Never Take Safety for Granted: Safety As Main Design Criteria for All Electric Power Distribution Systems

Personal safety and protection of the environment are the main design criteria for all electric power distribution systems. The engineer responsible for power system design must take into account the loads to be supplied and available power sources to ensure the required system availability and robustness. The system must enable routine maintenance to be carried out to avoid a reduction in performance over time. Safety criteria must be integrated into the design process from the start as they will influence all choices that are made during the design process. A choice between a reliable system and a safe system has no meaning. The system must be reliable to supply the loads and must be safe.