A pragmatic solution to the DMOS problem for LV oil-filled switchgear

The issue of direct manually operated switchgear (DMOS) has been widely discussed. There should be few engineers that do not recognise the dangers of continued use of this type of equipment. However, experience shows that even now, there are companies and engineers choosing to ignore the problem, adopting a ´head in the sand´ approach in the hope that the current emphasis will go away. Far from it: the attention to this issue can only increase as the switchgear ages. The author discusses the courses of action that can be taken: do nothing, total replacement, and partial replacement/refurbishment. The problems of assessment for refurbishment are outlined and modular replacement discussed.