FAQ with our most asked questions - Switchgear Safety

At Switchgear Safety we design and manufacture the industry’s highest quality electrical safety products focused on remote operation and lock-out/tag-out safety solutions. We work together with our customers to create a custom and well rounded solution to ensure that all of their specific safety needs are met. By challenging the status quo with innovative and competitive products we are reinventing the marketplace for these life-saving tools and are focused on becoming the market leader in the electrical safety sector.

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At Switchgear Safety we have identified close to 1,000 potential applications for our products – so there is a good chance we’ve seen your application too. But if not, we are adding to our catalog every day and work with customers all over the world to develop safety products for new applications based on our customers’ requested specifications.

To get a price quote from Switchgear Safety please contact us directly so that we can discuss your application details and requirements. You can call us at (888) SGSAFETY, us at , or go to our contact page and fill out the form. Once we have your information one of our experts will be in touch with you shortly to discuss the project details and put together a proposal for you.

All of Switchgear Safety’s products are designed, assembled, and tested to ensure 100% compatibility with each customer’s specific application. And while our most popular product configurations are stocked “on the shelf” ready for quick shipment, our products for less common applications may require additional time for assembly and testing. Products for applications not yet developed may be quoted at an extended lead time depending on the complexity, equipment availability, and customer requirements.

This is a decision that should be based on each customer’s specific in-house rules and regulations as NFPA 70E and OSHA do not address this issue directly. However, Switchgear Safety recommends at least a minimum level of PPE to protect users against any and all arc flash hazards.

Minimum operating distance for any piece of electrical equipment depends entirely on the results of a detailed site specific arc flash study. In many cases, a standard 35 foot (10.7 meter) operating cable will be more than sufficient to allow operation from outside of the arc flash boundary. But if this distance is not sufficient, Switchgear Safety offers wired cable extensions and wireless remote control on all products to increase the operation distance up to 300 feet (91.4 meters) for the most dangerous circumstances.

Arc flash hazards and safety standards are detailed extensively in the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. Additionally, other organizations including ANSI, IEC, IEEE, NEMA, NETA, OSHA, & UL all publish documents or standards related to the field of electrical safety. And of course you can always contact Switchgear Safety directly to learn more about how our products and services can help keep your technicians safe and your facility up to code.

There are applications where electrical equipment is housed inside of a non-magnetic enclosure. In these instances Switchgear Safety has several options available to choose from depending on the application – including providing a custom designed mounting plate for installation onto the switchgear, or by modifying the equipment or enclosure to accept a customized version of the remote operator.

Switchgear Safety helps customers with their specialized safety needs and critical applications across a wide variety of both high-profile and niche markets in the industrial sector. Our in-depth knowledge of these vital industries allows for unparalleled customer service and support designed to meet the needs of our many partners in these markets.

At Switchgear Safety we serve customers of all shapes and sizes regardless of their geographic location. Since we are based in the USA, our customer base is primarily domestic, but we regularly work with customers in other countries throughout the world as well because we believe that our products and services can be beneficial to facilities everywhere.

When older breakers become unreliable and maintenance costs rise, electrical engineers face a choice: replace aging switchgear or modernize it with an upgrade. In many cases, an upgrade is the best choice because it costs less and requires little downtime, yet an upgrade brings modern capabilities and improves system performance. Each power system and situation is unique, but the challenges of aging electrical equipment can be addressed without total replacement. Start assessing your best choice by asking these four questions:

1. Do you need to minimize planned downtime?

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Every system operator wants less downtime, but some mission-critical operations strive to minimize planned downtime as much as possible. A replacement will require more downtime because it requires the removal of old switchgear infrastructure. By contrast, an upgrade requires minimal planned downtime because the existing structure remains intact.

2. Is finding budget for the project and justifying the expenditure problematic?

An upgrade is an operating expense and typically easier to fund than switchgear replacement, which is new equipment and requires capital funds. Upgrading costs less because the existing footprint remains, and retrofits can be paid for over time.

Upgrading can even be a cost-effective solution for older switchgear that is hard to reach or requires unique configuration. Replacement requires the purchase of new equipment, moving conduit, structure reconfiguration and testing. The upside is new infrastructure, but be prepared for higher costs and bigger upfront expenses.

3. How to mitigate risk for your modernization project?

An upgrade is lower risk because it requires fewer project hours, less site preparation, less disposal management and less hands-on manipulation of cables and other electrical equipment.

A total replacement results in more material waste, which must be properly discarded or recycled. New switchgear can require new or spliced cabling, which also increases risk.

4. Do you require latest equipment capabilities?

Replacing old equipment with new equipment provides an instant modernization to the latest standards, but modernization to the latest standards also comes with upgrades. Safety, communications and other standards are updated.

Next Step

Dive deeper into available solutions for upgrade and replacement, and document actual cost, downtime requirements and other details with our new tool.

Are you interested in learning more about switchgear manufacturer? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!