Testing of personal protective equipment (electrical protective equipment)
Testing of personal protective equipment
Electrical products, which include personal protective equipment, are used to ensure the safety of the maintenance personnel of electrical installations from the harmful effects of electric current and voltage.
Why check electrical protection equipment
The control of the product suitability for work is carried out in order to determine whether the electrical protection means comply with the requirements of regulatory and technical documentation.
All products and personal protective equipment must be certified and checked for serviceability. Only after examination, they are allowed to be used for operation in electrical installations.
How is the control and verification of electrical protection
Before carrying out electrical verification operations, we perform a mandatory inspection. We have to make sure that the tested tools meet the required parameters. We examine the following criteria:
The presence of a restrictive insulating ring on the side of the rod handle or UVN.
The height of the limiters must comply with the regulations. To work in electrical installations with voltages up to a thousand volts, it should not be less than three millimeters. At voltages exceeding 1000 V, the restrictive ring must be at least 10 mm.
The electrically insulating coating must be undamaged and have stable quality criteria for insulating dielectrics.
Protective moisture-resistant varnish should be smooth, without visible damage: cracks, scratches, peeling.
What do we pay special attention to
After inspecting the appearance before the main study, we check the electrical protection equipment for mechanical strength. We pay attention to resistance to impacts, tears, stretching, compression. Only after mechanical control we check the products on an electrical stand.
Features of testing dielectric protective equipment when working in electrical installations
Control is carried out in accordance with the standards for acceptance, periodic, type tests, which are indicated in the methods and relevant standards.
Electrical protection equipment that is necessary for work in electrical installations includes:
Voltage indicators 6, 35, 110 kV.
Bipolar voltage indicators 0.4 kV up to 10 W.
Insulating rods for each voltage.
Dielectric gloves, boots, rugs, galoshes.
Hand tool.
Portable grounding.
There are a number of additional tools, the reliability of which we must make sure. These are clamp meters of any voltage class, megohmmeters, devices for measuring voltage, current, resistance, and others.
We can also check personal tools for compliance with the insulation standards for protective handles of insulated bench tools.
Checking personal protective equipment on a stand in an electrical laboratory
Research Protocol
For testing, special equipment is used, such as the DTE-SVS series devices for testing PPE equipment, tools, insulated protection. During testing, we establish the degree of suitability for operation. After work, a protocol is filled out.
Why do we need a protocol
The protocol is a permit document with a certain period of validity, it must be kept until the next check of electrical protection equipment. A potential client can use the protocol to verify the reliability of laboratory tests of protection. The protocol helps to establish the degree of suitability of equipment and tools.
At the request of the Labor Code of many countries, in order to work in a workplace in harmful and dangerous conditions, the employer is obliged to provide employees with protective equipment.
Personal protective equipment, measuring devices, tools issued for work must be certified and tested. All instruments must be labeled with an expiration date.
Verification is carried out using a specialized high-voltage stand by our qualified employees with extensive experience and all the necessary approvals. At the end of the work, in accordance with the results, a stamp is placed on the product indicating the allowable voltage and the date of the next suitability test.
The result of the suitability of the electrical protection equipment is confirmed by a protocol with test data.
Test report for personal protective equipment
When working in electrical installations, it is especially important to monitor the condition of personal protective equipment, including in time to diagnose, test and replace them.
Testing and diagnostics of personal protective equipment are mandatory not only in connection with the requirements of regulatory and technical documentation, but also to verify their suitability for use, timely detection of malfunctions, accident prevention and safety of work.
The test report is a mandatory document that indicates the suitability of protective equipment for operation.
Tests are carried out by qualified personnel with extensive experience, using a stationary electrical laboratory
At the end of the tests, in addition to issuing a protocol, a stamp is placed on the product indicating the date of the next test and the value of the allowable voltage used. One copy of the protocol is received by the Client.
A dielectric mat is an individual or collective means of protection
This is an additional means of electrical protection. Individual - these are helmets, goggles, gloves, etc. Collective protective equipment - this is what is a constructive part of the electrical installation - these are permanently installed standard protective screens that protect against increased field strength. These are interlocks that prevent erroneous switching on, locks with electronic keys, mesh and other fencing. This is a protective grounding and grounding, signaling. A dielectric mat, unlike the structural elements of an electrical installation, can be carried away, which is why it belongs to additional electrical protective equipment.