• We will be performing upgrades on the forums and server over the weekend. The forums may be unavailable multiple times for up to an hour each. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to make the forums even better.

Requirements for testing 1000V insulated screwdriver.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rsparky

Member
Location
Idaho
Occupation
Electrician
Are there any requirements for testing insulated tools? I know there are requirements for testing rubber blankets, gloves, and hot sticks. I was asked about our insulated tools and didn't find any requirement but was wondering if I missed something?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Occupation
EC
Don't know but let me ask, are you supposed to be wearing the gloves when using said screwdriver? Seems like it wouldn't be as critical to even have an insulated tool if you are. At most you are reducing unintended contact with the tool to other conductive surfaces with an insulated tool and insulated gloves.
 

Rsparky

Member
Location
Idaho
Occupation
Electrician
Yes we are supposed to be wearing gloves. A coworker and I were talking about the tool not really being the first line of defense. A supervisor asked about this and we want to make sure we give an accurate answer.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Under what conditions are you working hot and especially where 1000v insulation is a concern?

Roger
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Well how close are you to open busses or electrical parts and what other PPE are you wearing? What OSHA and or 70E requirements are you following? We had complicated "hot work permits" to fill out and have signed before approaching parts that would require 1000V (less really) parts.

Roger
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Well how close are you to open busses or electrical parts and what other PPE are you wearing? What OSHA and or 70E requirements are you following? We had complicated "hot work permits" to fill out and have signed before approaching parts that would require 1000V (less really) parts.

Roger
Gloves, rubbers, balaclava, face shield, the whole nine yards. If other than testing and troubleshooting, permit required, but no actual contact with live parts other than meter leads. Anything that involves tightening live parts or replacing live parts strictly prohibited and requires shutdown to perform.
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Gloves, rubbers, balaclava, face shield, the whole nine yards. If other than testing and troubleshooting, permit required, but no actual contact with live parts other than meter leads. Anything that involves tightening live parts or replacing live parts strictly prohibited and requires shutdown to perform.
We were pretty much the same.

Roger
 

Rsparky

Member
Location
Idaho
Occupation
Electrician
We are dressing to the cal/cm² on the arc flash label applied to the panel or MCC door. My experience with insulated tools is that they are helpful when working on batteries and battery banks. I am coming away with the impression that no one has heard of any testing requirements for insulated tools. I will continue to monitor. Thank you all for your input.
R
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Occupation
EC
We require insulated tools when working near any live parts, not necessarily actual live parts. Probably the same with the op’s employer.
Gloves, rubbers, balaclava, face shield, the whole nine yards. If other than testing and troubleshooting, permit required, but no actual contact with live parts other than meter leads. Anything that involves tightening live parts or replacing live parts strictly prohibited and requires shutdown to perform.


Seems it would be pretty rare you will have any nearby live parts while tightening that screw terminal that was the reason to shut down.

Take a panelboard, you could kill a breaker load side terminal by turning the breaker off, yet you are probably supposed to kill power to the entire panelboard before doing any work inside other than taking voltage measurements?
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
One example would be replacing a breaker in a panel that has the service disconnect in it. You can turn off the main, but you still have exposure to the utility side of the main. The buss is dead, but full ppe and insulated tools are still required to change the branch circuit breaker because there is still voltage in the enclosure. We also require a permit when doing so because of that.
 

Hv&Lv

Senior Member
Location
-
Occupation
Engineer/Technician

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
One manufacturer has this statement in their instructions. I believe most other manufacturers have the same statement.
Insulated tools manufactured using the dipping process feature two layers of insulation in contrasting colours (red and yellow, or orange and yellow). Besides its insulation properties, the inner layer also acts as a safety indicator. When this layer becomes visible through the outer layer the tool is no longer safe to use and has to be replaced.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top