A Cable Gland is, in simple terms, a device designed to attach and secure a cable to a piece of equipment or enclosure.

A Cable Glands provides strain relief and can include a provision for making a connection to the armour, braid, lead or aluminum sheath of the cable.

In hazardous areas, cable glands are also used to maintain the protection concept of the equipment or enclosure into which they are being terminated – in most instances Exe or Exd.

A poorly installed cable gland, or the incorrect gland chosen for a specific cable/application can become the weak link in the chain, whereas it should preserve the integrity of the overall installation. Whilst the cost of the cable glands is insignificant compared to that of other hazardous area equipment, the cost of failure can be catastrophic.

Failure can take many forms...

Water or dust ingress into the equipment
Cable properties compromised
Damage to the cable which can lead to explosion risk
Cables becoming loose from equipment
Electric shock risk
Equipment failure
Failure to meet essential HSE requirements