The Importance Of GFCIs In The Workplace & Home

Ground fault circuit interrupters – GFCIs (also called GFIs) are safety devices installed to monitor the flow of electricity flowing from a power source, and they are usually connected to electronic components. It’s therefore not hard to believe their importance in the workplace and home.

What GFCIs Do

So what do GFIs do? A GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) can prevent serious or even fatal electrical shocks and electrical fires by mitigating the amount of electrical power that flows through it.

Because they play such an important safety role, GFCIs are very important in both the home and the workplace.

Electric Shock

GFCIs protect people from electric shock by interrupting the electrical circuit when a ground fault occurs.

A ground fault occurs when an electrical current escapes the standard path and flows through the body, which can be life-threatening. GFCIs are designed to detect this fault and quickly cut off the power supply to the affected circuit, preventing injury or death.

It’s important to note that GFCIs are not a failsafe protection against electrical shocks. They are designed to minimize, not eliminate, electrical shocks. If a GFCI has been installed, the risk of severe injury or fatality is greatly reduced in an incident when shock occurs.

GFCIs are also very effective at preventing electrical fires resulting from the shorting out of a circuit.

How Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters Work

GFCIs work by monitoring the flow of electricity in a circuit. They achieve this by keeping track of the amount of electricity that travels into a circuit and the amount that returns to the circuit, detecting leaks as they occur.

An electrical leak happens when the amount of electricity that returns to the device is lower than the amount of electricity entering the circuit. When a GFCI detects a leak, it instantaneously causes a disconnection in the course and causes all flow of electricity to cease. When the electrical discharge is cut off, electrical shocks cannot occur.

Where GFCIs are present in buildings

GFCIs are extremely important in wet or damp environments such as kitchens and bathrooms and in garages, terraces, porches, workshops, etc., that may be exposed to rain, snow, or other wet weather.

If you are buying a home that does not already come pre-installed with GFCIs, having a qualified electrician install them as soon as possible is essential for your protection.

Use an Electrician To Install

Even if you aren’t going to install the GFCIs yourself, it’s a good idea to know what the minimum requirements are. Note that these are just minimum requirements. If you have additional features in your bathroom, such as a steam shower, you will require more GFCIs. Generally, though, the conditions are one 20-mp rated electrical circuit that is not used for anything other than the outlets in the bathroom.

Bathrooms

All bathroom outlets should be GFCI protected.

Sinks

Bathroom sinks must have a GFCI receptacle installed within 3 feet of the outside edge of the sink.

Plus, if you are replacing an older, non-GFCI receptacle in your home, it must be replaced by a GFCI-compliant one.

Lighting

Some types of bathroom lighting may not be installed above a bathtub or shower stall or within a certain distance horizontally and vertically over the top of the bathtub. These include track lighting, lighting on a chain, cable, or cord, or lights connected to an outlet via a line, and ceiling fans.

Additionally, bathroom light fixtures must have wiring concealed within the electrical box or enclosure. Installing light fixtures above bathtubs or shower stalls on a GFCI-protected circuit is not required, but the added safety measure is never bad.

Exhaust Fans

Bathroom exhaust fans are another electrical component that may be required to be installed under GFCI protection. If you install the exhaust fan directly above a bathtub or shower, choose a product specifically designed for that purpose and location. Always install fans in those locations on a circuit protected by a GFCI.

Test and Inspect Monthly

Once installed, it’s essential to ensure your GFCIs are working correctly.

You don’t want to discover that they have been improperly installed when you need them to work! To ensure they continue to work, do a test and inspection monthly. Do this by plugging a lamp into the outlet and pressing the test button.

If the GFCI works appropriately, the light will go out, and the reset button will protrude. If it’s not working, a light will stay on to indicate a problem with the electrical wiring. In that case, consult an electrician to fix it. Don’t attempt electrical work yourself unless you know what you’re doing!

Just as you have tested a GFCI in any other room by plugging in a lamp to determine whether the GFCI is working, to test whether a GFCI is protecting your exhaust fan, turn the fan on and press the test button on one of the bathrooms GFCI receptacles.

If the fan continues to run after the breaker is tripped, likely, the fan is not protected by the GFCI.

Why Buildings Need GFCIs

There are many reasons why businesses and all buildings need Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, including:

• Protection from Electric Shock
• Compliance with Electrical Codes
• Protection of Equipment
• Increased Safety Culture

Health and safety are part of the company culture, and there is legislation for compliance with electrical codes. GFCIs are part of health and safety in the workplace and at home.

Installing GFCIs in the workplace demonstrates a commitment to safety and promotes a safety culture. This can help prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace and improve employee morale and productivity.

Protecting expensive equipment is another reason for using GFCIs.

Final advice about GFCIs

Never install an electrical panel in the bathroom. Far too many risks are associated with having an electrical panel so near to sources of moisture and water.

An adequately installed  GFCI could potentially be a life-saving investment. Without them, the risk of electrical shock or electrocution is high.

Although installing GFCIs doesn’t guarantee that accidents won’t happen, installing them will certainly go a long way toward mitigating the potentially disastrous consequences of a shock.

Always hire a qualified electrician to install your GFCIs for you, as poor installation will cause gaps in the GFCI’s functionality. Those gaps could potentially cause severe injury and potentially even fatalities.