Electrical workers must adhere to safety practices in line with the requirements of government bodies such as WorkSafe, State based electrical safety authorities, and the guidelines of their respective employers. Many of these principles are drawn from international guidelines commonly called the ‘Five Electrical Safety Rules’.
The basic criteria of the five safety rules are:
- Disconnect completely
- Secure against reconnection
- Verify that the installation is dead
- Carry out earthing and short-circuiting
- Provide protection against live parts
Many organisations will add to these five safety rules to suit their individual requirements. The rules are designed to mitigate the risks posed by accidental contact with live parts, electrocution, exposure to arc faults, and consequential equipment damage. Following the basic five step rule will provide a foundation for general electrical safety practices and arc flash safety for personnel.
Low voltage equipment such as switchboards and electrical cabinets are designed to mitigate arc flash faults in accordance with the requirements of AS 61439. During periods of maintenance some of the protective measures of an assembly can be compromised and expose workers to risk when in a live working zone.
Building on their 115 years of experience, Dehn has specialised in electrical safety equipment as well as their portfolios of lightning and surge protection products. To help meet the five safety rules, Dehn has a variety of safety solutions covering low voltage to high voltage applications.
Disconnection - A range of insulated operator sticks, switching sticks and fuse tongs are available for systems up to132 kV
Secure against reconnection – Lockout systems for circuit breakers and insulating blades for NH fuse bases
Verification – Contact and non-contact voltage detector kits for systems up to 420 kV AC and 24 kV DC
Earthing and short circuiting – Solutions to de-energise or discharge LV, MV and HV equipment before work commences, including switchgear and railway overhead lines
PPE – Insulated protective shutters up to 36 kV, LV and HV cleaning kits, insulating gloves, face shields, insulating mats and arc fault rated protective clothing
The safety range also includes insulated rescue rods rated up to 36kV to aid the removal of a victim from the live working zone in the case of an electrical accident.
Dehn safety equipment is not designed to reduce the need to follow the five safety rules or any additional site-specific requirements. These solutions are provided to assist electrical workers to follow these rules and enhance their safety when undertaking their duties.
IPD provides the range of Dehn safety products and surge protection devices exclusively in Australia. Contact IPD for further information.