Shock Protection Electrical Safety has been created to protect operators and to avoid electrical accidents caused by malfunctioned electrical equipment. As the effect of electricity to the human body is harmful, an electric shock can even result in death. In order to keep up with the continuously developing electricity, Shock Protection designs also follow this development to decrease the risk of electrical accidents as much as possible. Shock Protection designs need to be checked in such a way and frequency, as it is prescribed by the regulations, because the competent authorities can impose financial or more severe penalties if there is a lack in compliances.
Whose responsibility is it to take care of the completion of reviews?
It is the responsibility of the managers or the persons appointed by them to take care of the validity of periodic Shock Protection Compliance Reviews or to conduct these in case of a missing certification. Both the financial and criminal responsibility is theirs.
Why is it necessary to regularly review Shock Protection?
It is possible, that even a device made with the greatest care to malfunction. Unfortunately, the biggest drawback of dangerously high voltage is that it is invisible. The well-built Shock Protection system is supposed to prevent accidents caused by malfunctions.
How often is it necessary to inspect the equipment?
The frequency of Shock Protection Reviews and Mechanical Inspections is determined by the regulations found below.
10/2016. (IV. 5.) MNE decree 19. §
“The Compliance Review of the protection against indirect contact with low-voltage power electrical equipment (hereafter referred to as: electrical equipment) and the Shock Protection device needs to be taken care of in the framework of Mechanical Inspections and Compliance Reviews.”
Completing the Mechanical Inspection
The Mechanical Inspection must be completed after the installation, expansion, modification or maintenance of electrical equipment or Shock Protection devices
- as the finishing step of the process; and
- as the first step in the case of spotting an irregularity, which can be traced back to missing or deficient Shock Protection of the electrical equipment;
- as the introductory part of every Shock Protection Compliance Review; or
- in the case of periodic inspections, the frequency of which is specified in regulations.
Compliance Review
Compliance Reviews need to be completed in the case of installation of new electrical equipment before operational use; in the case of expansion, modification and maintenance of electrical equipment; after the completion of Mechanical Inspection; in the case of spotting any irregularities, where the missing or deficient Shock Protection of the electrical equipment can be traced back, or the cause of the irregularity or the fault could not be identified through a Mechanical Inspection; or in the case of a periodic review in a specific frequency determined by regulations.
Periodic Review
Our colleagues complete Periodic Reviews in the framework of Mechanical Inspections in the following frequency:
- Annually in the case of electrical hand tools and portable safety transformers;
- Every six years in the case of electrical equipment falling within the scope of the 40/2017. (XII. 4.) MNE legislation about connecting equipment, electrical and gas appliances, and electrical equipment and safety systems operating in areas of potential explosion hazard;
- Every three years in the case of electric equipment parts – during the introductory part of the Shock Protection Compliance Review – where the frequency of reviews is not specified by regulations.
Fire Safety Compliance Review
Reviewal of Fire Safety in accordance with power electronics. Filtering out the faults of the electrical network.
Nowadays, during the investigation of fires, after crossing out deliberate action and negligence from the list, the second item to be checked is electric malfunction, which may have caused fire. Fire Safety consists of multiple complex tasks, out of which we focus on preventing electrical fires by inspecting the buildings and territories of our employers to filter out those places, which can cause fire in case of an electrical malfunction.
Frequency of Reviews according to the 54/2014 (XII. 5.) MOI legislation about the National Fire Safety Standard:
- In the case of High Hazard categories, every 3 years.
- In the case of Medium Hazard categories, every 6 years.
- In the case of Low and Very Low Hazard categories, every 6 years.
Operational Test under extraordinary working conditions
– instead of the Shock Protection Compliance Review – in relation to electric equipment temporarily installed for the duration of the extraordinary working conditions, if they are connected to independent generators or if there are Residual Current Devices (RCD) installed into the temporary outlet device. The Electrical Operational Test has to be done before use.
Operational Test
An Operational Test must be completed in the case of RCDs and previously installed Circuit Breakers (CB) every three months. In the case of temporarily installed working areas this test must be completed during the installation of the RCDs and RVDs and then every month after that.