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testing safe of a 16 Amp commando socket/plug

Former Community Member
Former Community Member
Hello,i am an RF engineer and we have equipment that is fed by rack mounted AC/DC converters which charge batteries. these converters are wired into fused spurs using 2.5mm arctic blue cable routed into cable trunking. the 2.5mm cable is fixed in the rack before entering the trunking.

At the moment we are all trained in testing the circuit is switched off using a martindale VIPD138 voltage indicator and proving unit and then we lock off the circuit.

Everyone's training is due to expire and our company health and safety department want to change the installation from the fused spur to 16 Amp commando sockets/plugs rather than retrain everyone in proving the circuit has been switched off.


I have no issues with using commando sockets instead of the fused spurs but my concern is that if the nearest location the commando socket can be mounted is the other end of the room and there are numerous commando sockets supplying different racks how do you prove you have pulled the correct plug? surely you have to still be able to test the circuit has been switched off using the tester and training required.


I am having a discussion with the Health and safety department next week so any advice would be gratefully received.

Thanks
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    I find this question curious. RF equipment is usually inside boxes, and this suggests it all comes from external power supplies. Possible, because I think there is more to this than meets the eye. I suggest this is a phone network base station or similar, where the voltages will not be great from the power supplies, Perhaps 50V DC maximum. If it is changing a power supply, how does the mains connect to it, with a connector or a terminal block? Dead testing is in one case unnecessary and the other fairly simple. Probably box-ticking, perhaps by someone who doesn't fully appreciate the job. None of this equipment would be repaired in situ, except perhaps changing a fuse.
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  • 0
    I find this question curious. RF equipment is usually inside boxes, and this suggests it all comes from external power supplies. Possible, because I think there is more to this than meets the eye. I suggest this is a phone network base station or similar, where the voltages will not be great from the power supplies, Perhaps 50V DC maximum. If it is changing a power supply, how does the mains connect to it, with a connector or a terminal block? Dead testing is in one case unnecessary and the other fairly simple. Probably box-ticking, perhaps by someone who doesn't fully appreciate the job. None of this equipment would be repaired in situ, except perhaps changing a fuse.
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