Essential solutions for safe maintenance

by Jamie Bullock · 27th July 2017

Martindale Electric leads the way in safe isolation, providing simple and reliable solutions to ensure circuits have been de-energised and properly isolated prior to maintenance and modifications of plant and equipment in compliance with Electricity at Work Regulations. Martindale VIPDLOK kits enable electricians and service personnel to stay safe by proving dead and locking off circuits during installation and maintenance.

With 16% of all fatalities from accidents at work being electricity related, implementing safe isolation procedures is essential to achieve compliance with HSG85 Electricity at Work Regulations and avoid unnecessary accidents when working on or near live electrical systems. Selecting the right tools for the job is critical to implementing an effective procedure to stay safe and avoid potentially fatal accidents and heavy penalties.

Under the latest sentencing guidelines for Health & Safety offences, new fines are structured not just to punish employers whose failure to comply results in serious injury, but also those whose lack of compliance put their employees at risk. A consequence of the new guidelines is that average fines have trebled over the last year.

The essential test tools and equipment needed are a dedicated voltage indicator, a proving unit to verify the voltage indicator, locking off devices with unique keys and a clear method of labelling the hazard.

Martindale voltage indicator with proving unit

Martindale LOK6 universal fuse carrier lock

With a wide range of voltage detectors and indicators available, it’s important to understand why some equipment, such as multimeters, should not be used for this process. All equipment should be in accordance with the latest edition of HSE GS38 (Edition 4 June 2015) which includes the most recent standards for test equipment and useful information on how to avoid accidents when working on electrical systems.

Martindale VIPDLOK kits provide the simplest solution for implementing safe isolation practices and include everything needed to prove dead, lock off and stay safe.

Martindale VIPDLOK150 complete safe isolation kit