What type of safety device is typically used to interrupt a ground fault?

A ground fault interrupter is specifically designed to protect people from electrical shock by detecting ground faults. A ground fault occurs when electricity flows outside of its intended path, posing a risk of electrocution. The interrupter monitors the electrical current flowing through the circuit and quickly disconnects the power if it detects an imbalance, which indicates that some of the current is leaking to the ground. This rapid disconnection helps to prevent serious injury or death from electrical shocks.

While fuses and circuit breakers are general safety devices designed to protect circuits from overloads or short circuits, they do not specifically target ground faults. Fuses melt to break the circuit, and circuit breakers can trip, but neither provides the specialized protection for ground faults that a ground fault interrupter does. A voltage regulator, on the other hand, is used to maintain a constant voltage level and does not serve any protective function related to ground faults. Thus, the ground fault interrupter stands out as the device specifically intended for this type of safety concern.