MarinaGuard® - Ground Fault Detection for Marinas and Harbors

Electric shock drowning (ESD) can happen in any body of water. Marinas are usually equipped with electrical devices such as electrical outlets, boat power, lighting, boat lifts, and more, which make them especially susceptible to risk of ESD. Boats connected to marina shore power can also create an ESD hazard. Electric shock drowning occurs when an electric ground-fault current shocks nearby swimmers. If powerful enough, the shock paralyzes them, leaving them unable to swim, with a tragic result.
Bender's MarinaGuard® panels monitor for ground faults in the feeder and branch circuits supplying electricity to marinas, boat yards, docking facilities, and similar locations. If a ground fault is detected, the MarinaGuard trips the offending circuit and flashes a red strobe light, to alert those nearby.

What is ESD? Electric Shock Drowning (ESD) occurs when the water in which a child or adult is swimming or wading is electrically energized, causing paralysis, typically due to a ground fault in an electrical component.


MarinaGuard® UL 508A Industrial Control Panels are available with single-circuit monitoring, or twelve-circuit monitoring. Each circuit features an adjustable trip level to meet your applicable code requirements. Current transformers measure ground-fault current and are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and core types.

Key benefits: 

  • Protects against Electric Shock Drowning
  • Minimize de-energized circuits by monitoring each feeder
  • Protection against tampering with internal overcurrent protection and a lockable marine-grade enclosure
  • Conformance to electrical codes
  • Less risk of nuisance tripping

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For more information on our MarinaGuard® products, please review our documents below.