Comprehensive guide to stray current management

New guidance aimed at reducing and managing the risks associated with stray electrical currents on tramways and other light rail systems has been published by the LRSSB.

Drawing on a wide range of existing British and International standards and sector expertise, the guidance is the latest in a series of safety documents to be made available through the organisation’s web portal.

Mark Ashmore, Safety Assurance Manager at the LRSSB, explained: “In any electrical circuit, ‘Earth’ doesn’t provide perfect insulation and any difference in voltage between the rails and nearby buried conductors can result in current ‘leakage’.

“Such stray current can cause electrolytic corrosion to nearby infrastructure such as metallic pipes carrying gas and water.”

“This latest guidance document from the LRSSB looks at the statutory obligation of scheme sponsors and operators in relation to stray current management, as well as best practice on mitigation measures.”

The new guidance also sets out a standardised process for managing the issue, including the setting up a formal stray current management strategy, and can be downloaded here