Safety Switches
What is a safety switch? A Safety Switch is an RCD (Residual-Current Device) that protects your home and family members from fire and electric shock. a safety switch is a life-saving device which is designed to prevent you from getting a fatal electric shock if you touch something live, such as a bare wire. It can also provide some protection against electrical fires.
The Australian Standards states that all power and lighting circuits must be protected by a RCD and that there can only be 1 light and 1 power circuit on one RCD.
Parkers Electrical NQ recommend that you install 2 poll or 1 poll RCCB, these are a CB & RCD in one unit, Parker’s electrical NQ can install or upgrade your safety switches for you and to the current Australian Standards. We use all RCCB on Power and lighting circuit in our switchboard upgrade.
There are many types of safety switches, we are going to cover the most common ones and recommend what type is best today.
 | This is a 2 Poll RCD and is often used to protect 1 or many circuits, the use of this type of RCD is out of date as regulations have changed. The disadvantages are 1) If one circuit is faulty then you lose all your circuits. 2) If protecting 1 circuit this is a more expensive way of doing this. |
 | This is a 4 Poll RCD and is often used to protect 3 phase circuits or many single phase circuits, the use of this type of RCD is out of date as regulations have changed. The Advantages are: 1) Often the only way of protecting 3 Phase circuits. The disadvantages are: 1) If one circuit is faulty then you lose all your circuits. 2) This is often a more expensive way of protecting your circuit. |
| This is a 2 Poll RCCB, it looks the same as the 2 poll RCD but it is a RCD and a CB in one unit, This is one of the recommended ways of protecting your circuits and complies with the Australian standards. All Lights & Power circuits must be protected with one of these. The Advantages are: 1) If a circuit is faulty only that circuit is effected. 2) This is often the cheapest way to protect your house. |
 | This is a 1 poll RCCB this is a same as the 2 poll RCCB that only takes up 1 spot instead of 2. This is one of the recommended ways of protecting your circuits and complies with the Australian standards. All Lights & Power circuits must be protected with one of these. The Advantages are: 1) If a circuit is faulty only that circuit is effected. 2) This is often the cheapest way to protect your house. 3) You can fit more circuits in the switchboard which means a smaller switchboard. |
HOW THEY WORK
 | A RCD measures the deferent between the current on the active and neutral wire, if the deferent is greater then a set amount usually 30 milliamps (0.003 Amps) the RCD will trip out. The missing current cold be leaking of to earth by a fault in a device or through a person being in contact with the active cabile. The RCD will trip in less then 30 millisecond (0.003 seconds) A RCD has a amperage rating, A RCD will not trip out at its maximum amperage, infect if the draw on the RCD is greater then the amperage rating it will damage the RCD and may not work correctly. A RCCB is the same as a RCD with one big deference it is also a Circuit Breaker, this means that the amperage rating is the same as having a CB or fuse, this means that the RCCB will trip if their is a current leak or the circuit is over loaded. |
Australian Standards
Clause 1.5.6.2 stats RCD’s are recognized as a means of providing automatic disconnection of supply in accordance with clause 1.5.5.3
1.5.5.3 Protection by automatic disconnection of supply(B)
NOTE:
NOTE:in areas where excessive earth leakage current could present a significant risk in the event of failure of other measures of protection or carelessness by users, RCDs are designed to provide additional protection against the effects of electric shock by automatically disconnecting supply before serious physical injury can occur.
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