Testing with a neon

[tec0]

Good question, he's a qualified IE so I'm guessing he would be responsible for his own safety but I'm not entirely sure..

A permit, Risk assessment and mini Risk assessment as well as access control. It is your responsibility to provide for a Risk assessment and mini risk assessment. As a policy you can force your workers to test for isolation first while completing a Risk assessment and mini Risk assessment. It is the responsibility of the establishment to provide access control “if applicable” and a work permit “if applicable”

The access control and permit will assure that the responsible people know that there is work done on the circuit and that it must stay isolated until work has been completed and the permit cleared.

It is your responsibility to insure the safety of your workers, the only way to do this properly is allow them to identify that they are competent and that they are aware of what the dangerous are. This will protect you and your workers if something happens because A> you and your worker did everything humanly possible and that is actually a very strong argument and it also allows for proper incident accident investigations.

[Sparks]

I agree there's always a chance even the best testing equipment might let you down, I think the safest thing is to prove the tester on a known voltage before testing for real elsewhere. As you also point out, with experience you do tend to develop a way of working which prevents shocks even if the circuit is still live.

Exactly as recommended by the manufacturer and taught as the correct way. Batteries usually pack up during the night while you are sleeping.

[Sparks]

Not really connected to the original topic but I would also like to see it in the rules that a DB should have lock-out devices inside it which fit all the circuit breakers used in it and also the door of the DB as well. I would even go so far as making it a part of the COC that these items should be present in the DB at all times. I think this would go a long way toward the safety of electricians and reducing accidental shocks when people are working on circuits.

This is partially in the regulations with regard to certain circuits however, lockable isolators for domestic DBs' are being replaced by cheaper non-lockable makes and for those that are still there, the locks are scarce as chicken teeth. Most of the salespeople nowadays do not know that a samite isolator is lockable. They have never heard of it let alone seen the lock.