AC Panel: Cover Up!

From time to time we come across situations that scream danger! One of these situations is when we see AC outlets and AC Switchboards that haven't been covered up from behind, or the backing cover hasn't been put back on after being worked on. AC outlets with no backing cover are very dangerous for many reasons. The first reason is that there are live terminals exposing a deadly voltage. A second reason is that because these outlets are often in places where they back onto storage spaces, conductive items could come in contact with the live terminals on the back of the outlet and remain live until a) they short the outlet causing the breaker to trip or b) a person touches the livened item and gets a shock which may or may not cause the protective device to trip.

The easiest way to avoid danger is by using the proper backing covers for each outlet, and by having a cover installed to protect the back of your AC switchboard. Some companies have backing covers designed for their switchboards, unfortunately not all do but they are easy to make. Covers should be designed to stay securely on and protect any and all live parts. This will ensure that no external items become accidentally live and will also make it safer to work in that area if need be.