How Does a Safety Switch Detect a Problem in the Circuit?
Safety switches perform a vital function in a vast array of modern commercial and industrial businesses. These tools are vital for preserving safety, helping avoid potential risks of electrical shock to employees, operators, and even in some cases client’s. But though these are an important tool, we often find that folks coming to Salient for products are somewhat unfamiliar with exactly what a safety switch is.
The most common misconception lies in confusing a safety switch with a circuit breaker, which is a topic we covered in-depth recently. We’ll be touching briefly on this again, but the more important topic today will be how a safety switch works and what makes it so effective for preserving safety and business security.
Looking for safety switches, disconnects, automatic transfer switches, or other power and safety products? Feel free to reach out to Salient at any time to find out more! You can reach us online via email, or give our experts a call at 704-594-4107 to speak with an expert directly
The Basics of Safety Switch Function
The primary objective of a safety switch is in preventing harm to personnel. These systems are installed within breaker panels, and frequently are also employed at-site (or “at power/power-point”) where major electrical equipment is in use.
The function overall is a fairly simple one: the safety switch monitors the live electrical current that is flowing within operating equipment or electrical devices. When the current within the monitored circuit deviates from its path at all, the switch engages and cuts off electrical power. Keep in mind that a safety switch does not detect circuit overloading, which is the job of a breaker. Instead the safety switch monitors the movement of current.
When something goes wrong with an electrical system, electricity can move to a nearby human body. When the current begins to shift to flow into a person rather than the equipment, the switch detects this movement and shuts the system down.
In a nutshell: Electrical current within machinery moves in an established path. If the current deviates from the path at all (most commonly in the case of potential personal harm due to electrical shock), then the safety switch will kill the current nearly instantaneously.
Safety Switches Are Designed to Protect People
The use of breakers and surge diverters can be immensely important to a business, and do a lot to both improve safety and functionality of a business. But it’s very important to understand that these alone are not enough. Breakers and surge diverters are not designed to specifically protect people. But safety switches are! This is why they’re so important to a healthy, safe place of business or manufacturing facility.
Safety Switch Solutions from Salient
Safety switches are integral to a safe, functional, and productive business. That’s why at Salient we strive to provide the absolute best in safety switch systems and products to our client’s. To learn more about the safety switch and power solution products we offer, feel free to view our product pages at any time.