3. Repairs to sealed components
• 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
situation.
• Particular attention shall be paid
to the following to ensure that by
working on electrical components, the
casing is not altered in such a way
that the level of protection is affected.
This shall include damage to cables,
excessive number of connections,
terminals not made to original
specifi cation, damage to seals,
incorrect fi tting 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 fl ammable
atmospheres.
• Replacement parts shall be in
accordance with the manufacturer's
specifi cations.
NOTE: The use of silicon sealant may
inhibit the effectiveness of some types
of leak detection equipment.
Intrinsically safe components do not
have to be isolated prior to working on
them.
4. 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
fl ammable atmosphere.
• The test apparatus shall be at the
correct rating.
• Replace components only with
parts specifi ed by the manufacturer.
Unspecifi ed parts by manufacturer
may result ignition of refrigerant in the
atmosphere from a leak.
5. Cabling
• Check that cabling will not be
subject to wear, corrosion, excessive
pressure, vibration, sharp edges or
any other adverse environmental
effects.
• The check shall also take into
account the effects of aging or
continual vibration from sources such
as compressors or fans.
6. Detection of fl ammable
refrigerants
• Under no circumstances shall
potential sources of ignition be used
in the searching or detection of
refrigerant leaks.
• A halide torch (or any other detector
using a naked fl ame) shall not be
used.
13