5standards

Direct contact refers to touching a live conductor during normal operation, while indirect contact means touching a normally non-live part that became energized due to a fault. A residual current device (RCD) is intended to isolate the supply if it detects a current flow to earth that exceeds a preset threshold. Electrical installations should arrange final subcircuits with additional RCD protection as required, especially for residential settings, to prevent electric shock from indirect contact with faulty wiring.