Substation Reliability Tip #12

Safety and Reliability are Close Companions

Safety is an investment you will never regret. Substation hazards are severe, and managing them effectively is undeniably crucial. The good news is that industry advancements have made enhanced safety more accessible and affordable than ever before. Investing even a little can drastically reduce task times and allow you to perform inspections with fewer personnel. Ultimately, the efforts to mitigate safety risks will increase system efficiency in the long run. Therefore, establishing a culture of safety is an investment in overall reliability.

The first step in keeping people safe is understanding the risks that electric power systems pose. The primary risks associated with substation equipment include:

Arc flash
Component failures
Structure fire
Electrical shock
Electrocution

Understanding what’s at stake is only half the battle. The other half is investing in safety solutions, which take time, money, and effort to implement. But that investment pays off with increased efficiency, performance, and reliability. Examples of this win-win scenario of safety and reliability are:

Following IEEE, NFPA, and OSHA guidelines
External sampling (SampleSafe)
Remote transformer monitoring (Guardian)
IR inspection windows

SDMyers has worked alongside commercial and industrial organizations for more than half a century to keep their electric power systems reliable, safe, and cost-effective. Over those years, we have cultivated our expertise based on data and the foundational understanding you need to complete the process from start to finish. Safety doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design.