Best practices are important for processes that you need to work correctly. When it comes to the world of electrical and low-voltage contractors, best practices ensure that maximum efforts are taken to create a safe environment, which can mean the difference between life and death in some cases.

Most accidents involving electricity are the result of unsafe and improper work practices or improper installation and equipment. Best practices when installing surge protection may not be as simple as grounding, guarding, and insulation. When planning a surge protection strategy, the best place to begin is by assessing the incoming power connections. This is the primary entry point for power surges and spikes that originate from outside the building. Protecting the power connection also provides protection from internally generated power anomalies resulting from refrigeration equipment, air handling equipment and similar high current devices.  Be sure to consider any additional systems your facility might have including data, fire, security and communications.

Many facilities have areas secured and protected by Access Control systems, including all types of businesses, government and educational institutions, manufacturing and storage facilities, and even residential buildings. The reasons for this control are as varied as the facilities themselves. In one case, the purpose might be safety – to keep people away from hazardous machinery or chemicals. In other cases, it might be to prevent theft, provide a secure work space, keep non-residents out, or to make sure members have paid their fees. In every case, these systems are implemented to ensure that only authorized people can enter these protected areas.

Many electronic systems are in service today to improve our lives – some by protecting our safety (fire alarm systems, for example), some by facilitating transactions (such as point of sale devices, ATMs and fuel pumps), and some by providing security (including access control and video surveillance), among many others.  All of these systems have numerous factors in common. First, they all incorporate sensitive electronic processors and components that could potentially be damaged by over-voltages. Secondly, they all have cable connections between components and/or other electronic infrastructure. This makes them all vulnerable to damage – not only from electrical surges that enter from outside your building, but also those that come from within. While most savvy integrators and installers are aware that cost-effective surge protection devices are available, surge protectors are not always installed according to current best practices. One prime example of this is the failure to protect both ends of a cable or wire run.

Many businesses that need to keep a large array of merchandise on hand maintain and operate immense warehouses with significant infrastructure requirements. For many of these warehouses, refrigeration is an essential function to keep produce and other fragile products fresh. With advanced refrigeration technology these devices now have a great deal of complex operability—some can maintain temperature to a tenth of a degree, allowing storage of much more delicate products, and many are now networked to enable remote management and monitoring.

In the analog world, when a device was affected by an electrical power surge, the damage was limited to just that device. Today, the efficiency of many systems depends on the networking of that system’s devices-- with the cost of sharing the surges that affect them. Modern electronic devices are more capable than ever, but they are also smaller, more delicate, and expensive to replace. To protect your critical devices from any surge that might occur, it’s essential to install lasting surge protection.