The Importance of Emergency Power Off Panels

Emergency Power Off panels provides the ability to power down a piece of electronic equipment or an entire installation from a single location. Emergency Power Off Panels can be found in locations such as industrial applications, telecommunications and information technology centers.

Emergency Power Off Panels allows for powering down of equipment in an emergency situation so both personnel and equipment are protected from injury or further damage. Some of the reasons an emergency power off panel could be activated include fire, system overheating or location flooding. If an emergency does take place, it may not be possible to reach the main shutoff, leaving the Emergency Power Off Panel as the only way to power down the equipment in danger.

In a server management situation, it is likely multiple switches would need to be reached, which may not be possible. By having a centrally located Power Off Panel, all equipment in the server room can be properly shut down through the use of one panel.

Who Most Commonly Accesses Emergency Power Off Panels

Most often, emergency personnel, such a fire fighters, would access and engage the Emergency Power Off Panel in an effort to avoid electrocution and electrical injury to those emergency workers. Another individual who could potentially engage an Emergency Power Off Panel would be a server of facility administrator. This could take place from a safe distance if a piece of equipment is on fire or smoking. If an administrator is able to engage the Emergency Power Off Panel, it is important to alert the emergency responders so they are aware of the current status of electrical equipment on site.

Avoiding Accidental Emergency Power Off Panels Engagement

Because there is a significant cost associated with restarting systems after a shutdown or electrical equipment or data center from an Emergency Power Off Panel’s engagement, it is important this the panel is not placed in a location that allows for easily accidental engagement. Additionally, personnel should be trained in its purpose and activation in case of an emergency.

By making sure the right type of Emergency Off Panel is installed, chances are greatly reduced that an electrical emergency can develop into a catastrophic event damaging equipment and injuring employees.