Is This Live?

[Cubit]

Don't disagree. with that.

 

The bit that puzzles me in this is some having serious doubts to the reliability of their meter but putting implicit trust in the correct working of a volt stick and worse, a neon.

What happened to the bit about regular testing and inspection of test equipment?

 

Without the meter i wouldn't have noticed the neutral sitting at 30v relative to earth on Friday.

[magpye]

Forgive this post please, from someone who does not own a volt stick of any kind.

 

If they are as dangerous as, nearly, everyone here, says, how come no one has pointed to a person who has been killed or seriously injured from using one of these. Has it happened?

 

How come they are sold in every DiY premises in the country and also many other outlets that sell electrical equipment.

 

Surely Trading Standards would have been 'all over' the sellers/manufacturers by now to get these things removed from the shelves?

[MrHappy]

Forgive this post please, from someone who does not own a volt stick of any kind.

this type...

 

If they are as dangerous as, nearly, everyone here, says, how come no one has pointed to a person who has been killed or seriously injured from using one of these. Has it happened?

Using the magic of google, but note the dot au & its on page 5

 

Case 3

The deceased, who was a building and

maintenance manager, received a fatal

electrical injury whilst working on an air

conditioning unit in their workplace. It appears

that the deceased utilised a proximity volt-

tester at the time of death since this device was

discovered near the deceased’s head.

“1.

The Department of Fair Trading should review

the adequacy of the precautions attached

to the sale of proximity voltage testers (“volt

sticks”) in light of their inherent unreliability and

potentially fatal consequences.

 

http://www.ncis.org.au/web_pages/Feb%202012%20FACT-SHEET%20-%20Electrocution%20related%20deaths.pdf

 

How come they are sold in every DiY premises in the country and also many other outlets that sell electrical equipment.

Same reason you can buy red plastic clips for FP, people want to buy 'em

[Cubit]

Forgive this post please, from someone who does not own a volt stick of any kind.

 

If they are as dangerous as, nearly, everyone here, says, how come no one has pointed to a person who has been killed or seriously injured from using one of these. Has it happened?

 

How come they are sold in every DiY premises in the country and also many other outlets that sell electrical equipment.

 

Surely Trading Standards would have been 'all over' the sellers/manufacturers by now to get these things removed from the shelves?

Use them as a basic indicator. Is it live? yes? No?

[bee_man]

> Use them as a basic indicator. Is it live? yes? No?

 

Exactly. That is the one and only use they should ever be put to, and even then some of them only tell you if a voltage greater than the neon's striking voltage is present. The graduated multi LED ones are a bit better, but still wholly inadequate for measuring and kind of voltage, whether safety is involved or not. Damned things should be collected up and buried, en masse.

 

bee

[sixwheeledbeast]

Forgive this post please, from someone who does not own a volt stick of any kind.

 

If they are as dangerous as, nearly, everyone here, says, how come no one has pointed to a person who has been killed or seriously injured from using one of these. Has it happened?

 

How come they are sold in every DiY premises in the country and also many other outlets that sell electrical equipment.

 

Surely Trading Standards would have been 'all over' the sellers/manufacturers by now to get these things removed from the shelves?

 

 

I have one built into my Fluke multimeter. I'd only use it as a general indication.

I'd never think of touching live conductors without testing them "properly" first.

[Scotmod]

you can never be too cautious when testing fir live mains, either of the above options your relying on test leads having good continuity, but after a period of time there is high risk of them breaking within the sleeving, especially in the highly flexed portion of the leads.

intermittent leads could give false results ending up with a risk of severe shock for the user (even after having used a testing block).

personally my first test is using Fluke Volt Light 4L, this has. very bright LED but alsi a handy clip when yiu need ti free a hand. if no indication (because it has an off/on switch and batteries), i use a Fluke 15B DVM, still no indication i then check using 2 different neon drivers.

even after all that, i never grab a 'known dead' lead, but always perform a test with a swipe using the back of my finger so i can't grip if it is live.

 

So Safe Isolation is pants compared to your LED sticks?

[Alarm Protection]

The metre has never let me down tbh.

Of it ever does then I will post on here.

[arfur mo]

> Use them as a basic indicator. Is it live? yes? No?

Exactly. That is the one and only use they should ever be put to, and even then some of them only tell you if a voltage greater than the neon's striking voltage is present. The graduated multi LED ones are a bit better, but still wholly inadequate for measuring and kind of voltage, whether safety is involved or not. Damned things should be collected up and buried, en masse.

bee

neon striking voltage is far lower the very dangerous 240 vac, even building sites use 110 vac and on glass bulbs, which when broken exposes bare electrodes. 110 will still give you a fair jolt but less likely to kill.

The metre has never let me down tbh.

Of it ever does then I will post on here.

how about the hundred yards dash .

So Safe Isolation is pants compared to your LED sticks?

Sorry, i'm not being evasive but i'm not sure of your question, where did i say or intimate safe isolation was pants?

Safe Isolation while is always advisable is not usually practical in a busy environment, do you agree or not?

[bee_man]

Yes, about 90V, that was my point.

 

bee