ELE/Cable Work/TBT-ELE-012

Isolation and Safe Systems of Work

Electrical Safety › Cable Work › Isolation and Safe Systems of Work

Presenter		Project
Location		Date

Electrical isolation means disconnecting a circuit from its source of supply to make it dead.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require safe systems of work for all electrical tasks.
Isolation must be carried out by a competent person authorised to work on electrical systems.
A "prove dead" procedure using an approved voltage indicator is essential after isolation.
Voltage indicators must be checked before and after use with a proving unit.
Lock-off devices and danger tags must be applied to prevent re-energisation.
Multiple isolations may be needed where more than one supply feeds the circuit.
Safe isolation applies to both high voltage and low voltage systems on construction sites.
An inadequate isolation procedure is one of the most common causes of electrical fatalities.
Never assume a circuit is dead — always test using the correct equipment.

Prevent electrocution	Contact with live conductors can cause fatal electric shock or severe burns in an instant.
Legal duty	The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require that circuits are made dead before work begins wherever reasonably practicable.
Protect others	Proper isolation and lock-off protects all workers in the area, not just the person carrying out the electrical task.

Don't

See also: Electrical Safety Awareness | RCD Protection and 110 Volt Use

Generate professional Risk Assessment and Method Statements in minutes. 10 document formats, site-specific content, instant Word download.

Toolbox Talk Record