Toolbox talk · Electrical · about 5 minutes
Working on electrical systems: safe isolation
Download the PDF with attendance sheet
Why it matters
Working on live systems is one of the main causes of electrical deaths. Safe isolation must be done every time, by a competent person.
The hazards
- Assuming a circuit is dead
- Wrong circuit isolated
- Someone switching back on
- Faulty test equipment
- Borrowed neutrals and backfeeds
Stay safe
- Never work live unless it is unavoidable and properly planned
- Identify the correct circuit and isolate it
- Lock off with your own lock and key and fit a warning notice
- Prove your voltage indicator on a known source
- Test the circuit is dead
- Prove the voltage indicator again after testing
- Use test leads and probes that meet GS38
- Keep your key with you until the work is finished
Ask the team
- What are the steps of safe isolation?
- Why do we prove the tester before and after?
- Who holds the key to the lock-off?
The law and guidance
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. HSE HSG85, Electricity at work: safe working practices; HSE GS38.
General guidance to help you give a toolbox talk. It doesn't replace your site's risk assessments, method statements, permits or training. Check it against your own site rules before you give it.
