Page 20 - EngineerIT June July 2025

COMPLIANCE

The one device

standing between

you and a lawsuit,

or a life lost

Why earth leakage protection

is the most critical call you'll

make on site

arth leakage protection devices (ELPDs) are mandatory
in South Africa for a reason. When something goes
Ewrong on site, it’s the installer who’s held accountable,
not the manufacturer, supplier, or wholesaler. Lives, liability, Compliance isn’t a suggestion, it’s the law
and professional reputations all hang on a single point of South African law requires that all earth leakage
failure: the device you choose to install. devices meet the National Regulator for Compulsory
Specifications’ (NRCS) VC 8035 specification, which
“Get it wrong, and you’re risking far more than a technical sets safety and performance standards. “If you install a
fault,” says Dr Andrew Dickson, Engineering Executive at device that doesn’t comply, you carry the legal liability,”
CBi-electric: low voltage. “You’re putting human lives and cautions Dr Dickson.
your career on the line.”
To ensure compliance and reliability, he recommends:
What happens when current takes an unintended path • Confirming SABS or equivalent certification
ELPDs monitor current flow in a circuit and trip when they • Checking that the trip level is 30mA or less
detect even a slight imbalance – the signal that current • Avoiding unbranded or generic products that may fail
is leaking to ground instead of returning via the neutral testing
conductor. Sometimes, this is through a person’s body.
“It doesn’t take a large current to do serious harm,” warns Nuisance tripping shouldn’t be ignored
Dr Dickson. “Currents over 30 milliamps (mA) can be fatal. Unexpected trips are often brushed off as a nuisance, but
That’s why our devices are designed to trip between 23 and Dr Dickson points out that they could signal bigger issues.
27mA. A few milliamps, and a few milliseconds, can make “You might be dealing with high cumulative leakage, poor
the difference between life and death.” wiring, contaminated terminals, overloaded circuits, or
equipment generating unwanted current loss.”

Here’s how the human body responds to electrical
He stresses that proper fault-finding, including
current:
measuring leakage levels and tracking variation across
• 1 mA: Tingling, but easy to ignore
appliances, is essential. “Ignoring these symptoms could
• 5 mA: Unpleasant shock
mean missing the early warning signs of system failure
• 10–20 mA: Muscle control lost, limit of being able to
or injury risk.”
let go

• 30+ mA: Breathing disrupted; heart rhythm affected
The buck stops with the installer
• 50+ mA: Burns, unconsciousness, or death
“You can’t outsource responsibility,” notes Dr Dickson.

“You need to know exactly what you’re installing and
This is why the safety threshold is 30mA, and why
ensure it meets the legal and technical standards.
devices must be accurate and reliable in tripping
Certification, compliance, and correct specifications are
below that point.
non-negotiable.”
20 | EngineerIT June/July 2025