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Use of ICAR Capacitors in UPS Systems
Use of ICAR Capacitors in UPS Systems
Target All users of industrial uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems including,
Audience: but not limited to, the chemical industry, energy industry, offshore oil and gas
production and other users of high capacity electrical capacitors in industrial
equipment.
UPS system manufacturer Vertiv Infrastructure Ltd has taken steps to alert
known users of its UPS systems which may have contained the affected
capacitors about this safety issue.
The importer of the capacitors (PSL Assemblies Limited) has taken steps to
alert one customer known to have purchased the affected capacitors.
• Two fires in industrial UPS systems were caused by the failure (due
to overheating) of self-healing polypropylene capacitors
manufactured by ICAR of Monza, Italy.
Action Required:
Introduction
This Safety Alert is aimed at:
All users of industrial uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems including, but not limited to,
the chemical industry, energy industry, offshore oil and gas production and other users of high
capacity electrical capacitors in industrial equipment.
Affected capacitors are known to be found in some models of UPS system manufactured by
Vertiv Infrastructure, previously trading as Emerson or Chloride.
As noted above, affected capacitors may also be found in other industrial equipment and users
of such equipment should use the information in this safety alert to assess the ongoing risk of
using this equipment and the need to consider further risk control measures.
Background
In 2018 a fire occurred in an industrial UPS system manufactured by Vertiv Infrastructure,
previously known as - Emerson / Chloride. The fire was caused by the dangerous failure of
ICAR branded polypropylene capacitors located in the UPS unit which carry out AC voltage
waveform correction.
Enquiries by the Health and Safety Executive have found that another ICAR branded
polypropylene capacitor was responsible for a similar UPS system fire in 2011.
Both capacitors are of polypropylene film construction and are intended to be ‘self-healing’ as,
when a fault occurs within a discreet area of the capacitor, there is localised heating which
results in internal isolation of the faulty area allowing the capacitor to continue in service.
However in the above incidents excessive heating resulted in a dangerous failure and
subsequent fire within the UPS cabinets.
Self-healing polypropylene capacitors have a limited life span which can be affected by factors
including service duty and ambient temperature. Methods to identify the need to replace the
capacitors may include techniques such as;
• capacitance testing
However these methods may not be reliable indicators of the remaining life span of these
particular capacitors.
UPS system manufacturer Vertiv Infrastructure Ltd has taken steps to alert known users of its
UPS systems which may have contained the affected capacitors about this safety issue.
The importer of the capacitors (PSL Assemblies Limited) has taken steps to alert one customer
known to have purchased the affected capacitors.
Actions Required
Dutyholders are advised to take a precautionary approach and consider prompt replacement of
both capacitor models where these have been identified in UPS systems or other industrial
equipment.
Dutyholders are also advised to review ventilation and cooling requirements for UPS systems
to ensure that acceptable operating temperatures are not exceeded.
Further information
Any questions relating to this safety alert should be addressed to:
Health and Safety Executive
Chemicals, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS
General note
Please share this information with a colleague who may have this product/ equipment or
operate this type of system/process.