Annual Checkups: Electrical Room Review
What’s on your organization’s annual checklist? It’s important that the electrical system is included. Regular review and inspection will help you notice red flags regarding the electrical equipment and electrical rooms.
Missing Covers
Many pieces of your electrical equipment require a cover to prevent inadvertent contact or damage to the internal energized circuits. Without a cover, dust, dirt and debris can enter the equipment interior. Covers also prevent metallic objects from falling into open knockouts and short-circuiting the internal wires and electrical devices.
Ensure that the following elements of your electrical system have covers to decrease the risk of equipment failure:
- Junction boxes
- Panels
- Switches
- Receptacles
Combustible Materials
All items, especially combustible materials, must be stored at least 36 inches away from electrical panels, electrical equipment and ventilation openings. Excessive clutter in an electrical room can lead to excessive heat buildup, which may result in premature failure and shorted equipment service life.
If electrical equipment fails, heat from arcing can melt wires, devices and electrical enclosures. If this arcing reaches nearby items, equipment failure can become catastrophic.
Your electrical room is not a proper place to store combustible materials such as:
- Corrugated paper boxes
- Paper products
- Holiday decorations
- Cleaning supplies
- Wood
Additional Items
Taking these additional steps during your annual electrical equipment checks can help keep you and your property safe:
- Remove combustible materials, holiday decorations and other unused materials from electrical rooms.
- Keep the floor of the electrical room dry.
- Restrict access to electrical rooms to authorized maintenance or operations personnel.
- Call a professional electrician if you have any concerns about the functioning of your electrical equipment.