Electrical PPE and Lockout/Tagout

De-energize first, always

The safest circuit is a dead one. The rule I live by is simple: unless you have a documented reason that working it live is truly necessary, you turn it off. Most shocks and arc flashes happen on circuits somebody thought were safe to work hot to save five minutes.

Working energized should be the rare exception with an energized work permit and full arc rated protection, not your default habit.

The lockout/tagout steps

Lockout/tagout, LOTO, is the procedure that keeps a circuit off while you work. Skipping any step is how someone re-energizes a line with your hands on it.

• Notify everyone affected that you are shutting it down.
• Open the disconnect or breaker.
• Apply your own lock and a tag with your name.
• Verify zero energy with a meter you tested on a known live source first.
• Only you remove your lock, when you are done.

Test before you touch

The single most important habit is the live-dead-live test. Prove your meter works on a known source, test the circuit you locked out to confirm it is dead, then prove your meter still works on the known source again. If step three fails, your dead reading meant nothing.

Use a meter and probes rated for the voltage category you are in. A cheap meter failing under a transient is a documented way people have died.

Match the PPE to the hazard

Personal protective equipment is your last line of defense. Rated rubber insulating gloves with leather protectors, arc rated clothing, safety glasses, and a face shield or hood when arc flash is possible. The level of arc rated gear scales with the incident energy at that equipment.

Inspect and air-test rubber gloves before each use, keep them within their test date, and never wear anything melting or synthetic under arc rated clothing. Cotton chars; polyester melts into your skin.