Always always test to make sure circuit is dead

[Doomed]

As the title says. Do it.
Friday after lunch, sent to work on a external socket.
On the inside wall nice big isolator labelled 'Isolator for outside socket'.
Fine I think, turn off the nice big isolator with a satisfying 'clunk'.
Start dismantling socket and 'ow - that tingles'
Test it and its still live.
Look inside the isolator and the guts have been taken out and replaced with henley blocks and directly wired!
And this was a 63A three phase socket!
Lucky I'm not fried!

 

[ezzzekiel]

isnt safe isolation part of the process?

 

[RWJ]

That'll teach you!!!! Although we've all done it

 

[Paul.M]

What prat disconnected the isolator and used a Henley block! Doomed your a lucky man, glad that your still with us.

 

[Guest 004]

well if you dont test before you touch.........

prove your tester
isolate circuit
test circuit
prove tester
lock off circuit

 

[Doomed]

well if you dont test before you touch.........

prove your tester
isolate circuit
test circuit
prove tester
lock off circuit

This is what I drum into the apprentice when he is with me - I do know better, but Friday afternoon and assuming the setup was installed correctly got the better of me - glad the apprentice was with one of the other lads!

 

[Phil]

glad your ok, get yourself checked out.

 

[mayfair]

Thats why its maybe called a dead test cos thats how you can end up!

 

[mogga]

Lucky guy drum it into apprentices TEST TEST TEST again no such thing as testing to much I want a voltage indicator (like wand type thingy) fitted to a pair of work gloves then no forgetting to test ( altho NOT accurate it would indicate voltage present

 

[Electricalserv]

Basic stuff really

 

[ezzzekiel]

will admit not to carrying out full proving tests but always use a fluke voltage indicator every time

 

[Electro-tech]

This may be useful to some newbies,YouTube - ‪Safe Isolation Test‬‏

 

[moody89]

I think we all take for granted that when we think we have turned the correct breaker off in the CU that the circuit we are working on is dead. 90% of the time it is but there's always that one off where it's labelled wrong etc. Still remember the time I isolated an installation from the main switch to do work on the lighting circuit. Was very surprised to receive a lovely little tickle when I disconnected said fitting and attempted to re-terminate the cable. Turns out the tails were the wrong way around entering the main switch. A very dangerous situation which could have resulted in a lot more than just a 'tickle.' Since then I have always made a point of testing before working on a circuit.

 

[jaresquire]

The t****r who fitted the henly block could've at least removed the label

 

[The Cavalry]

Ouch! Glad you are ok. I turned everything off including the nice big switch by the meter, still live when I went back to the light fitting. someone converted house into flats did not bother rewiring!! feed from next flat!!

Never assume it 'makes an --- out of u and me!!!!!

 

[Guest 004]

Even worse you could have borrowed neutrals, so when you isolate, and test the circuit is indeed dead, but when you come to split the neutrals, you get 230V.

Whenever I have isolated a circuit, and it is tested to be 'dead', if I have to split any cables that are in blocks, or terminated, I will always test again after I have split the cables!! Its your life, never make assumptions when sparking!

 

[alarm man]

glad your ok, get yourself checked out.

phils right,symptoms of electric shock can appear more than 24hrs later..

 

[Doomed]

Still alive and feeling embarresed, thanks for all your concern

 

[High Tower]

Glad your with us still mate,

What interests me is all the do no wrong brigade that are quick to condem things like this, we have all done something similar to variying degrees of severity!! and i Defiy ANYONE to tell me they havent.

Mine was pulling a cut out on a rewire and wading into the house wiring with a pair or croppers during the strip out, only problem is that next door was stealing electricity and there was a cross connection.

brown pants and £40 worth of crops destroyed later and i learnt my lesson.

I dont think anyone can critisise Doomed as its a east mistake to make, and a hard lesson to learn.

 

[i=p/u]

does the stolen neutrals scinario only show up if the other circuit is switched on????? does a neutral to earth prove this aswell???id say i wade in . i was working in a house on friday and my multimeter was showing voltage on a cable but when i isolated still showing 12v or so and couldnt see where the cable was going too and couldnt check as would of ment busting holes in ceiling of an attic, was a nightmare to explain as i bought a light before but then it couldnt go up... i live and learn
...
ps you know anywhere with good offers on approved voltage indicators as i might make purchase today.. then i wouldnt of had my problem