EDITOR’S CHOICE


with electricity to themselves, employees and the outside contractors they hire. Communication is a key part of this equation – it must be known by all those responsible for, or working with electricity that there are no reasonable circumstances in which you should be working with live equipment. In an ongoing bid to safeguard workplaces,


O Staying alive


We need to acknowledge that, in terms of the safety of individuals, there is a difference between the activities that should take place prior to working, such as gaining permission and permits, for example, compared to the activities that are totally critical in terms of preventing accidents and fatalities. For instance, a risk assessment is a critical element of any job, but it is not core to safe isolation in terms of staying alive. The same is true for activities that take place after working on an electrical system, such as safe re-testing and start-up. In creating the “ALIVE” message, Martindale


is distinguishing between good working practice (such as its complete 12 step approach and the Electrical Safety Roundtable’s guidelines) and shining a spotlight on the five vital steps that absolutely must be carried out for your own protection and to prevent loss of life.


factories and industrial premises and protect the lives of anyone working on or near an electrical installation, Martindale has created a new, simplified version of its more extensive and detailed process in the hope that its memorable acronym - “ALIVE” - will help to prevent injuries and save lives. To aid the communication of these key safety messages, the company has made resources and information available to anyone with responsibility for health and safety in an organisation via a specific landing page.


ne of the most important responsibilities industrial compliance managers have to take on is reducing the risks presented by working


Steve Dunning, managing director of Martindale Electric explains how remembering a simple acronym can help safeguard workers, reduce potential liability and ultimately save lives.


The 12 step approach will include activities


that should certainly take place, particularly in terms of compliance; both sets of process and procedure are valid and, in fact, complementary, but by streamlining the message and focusing on the most vital elements, following the “ALIVE” process is what will, quite literally, keep you alive.


ALIVE: 5 fail-proof steps to safe isolation A - Approved Kit


Before starting, make sure your equipment meets all legal safety standards (BS EN61243-3).


L - Lock Out


Identify the point of isolation – lock it off - and place warning tags onto the equipment.


I - Initial Prove


Test your Voltage Indicator against the proving unit to make sure that it is working properly.


V - Voltage Test


Use your Voltage Indicator to confirm that there are no dangerous voltages in the circuit you are about to work on.


E - Ensure


Prove and re-test the Voltage Indicator against the proving unit to ensure it is working, before you start working on the circuit.


The best voltage indicators for safe isolation


should be made to BS EN 61243-3 for full compliance with the current GS38 standard. They should be engineered with safety in mind, eliminating batteries and switches that could lead to false indications and come with bright, clear displays for voltage reading, such as the Martindale Electric VI13800 and VI15000 voltage indicators. A durable design that can take some rough handling should also be a consideration. However, even if you follow this advice and


even bearing in mind that voltage indicators are designed with inherent reliability, can you 100 per cent guarantee that your voltage indicator is working correctly every time? It only needs to fail once for the consequences to be potentially disastrous; never forget that 16 per cent of deaths in the workplace are linked to electricity. For maximum safety, it is vital to verify


the performance of your voltage indicator. It is as important as confirming that the appliance or circuit being tested is dead, and that there is no possibility of it becoming live while you are working. Before testing the circuit, voltage indicators


should therefore be proved using a proving unit, then test the circuit, then test the voltage indicator against the unit once again to prove that the tester is still functioning properly. The device will verify the performance of the voltage indicator. If you use a battery powered voltage indicator


then proving the unit is working and the battery is not flat, could not be more important. Furthermore, a lack of positive indication does not always prove absence, which is why the cross-check with a proving device could quite literally be a lifesaver.


Proof


Essentially a proving unit is a portable device that serves as a voltage source designed specifically to verify that voltage indicators are working correctly. Some people still rely on testing electrical test tools, such as voltage indicators, against a live source, but this is not always a safe or convenient option. A proving device has been designed


10 WINTER 2021 | INDuSTRIal coMplIaNcE


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