Safety always comes above all else in an expansive industrial setting and electrical safety is no exception. Keeping personnel and guests free from harm, protecting equipment from damage, preventing potential downtime and helping to avert expensive damage while briefly recaps some of the benefits of a compliant electrical safety program.
Whether you are building a widget from silicon carbide (SiC) materials or a high-voltage protection device or even a power system, the benefit of adhering to electrical safety standards should be obvious.
Let’s examine some electrical safety standards for all you industrial types, and why you must heed the following regulations—if you casually pull parts out of the basket to build your industrial equipment. Pay no heed, and disaster will soon follow! (Not to mention a hefty fine…)

1. Electrical Safety Standards
   Electrical safety standards are the reference for safe practices concerning the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical equipment and electrical systems. For any business dealing with electrical industrial components such as silicon carbide (SiC) wafers, substrates, and diodes, compliance with safety standards is a legal necessity. For proper understanding incorporate that these standards must comply pay heed to the high voltage of SiC semiconductors and MOSFETs built to electric power systems, as well for electric vehicles (EVs) and photovoltaic (PV) systems, as well as in borderline high-temperature applications) of application. The National Electrical Code (NEC)
   Another leading electrical safety standard in North America is the National Electrical Code (NEC).NEC: tracking the safety line in electrical installation
   Codified by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the NEC is where the cutoff point of what constitutes a safe electrical wiring and equipment installation lies; updates take place every three years to keep the code abreast of technical developments and new hazards. Covering all aspects from distribution systems to grounding schemes, wiring methods, and protection of equipment, the NEC is the basis by which products that interface with high voltage components like SiC-based power inverters and fuses can avoid both hazards in normal operation and actual compliance issues during manufacture.
   IEC standards: taking worldwide electrical safety in your stride
   Nor is it only the NEC that you need to know about if your work is on a globe-encompassing basis; international electrical safety standards are of interest. An international organization of national standardization bodies is the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which produces international standards for electrical equipment and products. An example would be IEC 60204-1 which covers the safety of electrical equipment in machines and industrial installations. For those designing and installing electrical products like SiC diodes this means compliance to IEC “makes it fit for world-wide use”, particularly relevant in areas where the smooth safety of operation is paramount to performance and customer trust, as in power electronics, renewable energy, and EV components.OSHA rules: workplace safety
   And then extending even beyond safety of systems and equipment, there is another application of safety legislation covering the workplace from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In fact the section above on causes of electric shock is as relevance to the prevention of shock in the workplace. OSHA specified safety practices for working near energized circuits and using protective equipment including arc flash clothing and coordinated insulated tools.
   When workers are installing and maintaining high-voltage electrical protection devices, circuit breakers, fuses, OSHA has specific regulation mandating what precautions they must take including minimum clearances from the energized elements, LOTO during maintenance and repair, etc. OSHA regulations help to minimize electrical injuries and fatalities in industrial usage.
2. The Importance of Grounding and Bonding
   Grounding and bonding are similar terms for similar purpose: to prevent a dangerous voltage from causing a shock or fire. Grounding consists of connecting electrical systems and equipment to the earth. Bonding connects together all metallic parts of the electrical systems to equalize potential between all conducting parts to avoid shockArc Flash – Safety Standards
   Arc flash is an electrical hazard that has potential to kill. It causes a sudden release of electrical energy through a gas an explosion, violent heat and pressure. Burns and other fatal injuries are possible.To aid with this, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has published the NFPA 70E standard which contains guidelines for electrical safety-related work practice arc flash hazard analysis, protective equipment and safe work practice. If you work with SiC diodes or power protection devices you’ll need to assess if there is any arc flash risk through hazard analysis including PPE, labelling and procedures.
3. Protective devices
   Electrical protection devices such as fuses, circuit breakers and surge protectors are an important element of electrical systems protection against faults (overload or short circuit). They are particularly important for SiC power electronics such as SiC MOSFETs and power inverters in preventing a system failure, fire or damage.
   When selecting electrical protection devices be aware of the aspects specific to your application. For instance, much of the protection of power systems in electric vehicles and renewable generation requires special fuses and circuit breakers for safety due to higher currents and voltages involved.
   Electrical standards provide specification for the fuses and circuit breakers you select for your application.
4. Staying compliant with electrical standards
   Staying compliant with electrical standards is not a one-time job either. A regular regime of maintenance and checking of your electrical systems and equipment is vital to ensure ongoing safety. Just as electrical equipment and systems are evolving, standards and specifications are too which means you need to be aware.
   If you work in an industry which operates with SiC and Power protection devices such as fuses you should be undertaking regular electrical safety audits checking for hazards and compliance with the current standard used in your industry.
5. Conclusion
   Utterly ignoring standards can have devastating effects, everything from injury or death through damage to your equipment through downtimes and fees for failing to comply putting further financial pressure.
   However, businesses in and operating within the SiC industry naturally need to ensure all equipment is up to scratch and in line with the relevant safety standards most importantly that of the NEC of the USA and IEC and OSHA standards in other counties but also in the way you use protection for equipment, earthing and bonding of devices and equipment being critical in creating safer working environments and ensuring reliability of your electrical systems.