Tuesday, 27 April 2021

Safety distance and electrical transformers

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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