Page 21 - February 2021 Track N Times

TECHNICAL TRAINING

its job and has sensed that an over amp draw has taken place and has opened the breaker to shut the flow of voltage
off to the circuit to protect the wires of circuit.

Whenever a breaker has been opened (tripped) it’s important to
understand the ‘why’. Is it because something was physically
plugged into a circuit that overloaded it, or did it trip under nor-
mal conditions? Either way a complete understanding of what
caused the overload needs to happen. If you don’t know be sure
to ask.
Taking lessons learned about the Opened, Closed and Tripped
from illustrations 1a and 1b do not hold true with the illustrations
in 2a and 2b.
Different manufactures can use different nomenclature for their
1a 1b own product. Briefly looking at illustration 2c you would think

that all three breakers are tripped. The reality is, they are closed.
The red marking in the window means the breaker is closed along with the word “ON” on the switch as it appears
pictured in 2a and 2c. Pictured in 2b shows green in the window meaning that the breaker in open along with the
word “OFF” on the switch.
The next time you need to go into a break-
er panel it’s important to understand what
you’re looking at. Breakers work the same
way by allowing voltage through them, but
the indications of what a breaker displaces
can mean something different if your only
used to one breaker type.

It’s the lack of knowledge of little things that
can cause big problems with all working sys-
tems. Knowledge is power, pass it on.
Knowledge moves us in the forward direc-
tion without negative consequences.
Always:

• Job brief before you act 2a 2b 2c
• If you’re not sure ASK QUESTIONS
• Use the 5-step process if needed
• Always check for zero energy with a meter
• Use LOTO if necessary
Loram’s Engineering group designs our equipment to make sure that all electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic circuits are
designed to accommodate the load desired, protection devises are put in place for protection of the circuit. Altering
any circuit or making machine modifications without Engineering process approval is strictly prohibited. If you are hav-
ing difficulty with a particular circuit your first point of contact is your Technical Service Provider

Continued Pg. 20
FEBRUARY 2021
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