Fatal Incident - Safe Isolation failure?

John Peckham: 
 

No such thing as Safe Isolation.

Firstly a lot of 2 pole testers need a potential difference between the poles to detect anything? If you have a live conductor or terminal and no earth or neutral a 2 pole tester will not detect anything. Some 2 pole testers will give you a one pole warning but not all.

Secondly testing only may prove dead at the time of testing micro seconds later a terminal may become live through a borrowed neutral, another supply not known about or someone doing something daft like breaking off your padlock.

At all times treat everything as live including anything coloured green/yellow.

I agree with Zoom get a voltstick. Preferably the Kewtecch Duo with the dual sensitivity. Keep it in the top of your shirt at all times and use it before you poke your digit(s) in to anything electrical. Yes you can get cheaper voltsticks but they are probably crap and what price your life.

If the poor man had used a voltsick then he would still be alive.

 

 

 

 

I use a Schneider Electric Volt stick. It came in a kit called a DIY detector kit. You can buy them separately though. I have found them to be of very good quality and they are reliable. The batteries last for a very long time.

I do at least three testes to prove dead, but even then I normally work assuming that the cables are live in most cases.

a, Two probe Voltage tester.

b, Voltstick.

c, Neon tester screwdriver, as it only needs one probe to work. The make is CK and is German made.  The screwdriver is of very good quality and can be used all day without breaking, unlike the cheap Chinese types.

Z.

John Peckham: 
 

No such thing as Safe Isolation.

Firstly a lot of 2 pole testers need a potential difference between the poles to detect anything? If you have a live conductor or terminal and no earth or neutral a 2 pole tester will not detect anything. Some 2 pole testers will give you a one pole warning but not all.

Secondly testing only may prove dead at the time of testing micro seconds later a terminal may become live through a borrowed neutral, another supply not known about or someone doing something daft like breaking off your padlock.

At all times treat everything as live including anything coloured green/yellow.

I agree with Zoom get a voltstick. Preferably the Kewtecch Duo with the dual sensitivity. Keep it in the top of your shirt at all times and use it before you poke your digit(s) in to anything electrical. Yes you can get cheaper voltsticks but they are probably crap and what price your life.

If the poor man had used a voltsick then he would still be alive.

 

 

 

 

I use a Schneider Electric Volt stick. It came in a kit called a DIY detector kit. You can buy them separately though. I have found them to be of very good quality and they are reliable. The batteries last for a very long time.

I do at least three testes to prove dead, but even then I normally work assuming that the cables are live in most cases.

a, Two probe Voltage tester.

b, Voltstick.

c, Neon tester screwdriver, as it only needs one probe to work. The make is CK and is German made.  The screwdriver is of very good quality and can be used all day without breaking, unlike the cheap Chinese types.

Z.