Page 39 - OHS, June 2021

Some areas of concern and technical issues that testers should be aware of include:
Using the right tester. There are many types and kinds of portable testers. Some may not be rated for the environment, meet the requirements for manually testing for absence of voltage, or may require a specific setting. In the case of the latter, making sure the setting is correct is absolutely vital. An AVT removes the setting error issue by being dedicated to the specific task.
Lookalike equipment error. Many assets look identical and errors can happen in a facility or in the field when part of a process are performed on an adjacent or mislabeled piece of equipment. An AVT can help avoid these errors because it is installed on the equipment.
Barriers to safety. Barriers or guards are used in equipment to prevent accidental contact with energized parts. However, they can also prevent contact that is required for hand-held testers. When testing for absence of voltage, be sure to consider if there are additional risks associated with removing a guard and whether good contact can be made through a barrier.
Skipping the self-test. Working environment difficulties can tempt workers to skip verifying the operation of a tester on a known voltage source (this also requires exposure to voltage). An AVT is designed with a built-in, known voltage source for self-testing.
Safety versus safety. Insulated busbars, finger-safe terminals or other safety options may make it difficult to assess where a proper contact can be made with a hand-held tester. If a worker mistakenly tests an insulated conductor, they may believe absence of voltage has been tested for, when it has not. Part of the AVT test sequence is confirmation that the AVT is in contact with a reliable test point.
Reliable ground required. Without a reliable ground reference point, a handheld tester can show zero volts even if voltage is present. An AVT must be installed with ground leads and will not indicate absence of voltage if the ground leads are not properly terminated.
Advancing Options for Safety
As technology continues to advance, so do our options for ensuring electrically safe working conditions in all types of facilities. As businesses design safety control measures into a system or work process, they are also realizing addition benefits like operating efficiencies in addition to the safety improvements those control measures provide. For more information on using AVTs for a more efficient, engineered approach to safety, reach out to your electrical infrastructure solution partner.
Rachel Bugaris is a Business Development Manager at Panduit Corp. She has a background in R&D, designing products ranging from absence of voltage testers to arc resistant equipment, and has multiple patents and has written several technical papers on electrical safety topics. Rachel has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. She is a member of IEEE and SWE.
REFERENCE
1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S030541790500255X?via%3Dihub
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