There's good reason to leave electrical work to the experts. For any transformer maintenance job, our team of experts follows a complete safety protocol. Part of this is maintaining a safe distance from the transformer when testing. Read on to learn more about this distance.
What is meant by a safety distance?
The safety distance is the free space
between one or more people and, in this case, the electrical transformer. This
space allows an adequate reaction time in case of difficulties during the
execution and maintenance tasks.
The staff must also have the relevant
safety elements, such as a helmet, gloves, boots and all the necessary
requirements. Both the safety distance and the protective equipment are
intended to prevent risks.
Electrical transformers and the
necessary distance
To work with the safety distance, it is
necessary to consider that there are different levels within it. The first
point to clarify is that the distance will be different between low, medium and
high voltage works.
Low voltage
In the event that the transformer is
located in an urbanization, protection systems must be considered to prevent
radiation from affecting people who live nearby. The transformers found in
these places are low voltage. The most common protection is usually concrete
envelopes in specially designed cabinets.
Medium and high voltage
On the other hand, medium voltage
transformers that transform to low voltage are usually installed inside
buildings. In this case, there is a regulation in charge of regulating the
installation conditions inside, taking care that there are no radiation leaks.
This is also useful for high voltage transformers. The latter, in the long
term, could harm people's health. For this reason, it is essential to have the
necessary safety equipment.
Is it dangerous to be near a
transformer?
With the necessary equipment and respecting
the safety distance, it is not. The World Health Organization (WHO) sets the
maximum limit for electromagnetic field emissions at 100 microtears. In the
case of medium to low voltage electrical transformers, once installed, they
generally do not reach these amounts. However, it is recommended to maintain a
distance of at least 5 meters from a transformer in operation, especially if
you do not have the necessary protective equipment.
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