Rubber gloves needed for doing voltage testing of 120 VAC receptacles?

[hornetd]

Can you post examples of leads that meet those standards?

I suspect many of us are not using leads that do meet those standards.

The Probes on my Fluke 29 multimeter are ANSI/ISA-S82 and UL-1244 It is marked as a Category III device which assures safety of use up to Six Hundred Volts RMS symmetrical. My Solenoid Voltage Tester is also marked as Class III. I would think that as long as the students are using Class III or higher rated testers there is no need for additional protection.

Are we going to have the trainees don hard hats, face shields, and 12 cal/sq cm coveralls next?

 

[iwire]

The Probes on my Fluke 29 multimeter are ANSI/ISA-S82 and UL-1244

I have no idea if that means that they meet the finger safe requirements or not.

Are we going to have the trainees don hard hats, face shields, and 12 cal/sq cm coveralls next?

Yes if they are working with energized circuits that require that level of protection.

I consider myself an old dog, I came into the trade and was almost immediately doing hot work all the time. It was the norm.

Recently the company assigned a young helper to me, he has been attending our companies training and follows all the rules. Of course he does not do live work, that is against the company policies. But he always wears work gloves which is another company policy. Because he has never known another way I am very impressed with how well he works with gloves on. Small hardware, starting a roll of tape whatever he can do it.


It is just a matter of what we are used to.

 

[hornetd]

I have no idea if that means that they meet the finger safe requirements or not.

Yes if they are working with energized circuits that require that level of protection.

I consider myself an old dog, I came into the trade and was almost immediately doing hot work all the time. It was the norm.

Recently the company assigned a young helper to me, he has been attending our companies training and follows all the rules. Of course he does not do live work, that is against the company policies. But he always wears work gloves which is another company policy. Because he has never known another way I am very impressed with how well he works with gloves on. Small hardware, starting a roll of tape whatever he can do it.

It is just a matter of what we are used to.

Here is an unpleasant fact. Many of construction and service electricians employed by electrical contractors do not have OSHA protection. Most contractors do not employ enough electricians to trip the size of work force limits that would cover them under federal law. The States that have State OSHA plans use a variety of different numbers for the tripwire but most are north of ten employees before OSHA applies. Those of you who have had the benefit of strict worker safety rule enforcement in one form of another are indeed fortunate but many employees would get fired if they wore gloves when doing ordinary residential wiring. They could be faster than their coworkers but their boss would never believe that they couldn't be faster if they would just "HURRY UP EVERY CHANCE THEY GOT." Please keep in mind that a good description of many general contractors is "a fella who would cut his own mothers throat for an additional Hundred dollars off on a Hundred Thousand board foot of lumber." If you have never heard one of that type of electrical contractor saying "Just put it on the wall. It only has to last Three Hundred Sixty Five days!" then you have lived a truly sheltered life. Not everyone in this industry works for large institutions, utilities, industrial plants, or government. So write all the regulations you can think of and believe that you are protecting people, but do not be so delusional as to be unaware that most employees in small firms know that taking the time to locate a breaker may get them fired. Until we value the lives of ordinary workers enough to put their employers in prison when disobedience of safety rules gets an employee killed the casualty numbers will stay much the same year after year among those employed by small contractors.

 

[iwire]

Here is an unpleasant fact. Many of construction and service electricians employed by electrical contractors do not have OSHA protection. Most contractors do not employ enough electricians to trip the size of work force limits that would cover them under federal law.

Tom, I do not believe that is true. The 10 employees or less exception has to do with record keeping. If an employer has just one employee that employee is covered by OSHA as far as work practices.

If you have other info I sure would be willing to check it out.

The States that have State OSHA plans use a variety of different numbers for the tripwire but most are north of ten employees before OSHA applies.

The state plans can only be more restrictive than OSHA, not less.

So write all the regulations you can think of and believe that you are protecting people, but do not be so delusional as to be unaware that most employees in small firms know that taking the time to locate a breaker may get them fired. Until we value the lives of ordinary workers enough to put their employers in prison when disobedience of safety rules gets an employee killed the casualty numbers will stay much the same year after year among those employed by small contractors.

I am not delusional, I am trying to adapt to the new realities, if they have not reached your area yet I am sure they will.

 

[gadfly56]

Can you post examples of leads that meet those standards?

I suspect many of us are not using leads that do meet those standards.

These are the standard leads that came with my Fluke 73. They are listed for CAT IV 600 volts and CAT III 1000 volts. Is this what you meant?

 

[just the cowboy]

Don't forget check known source

Don't forget check known source

Typically when electricians are verifiying voltages on 750VAC and below, leather gloves are what is required. Rubber insulating gloves are only required above 750VAC. This of course assumes that these are electrically qualified people and are aware of the hazards of the tasks that they are about to perform as well as the proper mitigations to those hazards. For the purpose of teaching, and covering your butt, you may want to prepare a procedure for the process which outlines things like:
-visually checking out the meter and the leads for any signs of wear and tear
-the importance of having the meter on the proper setting
-proper protective wear for the task (leather gloves/safety glasses/long sleeve cotton)
I know this takes what "seems" like a fairly simple task and puts a whole lot of pomp & circumstance around it, but the truth is that electricity has some serious potential (pun intended) to cause some very serious damage.

Don't forget to put in " check meter on known source to confirm meter is working" Most people forget to check their meter first and after checking on a known voltage source. I do it only 50% of the time, but always on 480v.

 

[Alaska Rocket Man]

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 ?

Jim, OSHA incorporates by reference NFPA 70E for much of the electrical enforcement. The current addition is 2015. After reviewing some of some of the replies I would like to point out that the 2015 addition has eliminated the hazard risk category 0.

As an opinion, if I were teaching a class on voltage testing I would go on the side of caution and have them wear the safety gloves, it creates a good habit and a safety conscious student.

If you need a ruling OSHA has a consultation group separate from the enforcement. They are a good resource.

 

[dayman86]

reading this back and forth

at our site, for 120V and 240V electrical trouble shooting; class 0 gloves, cotton shirts, and hard hats are required
is all of this really needed for live trouble shooting per OSHA and NEC?

 

[kwired]

reading this back and forth

at our site, for 120V and 240V electrical trouble shooting; class 0 gloves, cotton shirts, and hard hats are required
is all of this really needed for live trouble shooting per OSHA and NEC?

OSHA will care about employee procedures and how they effect health and safety of the employee, NEC doesn't cover testing methods at all.

OSHA is about workplace safety and protecting the health and safety of workers, they don't focus much at all on any inconvenience or expense protection of employees may bring to the employer. If the installation site is not a workplace OSHA doesn't get involved. OSHA still covers those that are working there even if temporary conditions such as service/repair persons that are employee's of a third party. Their safe work practices are the responsibility of their employer more so then the site owner though.

NEC is about protection of life and property for the final users by regulation of the methods used for premises wiring, not much at all on health and safety of those that do the installation.

 

[fmtjfw]

reading this back and forth

at our site, for 120V and 240V electrical trouble shooting; class 0 gloves, cotton shirts, and hard hats are required
is all of this really needed for live trouble shooting per OSHA and NEC?

Also safety glasses

 

[kwired]

reading this back and forth

at our site, for 120V and 240V electrical trouble shooting; class 0 gloves, cotton shirts, and hard hats are required
is all of this really needed for live trouble shooting per OSHA and NEC?

I will also add just 120 or 240 volts means very little as to what safety hazards are present. The shock hazard is there and about same on all installs at those voltages, but arc flash/blast hazards can very greatly depending on the available incident energy which will be different in each installation.

 

[TalonPlouff]

Which PPE is the most reliable product for 120VAC-240VAC then? I just used Rubber Gloves without checking whether it meets its standard or not.

 

[meternerd]

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.

Sorry, but I have to tell another story...(OH NO!):thumbsdown:

The on call lineman called me at home one night for an electrocution at a residence close to my house. Wanted me to rush over, meet the police and kill the service. OK..on my way. Got there, opened the main and pulled the meter. Cop took me inside and on the floor was a DEAD GUY! He'd been rewiring the remodel of his house, got across 120V and couldn't let go. Still had the wires in his hands. Was in his underwear with bare feet on a concrete floor. His wife called the cops because he wasn't answering the phone. Made a believer out of me! It's milliamps, not volts that kill ya! What does this have to do with the OP? You decide.