Safety is everyone’s responsibility but ultimately it’s in your hands.
No tool by itself can guarantee your safety. It’s the combination of the right tools and safe work practices that gives you maximum protection. Here are a few tips to help you in your work.
Here are a few tips to help you in your work.
• Work on de-energized circuits whenever possible. Use proper lock-out/tag-out procedures. If these procedures are not in place or not enforced, assume that the circuit is live.
• On live circuits, use protective gear:
– Use insulated tools.
– Wear safety glasses or a face shield.
– Wear insulated gloves; remove watches or other jewelry.
– Stand on an insulated mat.
– Wear flame resistant clothing, not ordinary work clothes.
• When making measurements on live circuits:
Hook on the ground clip first, then make contact with the hot lead. Remove the hot lead first, the ground lead last.
Hang or rest the meter if possible. Try to avoid holding it in your hands, to minimize personal exposure to the effects of transients.
Use the three-point test method, especially when checking to see if a circuit is dead. First, test a known live circuit. Second, test the target circuit. Third, test the live circuit again. This verifies that your meter worked properly before and after the measurement.
Use the old electricians’ trick of keeping one hand in your pocket. This lessens the chance of a closed circuit across your chest and through your heart.