Planned outages for electrical equipment maintenance and repairs are fundamental to the operation of a facility. Taking the time to ensure safe operation of systems helps prevent unplanned downtime and losses, but it comes with a unique set of hazards.

Outages are stressful for personnel. The demands are high — test all equipment, make enough repairs to justify the outage, get equipment recharged as soon as possible — and the risks are high too. Pitfalls include equipment deficiencies, misplaced tools initiating faults, and personnel cutting corners to meet deadlines.

Breaker cabinet in electrical substation room for power plant

Risk mitigation is essential to prevent financial losses or, worse, injuries. Learn more about thorough return-to-service planning that includes a detailed sequence of operations, the use of proper PPE or remote racking and remote switching solutions, and more in this white paper from CBS ArcSafe. Knowing the real-world risk factors of returning an electrical system to service and following best practices can reduce or eliminate risks.

Contact us with any questions about returning equipment to service or our electrical safety solutions.