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The Electrified
Cover Safeguard is the patented warning concept and technology which
produces a visual and/or an audible warning to alert the public,
workers, and pets whenever a manhole cover, street lamp or utility
box becomes dangerously electrified. These warnings also assist
utilities and municipalities to quickly locate and repair dangerous
electrified manhole covers, utility boxes and light poles.
The development of the Electrified Cover Safeguard from concept to
working product, presented a wide variety of technical hurdles that
needed to be overcome. The nature of the problems varied, depending
where the technology was employed. Some the key issues included:
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How
to construct the Electrified Cover Safeguard so that it is virtually
indestructible so that it could provide years and years of effective
service, attached to a manhole cover or flange, and yet continue to
survive and operate efficiently after enduring the rain, snow, salt,
being run over by heavy vehicles, hit by snow plows and being
effective, even if it is under water in a puddle or a snow covering.
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How
to self power the Electrified Cover Safeguard, for years and years
of effective, reliable use?
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How
to ground the Electrified Cover Safeguard, in all environments,
including cement encasements (cement offers a very poor ground), on
top of plastic insulated poles or attached to pole protected by
insulation material or paint, and many other environments.
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How
to prevent the Electrified Cover Safeguard from providing false
positive warnings.
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In
the case of manhole cover and manhole flange mounted Electrified
Cover Safeguard, how to prevent people from tripping over them, while
crossing the street.
All of these and many other issues had to be overcome. It was found
that many engineering and science books were not completely accurate,
when it came to proper grounding, and in reality, only provided a
rough overview of grounding principles. All of the problems had to be
overcome through extensive research, trail and error and testing and
retesting and with the development of special materials and special
techniques in order for the system to be quickly and effectively
installed, and yet be competitively priced.
We consider some of the solutions and certain special materials that
were developed, as well as certain combinations of materials to be
trade secrets, but certain basic developments are obvious and thus it
is possible to go over them with the reader.
Please review the photographs to better understand, some of the
issues that had to be overcome.
If you need assistance with your utility stray voltage detection
systems, we can offer your our patented Electrified Cover Safeguard
system that can be incorporated into your existing units.
If you are a lighting manufacturer or manufacture related lighting,
manhole cover or utility box equipment, please contact us to see how
this technology can be incorporated into your product line.
Stray
voltage warning technique
and system, which
alerts the public and workers when a
manhole, light pole or utility box is accidentally electrified.
Sales@ManHoleSafety.com
 
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The
Electrified Cover Safeguard is
the only effective stray voltage
and
contact voltage detection and warning system.
 
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A variety of
plastics and polymers were experimented with but most proved to be
ineffective over time. |
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Manholes are often almost completely filled with a
spaghetti of cables, making certain types of grounding very difficult.
Further, if the Electrified Cover Safeguard is mounted to the
manhole cover, the cover may damage the device, when it is pried open
by the utility worker, in order to service the electric grid. |
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The Electrified
Cover Safeguard is ideal for use inside and incorporated into a smart
lighting system. Many cobra head lights are made of an insulated
material, such as plastic, or the actual pole is made of plastic.
This presents a difficult grounding situation. Special alloys and
techniques had to be developed in order for the Electrified Cover
Safeguard warning technology to effectively work and provide accurate readings. |
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The Electrified Cover Safeguard unit that was designed
to retrofit existing older lamp poles had to be extremely durable and
thus the electronics are encapsulated in a plastic material, and this
in turn is installed into a heavy metal sleeve. |
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Custom electronics and underlying software, had to be developed. |
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The Electrified Cover Safeguard designed to be
attached to manhole cover flanges and utility vaults posed special
problems. This unit creates a sound, flashing bright light and
communicates to the central office. It had to operate in puddles of
water, snow and endure being hit and run over by heavy vehicles and
trucks. Further, it had to last and provide reliable service for
years and years and be self powered! Many different methods were
tried and experimented with. |
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This is a simpler unit designed to either make a sound
or flash a light. The housing is made out of nickel-steel., while the
electronics are encapsulated completely. |
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Various grounding plates consisting of a variety of
alloys and materials were experimented with. |
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Another variety of ultra durable Electrified Cover
Safeguard's were developed for use in a rail-road/subway, factory and
farm type of environment. |
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Many different types of soil and environments had to
be field tested, under all circumstances. |
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One method employed for particularly difficult
grounding situations. |
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This unit was designed for rapid deployment, for use
on certain types of manhole covers as well as certain types of
gratings. It is far stronger than what may look like, from the photograph. |
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