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7 Golden Safety Rules for Working In HV Laboratory

7 Golden Safety Rules for Working In HV Laboratory (on photo: High-Voltage Lab, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands)

Employees performing operations and testing work in high voltage laboratory are exposed to a greater hazard than
most other employees.
Safety rules MUST NOT be seen as a means of limiting our freedom, but should rather be looked upon as valuable
advice to ensure safe working conditions.

7 golden rules to remember ALWAYS

Just to mention that there are many other safety rules to be followed. These are just the basics and I think some of
the most important.
If you have some rule(s) to add, please leave the comment below
Rule no. 1
Sufficient clearances must be provided to prevent unplanned flashovers.
Rule no. 2
Suitable barriers must be provided.

Rule no. 3
A suitable earth plane must be provided as safety earth and reference point for measurements. It is not advisable to
try to separate earths. In measuring circuits, such as voltage dividers and the Schering bridge, a bolted connection
to earth is required.
If this connection is broken, the full voltage appears across the break. Protective spark gaps and overvoltage
limiting devices can be used.
Rule no. 4
Any object in the laboratory should be either well connected to earth potential or at high voltage. Floating objects
cause problems.
Rule no. 5
Suitable interlocks that switch off the power on opening must be provided on doors and gates leading to live areas.
Rule no. 6
A suitable earth stick must be provided to earth any piece of equipment before touching. The rule is not to become
part of a circuit. Special care should be taken with circuits having capacitors especially with DC.
Rule no. 7
A person must NEVER work alone in a high voltage laboratory: double check and cross-check.

Engineering High Voltage Lab University of Leicester (VIDEO)

Cant see this video? Click here to watch it on Youtube.

About Author //
Edvard Csanyi
Edvard - Electrical engineer, programmer and founder of EEP. Highly specialized for
design of LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations, buildings and
industry fascilities. Designing of LV/MV switchgears. Professional in AutoCAD
programming and web-design. Present on Google+

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8 Comments
1.
vaibhav
Nov 13, 2014
lab should be free from dust,humidity,draught.
(reply)

2.
wc_foronda
Nov 18, 2013
Only Competent Authorized Personnels are allowed to work on any HV Testing/Operation.
.
(reply)
3.
jayagopi
Jan 10, 2013
Keep your left hand in your overall or overcoats pocket, while right hand is engaged in testing
and vice versa for left hand users. Objective is to mitigate leakage current flow through your heart.
(reply)
4.
Antonio Melgarejo
Dec 30, 2012
Always we must work with a coworker, never work alone, and if its possible that the coworker
have a good professional feeling with you.
Home`s problems arent a good help for finish a good job.
We can park the troubles in your minds and imagine mentally the energized bars, the magnetic fields, the air
ionized zones.
If is possible, working with one hand and the hand not used in the backs to prevent discharges to ground and
participate in the circuit.
Learn the position of the main breaker, and the fire extinguisher, and prepare take down it for ready to fire
(reply)

Edvard
Jan 02, 2013
Agree with you Antonio. There are so many potential distractions that can lead you to the
deadly hazard in laboratory.
(reply)

5.
Kichu Udayan
Dec 27, 2012
The supporting Equipments (Tools and accessories) used for testing should be Kept in proper
places . They should be placed in such a way that ,Equipments should not block Exit way during any Hazards
(reply)

Edvard
Jan 02, 2013
Good point Kichu.
(reply)
6.
Thomas J. Zazulak
Dec 26, 2012
All capacitors stored in a high voltage Lab must be shorted and case grounded at all times. This
applies to to both AC and DC high voltage testing. This also applies to high voltage impulse testing.
(reply)
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