Protection

Against Electric
Shock
 FORMS OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
• Direct Contact
contact of persons or livestock with
live parts,
(Electric shock in normal
service)

• Indirect Contact
contact of persons or livestock with exposed-
conductive-parts (such as the metallic enclosure of
equipment) made live by a fault,
10
(Electric shock in case of a fault)
PROTECTION AGAINST
DIRECT CONTACT
 Summary of Prescribed Measures for
Direct Contact Protection
(for use in low voltage installations)
Measure Purpose Application
(protection by)

a) Insulation of live Prevent contact with live General

parts parts
b) Barriers or Prevent or deter contact General
enclosures with live parts
c) Obstacles Prevent unintentional Limited to areas and locations
accessible only to skilled
contact with live parts persons or instructed
persons under the direct
supervision of a skilled
person
d) Placing out of Prevent unintentional
reach contact with live parts
 Measure Purpose Application
(protection by)
a) Insulation of live Prevent contact with live General
parts parts
 Electrical Enclosures

Measure Purpose Application

(protection by)
b) Barriers or Prevent contact with live General
enclosures parts
 Degrees of Protection for
Electrical Equipment

International Protection (IP)

Code Classification System
(BS EN 60529)
International Protection (IP) Code
Classification System
• The degrees of protection provided by
enclosures are identified by a symbol
comprising:
- the two letters I P (International
Protection), which always remain the same,
- and two digits indicating the degree of
protection.
• The term “degree of protection” must be used to
indicate the full symbol (code letters, code
digits).
Supplementary Protection by
Residual Current Devices
PROTECTION AGAINST
INDIRECT CONTACT
 IMPORTANT TERMS

• Exposed-conductive-part

• Extraneous-conductive-part

• Protective conductor
 Measure Purpose Application
(protection by)

a)Earthed equi- Prevent occurrence of a dangerous voltage General

potential bonding and between simultaneously accessible
automatic conductive parts
disconnection of supply

b) Use of class II Prevent exposed surface work of Where using equipment of

equipment or equipment becoming live through basic particular construction
equivalent insulation insulation failure
c) Non-conducting Prevent simultaneous contact with parts Special situations under
location which may be at different potentials effective supervision
through basic insulation failure

d) Earth-free local Maintain simultaneously accessible parts Special situations which

bonding at same potential during a fault
e) Electrical separation Prevent shock current from contact with
exposed-conductive-parts during a fault
are Earth-free and under
effective supervision
Individual circuit
supplying one item of
equipment or, for special
situations under effective
supervision, several items
Earthed Equipotential
Bonding
 USE OF CLASS 2 EQUIPMENT
OR EQUIVALENT INSULATION
• Class II equipment is enclosed within a double insulated case
and does not require earthing conductors

• Class II equipment is usually fitted with a 2-pin mains plug

• An internal electrical fault is unlikely to be hazardous as the

double insulation prevents any external parts from becoming
alive

• Class II or double insulated equipment can be identified by the

class II symbol on the cabinet
Class I Equipment
• Fitted with a three core mains cable
containing a protective earth wire

• Exposed metal parts on

class I equipment are connected to
this earth wire

• Should a fault develop inside the

equipment and the exposed metal
comes into contact with the mains,
the earthing conductor will conduct
the fault current to ground

• Regular testing procedures ensure

that earthing conductors are intact,
as the integrity of the earth wire is of
vital importance
T = Earth (from the French word Terre)
N = Neutral
S = Separate
Protective Earthing
Measurement of protective earth
continuity
Protection by out-of arm’s reach arrangements and the
interposition of non-conducting obstacles
Measurement of insulation resistance for
class I equipment
Low-voltage supplies from a safety isolating
transformer
Nameplate Data of Electrical Equipment