Jimland58
Member
- Location
- Prairieville, LA
Is there an OSHA 1910/1926 or NFPA 70E requirement for having to wear rubber insulating gloves when measuring 120 vac on a receptacle using a 600V rated VOM ?
Rubber gloves needed for doing voltage testing of 120 VAC receptacles?
- Thread starter Jimland58
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electricguy61
Senior Member
You're kidding, right?
fmtjfw
Senior Member
- Location
- Fairmont, WV, USA
Yes, 120VAC is the voltage that kills most people in USA
big john
Senior Member
- Location
- Portland, ME
Likely not. This standard interpretation is for "general industry" which doesn't include building construction, so I don't know if there are slightly different regs; the gist of it is that if you're properly using ANSI rated probes that have finger guards, there's likely not any additional requirement for hand protection, because the lead insulation itself is your PPE.
That said, I've seen companies go off the deep-end and require this. My argument was how is it any different than the secretary pushing in a plug: The exact same hazards exist, only in one scenario the person is trained in electrical safety, in the other they aren't.
I think requirements like that create a lot of disdain for safety programs and really compromise their effectiveness.
That said, I've seen companies go off the deep-end and require this. My argument was how is it any different than the secretary pushing in a plug: The exact same hazards exist, only in one scenario the person is trained in electrical safety, in the other they aren't.
I think requirements like that create a lot of disdain for safety programs and really compromise their effectiveness.
- Occupation
- Licensed Electrician
I agree with big john 100%.
Jimland58
Member
- Location
- Prairieville, LA
The reason I asked the question is I'm teaching an electrical course and we are asking the students to read voltages from receptacles in the room and one of the other instructors is telling me the students need to be wearing rubber insulating gloves to do the test because of electrical regs. But when I ask him which regs require this I never get an answer. I agree with John that since we are using test probes that are insulated for 600v that it doesn't make sense that we need to be wearing gloves. BTW, the receptacles we are testing are GFCI protected so I don't know if that makes a difference or not?
mivey
Senior Member
Nope.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
Certainly because it is the most common voltage around homes where people are unaware of the danger but how many people have electricians have died or been injured from 120v when working it hot. I have done it all my life and never got anything but a light jolt.
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I don't know osha rules but I agree with you that gloves seem to be overkill esp. if the device isn't opened.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Can you post examples of leads that meet those standards?
I suspect many of us are not using leads that do meet those standards.
K8MHZ
Senior Member
- Occupation
- Electrician
I am pretty sure that the below qualify, are common and are on most, if not all, of my meters.
View attachment 12485
- Location
- Massachusetts
Here is a popular meter for electricians in my area
My point is that just because the insulation is rated for voltage you are testing does not mean that PPE is not needed.
With many common test leads PPE would be required. (IMO)
My point is that just because the insulation is rated for voltage you are testing does not mean that PPE is not needed.
With many common test leads PPE would be required. (IMO)
big john
Senior Member
- Location
- Portland, ME
Fair point. I know the category ratings are determined by IEC 61010, and for III and IV they seriously reduce the amount of exposed conductor (fun fact, those leads pictured are only CAT II 1000V, so every time we put them in panels we're doing it wrong.)Here is a popular meter for electricians in my area
My point is that just because the insulation is rated for voltage you are testing does not mean that PPE is not needed.
With many common test leads PPE would be required. (IMO)
But the CAT ratings are for transient overvoltage, and I'm not sure they're concerned with the construction of finger guards: I don't know who decides what size ridge actually constitutes an effective touch-safe guard.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
Risk analysis is the responsibility of each company.
This is why people cannot find the penultimate "thou shalt..." reference they are looking for.
Each company needs to establish and implement their own work rules.
- Location
- Massachusetts
You are right, but the probes are exposed and live.
mivey
Senior Member
As are the blades on a device plug. As long as the probes are in good shape then what's the worry? I have seen people carting around probes with cracked leads and I question their sanity.
There might be a guideline for acceptability. Wonder if Zog knows?
- Location
- Massachusetts
All I can tell you is that the companies I have worked for have determined that they consider using a meter to be hot work and PPE is required. This is to avoid people having to determine in the feild if the probes they are using meet finger safe standards.
zog
Senior Member
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Probes need to comply to IEC 1010, meaning they are not cracked/damaged, are double insulated and shrouded with finger guards. They also need to have the proper CAT rating for the meter being used.
PetrosA
Senior Member
- Location
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I agree that finger guards should be enough, but for CAT III and IV they're not according to those who wrote the latest IEC guidelines, which require shrouding of the pokey part and which rules seem to go hand-in-hand with a lot of our safety rules. This lead to Fluke's "Twist Guard" retractable shroud design and the removable caps that other probe manufacturers are supplying. The main problem with these designs is that you can't test NEMA receptacles with the shroud in place. The only design I've seen that does that was on a set of leads I got from Agilent a few years back and which have no model number on them. I suspect they might have been a prototype design. They only have a few mm of metal test lead exposed. They work great for testing receptacles, but bend pretty easily.
Ultimately, it's best and safest to make up a receptacle test lead yourself with an attachment cap and a few 4mm shrouded banana leads to plug in to your tester directly. The downside is that you'd need a bunch of them if you have multiple NEMA configurations to check.
Ultimately, it's best and safest to make up a receptacle test lead yourself with an attachment cap and a few 4mm shrouded banana leads to plug in to your tester directly. The downside is that you'd need a bunch of them if you have multiple NEMA configurations to check.
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