Safety first

Location of the switchgear is an important factor in deciding its specification and its housing.
[More Images]

The protection of enclosures against ingress of dirt or against the ingress of water is defined in IEC529 (BSEN60529:1991). An enclosure which protects equipment against ingress of particles will also protect a person from potential hazards within that enclosure.

The degrees of protection are most commonly expressed as “IP” followed by two numbers, eg: IP65, where the numbers define the degree of protection. The first digit (foreign bodies protection) shows the extent to which the equipment is protected against particles, or to which people are protected from enclosed hazards.

The second digit (water protection) indicates the extent of protection against water.

So an enclosure rated IP66 would be  intended for general purpose indoor and outdoor use primarily to provide a degree of protection against corrosion, windblown dust and rain, splashing water, and hose-directed water; and to be undamaged by the formation of ice on the enclosure.

Source: ezscreen.com

Story continues below

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

SF6 is a man-made, highly potent greenhouse gas (one of six) with an estimated atmospheric life of 3 200 years and a global warming potential (GWP) 23 000 times that of CO2.