Safety

It is essential to observe basic safety precautions, especially if a brush operates at high RPM, in tight quarters, in a hazardous environment, in a chemically aggressive atmosphere, or in any combination of these. The precautions and procedures necessary depend upon a particular application. While Sohre Turbomachinery^® has made every attempt to compensate for a wide variety of applications, industries, and operating conditions in the design of our shaft-grounding brushes, the responsibility for the application of a brush remains exclusively with the user. It is also the responsibility of the user to determine the suitability of design and materials of this brush for a specific application, operating conditions, environment, and so on.

Installation should only be done by skilled and experienced engineers, technicians, and mechanics, all of whom must be very familiar with the characteristics and requirements of their equipment and industry. Improper installation and operation can cause serious — perhaps catastrophic — injury to personnel and damage to equipment.

IMPORTANT: Even under normal conditions, the voltage on an underground brush in contact with the shaft can be unexpectedly high (several hundred volts, for example). Consequently, it is important to always proceed as if there were high voltage on a brush until proven otherwise.

Also, high shaft currents can cause overheating, sparking, and electric shock. If extreme levels of current are present, the grounding brush should be taken out of service either by lifting it off the shaft or by removing it entirely.

Note: The machine no longer will be protected from shaft current damage if its grounding brush is removed from service. Consequently, corrective action must be taken immediately, including the shutdown of the machine if necessary.