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continue operation, an adequate temporary solution shall be
used. This shall be reported to the owner of the equipment so all
parties are advised.
Initial safety checks shall include:
That capacitors are discharged: this shall be done in a safe manner
to avoid possibility of sparking.
That there no live electrical components and wiring are exposed
while charging, recovering or purging the system.
That there is continuity of earth bonding.
8. Repair to intrinsically safe components
Do not apply any permanent inductive or capacitance loads to the
circuit without ensuring that this will not exceed the permissible
voltage and current permitted for the equipment in use.
Intrinsically safe components are the only types that can be
worked on while live in the presence of a flammable atmosphere.
The test apparatus shall be at the correct rating.
Replace components only with parts specified by the manufac-
turer. Other parts may result in the ignition of refrigerant in the
atmosphere from a leak.
9. Cabling
Check that cabling will not be subject to wear, corrosion, excessive
pressure, vibration, sharp edges or any other adverse environmen-
tal effects. The check shall also take into account the effects of ag-
ing or continual vibration from sources such as compressors or
fans.
7. Repairs to sealed components
1. During repairs to sealed components, all electrical supplies shall
be disconnected from the equipment being worked upon prior to
any removal of sealed covers, etc. If it is absolutely necessary to
have an electrical supply to equipment during servicing, then a
permanently operating form of leak detection shall be located at
the most critical point to warn of a potentially hazardous situa-
tion.
2. Particular attention shall be paid to the following to ensure
that by working on electrical components, the casing is not al-
tered in such a way that the level of protection is affected.
This shall include damage to cables, excessive number of connec-
tions, terminals not made to original specification, damage to
seals, incorrect fitting of glands, etc.
Ensure that apparatus is mounted securely.
Ensure that seals or sealing materials have not degraded such that
they no longer serve the purpose of preventing the ingress of
flammable atmospheres. Replacement parts shall be in accor-
dance with the manufacturer's specifications.
Note:
The use of silicon sealant may inhibit the effectiveness of
some types of leak detection equipment. Intrinsically safe compo-
nents do not have to be isolated prior to working on them.