protective device must
promptly trip in accordance with the magnitude of the
touch voltage.
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION BY USE OF CLASS II EQUIPMENT

OR EQUIVALENT INSULATION
If the basic insulation fails, in order to prevent the
appearance of potentials on the exposed parts of electrical
items, a supplementary and independent layer of insulation
material may be added to safeguard persons against
indirect contact .
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION BY NONCONDUCTING LOCATIONS

This measure is intended to prevent, through the non-

conductive nature of the location itself, the exposure to
dangerous potential differences between simultaneously
accessible parts and between live parts and the earth. The
insulation of the location, in fact, avoids, or drastically
limits, the circulation of current through a person’s body in
case of contact with faulty equipment.
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION BY EARTH-FREE LOCAL

EQUIPOTENTIAL BONDING
In earth-free locations, the appearance of dangerous touch
voltages is prevented by means of local equipotential
bonding conductors. In the case of failure of the basic
insulation, in fact, such conductors, by connecting together
both simultaneously accessible Class I equipment
supplied by different phase conductors and the floor (if
conductive), can prevent, or reduce, the appearance of
dangerous potential difference in the installation being
protected.
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT

 PROTECTION BY ELECTRICAL SEPARATION

As per IEC, electrically separated systems use isolating

transformers, with the same value of primary and
secondary voltages not exceeding 500 V. Such
transformers isolate persons from ground, and from other
circuits, thereby preventing the circulation of earth
currents upon faults. In this arrangement, the ECPs must
not be grounded.
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PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT
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WRAP-UP

PROTECTION AGAINST DIRECT CONTACT

Insulation of Live Parts
Enclosures and Barriers
Enclosures and Mechanical Impacts
Protection by Obstacles
Additional Protection by Residual Current Devices
PROTECTION AGAINST INDIRECT CONTACT
Protection by Automatic Disconnection of Supply
Protection without Automatic Disconnection of Supply
Protection by Use of Class ii Equipment or Equivalent
Insulation
Protection by Non-conducting Locations
Protection by Earth-Free Local Equipotential Bonding
Protection by Electrical Separation
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