Implementing safe isolation procedures is essential to achieve compliance with the Electricity at Work Regulations which are there to ensure that workers on site are not exposed to danger when working on or near live electrical systems. Selecting the right tools for the job is critical to implementing an effective procedure to stay safe during the installation and maintenance of electrical plant and equipment.
The ‘Best Practice Guide 2 (Iss.3 2015) from Electrical Safety First is an excellent guide as to what you need to do to stay safe and what procedures are needed to achieve safe isolation. Here we summarise what this means for selecting the right test equipment and tools for the job. Martindale lead the way in safe isolation solutions including complete kits for proving dead and locking off circuits that could be hazardous during maintenance.
The essential test tools and equipment needed are a dedicated voltage indicator, a proving unit to verify the voltage indicator, locking off devices with unique keys and a clear method of labelling the hazard.
With a wide range of voltage detectors and indicators available, it’s important to understand why some equipment, such as multimeters, should not be used for this process. It’s also important to be aware of the changes to the standards for two pole voltage indicators which became mandatory recently. Make sure your equipment complies with the latest edition of GS38 (Edition 4 June 2015) which includes the most recent standards and useful information on how to avoid accidents when working on electrical systems.
The Martindale VIPDLOK kits provide the simplest solution for implementing safe isolation practices and include everything needed to prove dead, lock off and stay safe. The two kits cover working voltages up to 600V or 1000V CAT IV and exceed the safety requirements of the latest standards for all installation categories
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For more information on making the right choices to ensure safe isolation when installing and maintaining electrical plant and equipment see our article Safe Isolation Procedures & Proper Equipment Save Lives
Safe Isolation Saves Lives
TEK100 Series Voltage tester choices