Safe isolation procedure

Safe isolation procedures are necessary to ensure that workers on site are not exposed to danger when working on or near live electrical systems. Unfortunately there have been incidents where failure to use safe isolation procedures has resulted in the needless loss of life. One reported incident involved a large UK electrical contractor, where a circuit had been labelled as not in use. The engineer working on the circuit did not have the necessary equipment to prove that it was dead. Tragically he came into contact with a live conductor and was electrocuted. The company in question was found guilty of failing to provide the right equipment and fined £300,000. Much higher fines are not uncommon.

Electrical Safety First in association with other industry bodies such as SELECT has produced a guidance document that covers best practice forsafeisolation (Best Practice Guide 2 Iss.3 2015). This includes guidance on proving isolated equipment or circuits are dead by using suitable test lamps and voltage detectors.