Enhanced Safety Features in Motor Control Centers and Drives for Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

It is common practice in the industry for electrical workers to be exposed to shock and arc blast and arc flash hazards as they perform routine maintenance and diagnostic testing on equipment enclosed in motor control centers (MCCs). This paper will illustrate the influence that various IEEE conferences, including the Electrical Safety Workshop, has had on changing the electrical safety culture related to equipment diagnostics. End users are now requesting manufacturers of low- and medium-voltage MCCs to develop or add features and functionality into their products that enhance the ability of electrical maintenance and operating personnel to conduct routine diagnostic and troubleshooting tasks without being directly exposed to energized electrical equipment. This paper will explore some of these features and provide some examples of routine maintenance and diagnostic tasks that can be performed while doing troubleshooting and diagnostic tasks on operating equipment without opening enclosure doors and exposing workers to the hazards associated with exposed energized equipment.