NHP is proud to have been shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Financial Review BOSS Most Innovative Companies competition.
The innovation that NHP was shortlisted for is a new gamechanger in electrical safety, TemRack iR, a fully integrated automated racking device, which enables remote racking of the Terasaki TemPower 2 AR Air Circuit Breaker (ACB) body in and out of its associated carriage. An ACB is often used as the key circuit protection device allowing power into a building, and TemRack iR’s automated racking function permits safe isolation of the ACB with zero physical interaction between personnel and the ACB, thereby reducing the risk of exposure to explosive arc fault events and high incident energy.
“NHP is all about putting the safety of our customers first when working with electricity,” explained David DeCata, Corporate Marketing and Partnerships Manager, “so we are excited to be recognised in this way for an innovation which allows electrical contractors to do their work without being exposed to dangerous arc fault events. We take our responsibility as an industry leader in this space very seriously, from supporting NECA to train apprentices on safe practices and standards, right through to cutting-edge electrical safety innovations.”
NHP partnered with Kentan Engineering to develop the product, which involves mechanical interlocks and safety functions integrating seamlessly with the ACB without affecting its functionality. Similarly, electrical protection methodologies and systems onsite remain unaffected.
“Arc faults most commonly occur during regular maintenance,” according to Mr. De Cata, “typically while racking in and out of large circuit breakers. Most similar products currently available on the market still require humans to enter the switchroom to fit the racking device while the system is live. They wear PPE, but that is the least effective means of reducing risk in the hierarchy of control.”
“However, the TemRack iR is fully integrated into the ACB and automated, meaning that personnel do not have to enter the switchroom to fit the racking device while it is live. They can safely perform switchgear rack in/rack out operations outside of the arc flash boundary area, making it the most effective means of minimising the risk of workers being exposed to an arc fault.”
