Surge Protection for Turnstiles and Gates SEPTA Gate System OVERVIEW Sensitive electrical equipment, such as turnstiles and automated gates, rely on surge protection devices (SPDs) to prevent damage from sudden voltage spikes caused by lightning, power grid fluctuations, or electrical switching events. These access control systems are critical for security, ensuring controlled entry and smooth operations in facilities like airports, stadiums, corporate offices, and transit hubs. A power surge can cause system failures, leading to security vulnerabilities, operational disruptions, and costly downtime. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety study found that $26 billion dollars was lost due to non-lightning power surges. In addition, there are about 25 million lightning strikes in the US each year that cause between $650M to $1B in losses according to the Insurance Information Institute, State Farm©. Selecting SPD for Turnstiles and Gates NEC/NFPA 70 requires that Surge Protective Devices (SPDs) shall be UL1449 Listed. This means selecting a surge protector is easier than it has ever been. There are only a few choices available for SPDs that are UL Listed for any of the most commonly used surge standards including UL1449 5th Edition, UL497B, and UL497E. Outdoor Full-height gates and TurnstilesWaist high turnstileWaist high Optical TurnstilesBarrier Optical Turnstiles Recommended SPD for Outdoor/Indoor Turnstiles & Gates LocationEquipmentSystemSurge Protector Model#Link Service EntranceMain Service Panelboard277/480Vac MDS750E-277Y Branch PanelEquipment Panelboard480Vac M50-480D-A Local EquipmentControl Panel480Vac Power Input DS74US-480D Power Supply120-240Vac Power Input DS72US-230S/G 24Vdc Power Output DS220S-24DC Control UnitEthernet Cat 6A MJ8-C6A 4-20mA DLA-24D3 The UL inspector will first consider the SPD type when determining it’s acceptability for a given application or piece of equipment. This will include UL 508A as well as all other UL Listed equipment. The first level compliance is based on the UL Approval (LISTED or RECOGNIZED) of the SPD or UL SPD Type and it’s Suitable Ratings. This means that it has to meet all safety, performance, environmental and electrical system ratings of the application. If any of these criteria are not fully met, it will require a Procedure Description, a File Update and/or Additional Testing. These actions will require additional costs that may be substantial. For this reason, it is in the interest of the specifier to use UL LISTED SPD’s to eliminate any uncertainty or to make sure the UL RECOGNIZED SPD is selected at the time of UL submittal of the equipment. Approval Considerations Table based on UL SPD Type UL MarkUL1449 SPD TypeSuitable RatingsProcedureDescribedFile Update or Additional TestingNotes 1 2YesNoNoThe only requirement is that the SPD must match electrical and environmental ratings of the UL 508A Control Panel. A UL field inspection of the control panel with the SPD installed is required as a part of a standard follow-up service visit. 1CA 2CA 4CA 5YesYesYesYes – All UL recognized SPD’s require a UL engineering evaluation of the SPD’s existing UL1449 E–file. This will result, at a minimum, in a cost to update the UL file and may also require testing that would result in additional costs. References #Title 1NFPA 70 edition 2020, Article 670 Industrial Machinery, 670.6 Surge Protection 2NFPA 70 edition 2014, “Data Assessment for Electrical Surge Protective Devices” 3NFPA 79 edition 2018 4NFPA 79 edition 2018, Annex C, Examples of Industrial Machines Covered by NFPA 79 5ANSI C62.41, Low-Voltage AC Power Circuits 6ANSI C136.2, Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment - Dielectric Withstand and Electrical Transient 7UL8801, Outline of Investigation for Photovoltaic (PV) Luminaire Systems 8UL1598, Luminaires 9UL924, Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment 10UL1449 5th Edition, Surge Protective Devices 11UL497B, Surge Protectors for Data Lines and Fire-Alarm Circuits 12UL497E, Antenna Lead-in Conductors 13UL508, Industrial Control Equipment 14IEC 61643-11, Low-Voltage Surge Protective Devices - Part 11: Surge Protective Devices Connected To Low-Voltage Power Systems - Requirements And Test Methods 15IEC 61643-21, Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices - Part 21: Surge Protective Devices Connected To Telecommunications And Signalling Networks - Performance Requirements And Testing Methods 16IEC 61000-45, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) - Part 4-5: Testing And Measurement Techniques - Surge Immunity Test 17CSA 107.1, General Use Power Supplies 18CSA 141, Emergency Lighting Equipment 19CSA 250, Luminaires 20NOM-001-SCFI, Standard for Electronic Equipment 21NOM-003-SCFI, Electrical Products - Safety Requirements 22UL 121201, UL Standard for Safety Nonincendive Electrical Equipment for Use in Class I and II, Division 2 and Class III, Divisions 1 and 2 Hazardous (Classified) Locations Contact us to develop a surge mitigation solution for your application Where to purchase Citel SPD's