What is a Passively Safe Cabinet?
The Ritherdon Passively Safe Cabinet is a crash friendly roadside cabinet designed to prevent damage to motor vehicles and their occupants as well as prevent electrical systems being damaged to further prevent injury and save lives.
Tested to EN 12767, the cabinet doesn’t need to be installed behind crash barriers as it has been designed to shear off upon impact. The patented Passively Safe Cabinet is also National Highways approved and is tested in accordance with MCE 2650, TR 1100, TR 2180.
The Passively Safe Cabinets come in two types, PSC 600 and PSC 800. The two cabinets have different widths, accommodating various customer requirements. They include backboards that allow for different types of equipment to be installed inside the cabinet.
How is the Passively Safe Cabinet installed?
The Passively Safe Cabinet needs to be installed correctly so that it can perform according to test conditions.
In our Passively Safe Cabinet Video we have highlighted the full installation, adding tips and tricks that we think can help our customers, elaborating on how to clear potential blockages from the threaded corner holes using sacrificial bolts and advice on attaching the plinth to the cassette using a rubber mallet if the two do not touch.
Installation Video
Installation Process
The installation process can be separated into three main steps: laying the foundation using the plinth, installing the interface unit or cassette, and if opting to use an electrical isolation to add an extra layer of safety, installing the PEIS. Here’s a brief summary of the installation process, for complete instructions please see our Passively Safe Installation Instructions.
1. Plinth
The plinth acts as the foundation of the cabinet and should be buried in a hole dug to the proportions of the plinth, a minimum of 300mm depth and 400mm length and width.
Make sure the power cables are positioned so they come through the plinth to be placed inside the cabinet and make sure to fill the hole with concrete up to ground level.
2. Cassette
The Cassette must be installed on top of the plinth with the dimples pointing upwards. Before this, you must place the four shear bolts supplied into the threaded holes in the plinth.
Make sure there is no dirt and debris in the threaded holes before you do this. After this use M8 washers to screw the Cassette down and be sure to tighten the washers.
3. Optional Electrical Isolation (PEIS)
Before the Cassette is fixed to the Plinth, you must decide which side of the cabinet the PEIS system will be placed and which direction it will face.
Place the PEIS mounting plate lining it up over the 4 plinth/cassette holes and screw it down with four of the M8x16 screws.
Wiring the PEIS: Incoming Supply
If you have opted to install a PEIS, to wire it, you must unscrew the cover and remove the gland shroud from the 20mm brass SWA gland on the left side.
Fix the incoming SWA cable to the brass gland remembering to terminate the live (brown) neutral (blue) and earth(green/yellow) wires in the corresponding line supply terminals.
Wiring the PEIS: Outgoing Supply
The PEIS comes with both male and female PolePlug connectors along with a sensor. The male and female connectors must be connected, and impact sensor must be assembled separately and attached to the backboard of the cabinet.
Placing the Cabinet
Carefully place the cabinet onto the cassette, making sure the shear-bolts are aligned with the corresponding holes beforehand. When safely placed upon the plinth, fix the cabinet down with the M8 washers and nuts, then tighten.
Where is it Best Used?
The best location to use a Passively Safe Cabinet would be anywhere you cannot install a protective crash barrier on site and have to locate your electrical components in potentially hard to reach or hard to access areas.
With its ability to be installed anywhere it can be used and enhanced in a variety of ways.
Premier Electrical Isolation System (PEIS):
This device can be attached to the interface located below the cabinet. The PEIS includes a sensor that cuts all power to the cabinet in the event of a collision.
PolePlug Breakaway System:
The PolePlug breakaway system is a cable coupling system supplied by us here at Ritherdon. The cable is designed to detach immediately upon collision to prevent any damage, cutting power to traffic pole, or in this case the cabinet, whilst leaving no exposed wires.
The PolePlug is also an integral part of the PEIS and works to supply power to the cabinet as part of its circuit. The cable will disconnect upon a collision, letting the cables break away with the cabinet if impacted and reducing the hazard risk even further.
Any Further Questions?
We hope that this blog and video will provide our customers with the assistance they need for a successful installation.
Should any questions arise during the process, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we will be more than happy to help.
