An Innovative Breaker Racking Solution

When a team inspired by workplace tragedy invents simple and innovative breaker racking solution, they take an active stand against their own inherent workplace risks. Now that this solution is available to anyone working with electrical distribution equipment, the workplace becomes a safer place. That’s our story.

Xtend-A-Rack is a new-generation racking tool developed by Amidyne Solutions Inc. based on the original design of an Ontario Power Generation work team. Together we have created a safer and more efficient way of racking breakers outside the arc flash boundary.

The Background

Racking electrical breakers can be hazardous and arc flashes are highly unpredictable. While racking a breaker at Pickering Nuclear Power Generation Station Ontario in 2005, an arc flash accident occurred and left the maintenance team with an overwhelming sense of preventable loss.

They searched the market but could not find a breaker-racking device that provided a simple, safer alternative. So, this inspired team developed and patented a unique tool that was then used and refined at the Darlington and Pickering nuclear generating stations. For almost 10 years they have been safely and successfully using this tool to rack low and medium voltage breakers.

Introducing Xtend-A-Rack

Amidyne Solutions Inc. worked closely with Ontario Power Generation to develop the next generation of this tool. Under the Xtend-A-Rack brand, a new and improved version was developed for wider market distribution. It has all the features of the original patented product and has been adapted to work on breakers that are commonly found in a wide variety of industrial and commercial workplaces.

The Xtend-A-Rack breaker racking solution ensures that those operating the tool can safely minimize the risks of arc flashes during breaker racking operations. The solution is aligned with best practices within standards such as NFPA 70E and CSA Z462. With quick coupling changes, it offers a cost-effective, reliable, and efficient solution for safely racking low and medium voltage breakers.

Wide Range of Applications in Electricity Distribution

A wide range of industries are impacted by arc flash risk. Xtend-A-Rack is suitable for low and medium voltage breakers with an arc flash boundary of 17 feet (5.18 m) or less.

Using Xtend-A-Rack, many types of industrial facilities can benefit from reduced frequency and cost of electrical safety-related incidents. Here are a few examples:

Distribution Power Plants, Substations & Utility Infrastructure

Xtend-A-Rack was developed by experts in the power generation industry. Plant and department managers in any power generation and distribution work place can make immediate improvements to safety procedures with this easily implementable solution.

Mining & Heavy Industry

Production supervisors and electrical safety specialists involved with in-house electrical safety programs can introduce measurable improvements in safety and time to complete breaker racking tasks at a low cost with Xtend-A-Rack.

Commercial Buildings

Xtend-A-Rack is the ideal tool for safe and efficient electrical maintenance in commercial buildings particularly when building managers are relying on outside electrical service specialists.

Our Value Proposition

Reduce Risk

Reduce risk by performing breaker racking beyond the arc flash boundary

Simplify

Simplify arc flash PPE while maintaining best practice risk control principles as suggested in NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 and workplace procedures

Improve Efficiency

  • Fast, flexible setup and take down
  • No power requirements or special tools
  • Lightweight, robust, and portable

Crew Safety

Xtend-A-Rack is designed in compliance with some of the best risk reduction principles in the relevant electrical safety standards to ensure your crew’s workplace safety. We understand the potential risks involved in these operations and have designed the Xtend-A-Rack as a reliable and safe breaker racking solution.

Our Committed Team

Our team is comprised of experts specializing in electricity distribution and electrical safety. We are committed to improving electrical safety. Working collaboratively industry experts, electrical safety experts and customers our goal is to improve workplace safety.

Get your Xtend-A-Rack questions answered.