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10 dumb things

smart people
do when testing
electricity Application Note

Anyone who makes their living 4. Grab the cheapest DMM


by working with electricity on the rack. You can
quickly develops a healthy upgrade later, right? Maybe
respect for anything with even not, if you end up a victim
a remote chance of being “live.” of a safety accident because
Yet the pressures of the getting that cheap test tool didn’t
a job done on time or getting a actually contain the safety
mission-critical piece of equip- features it advertised. Look
ment back on line can result in for independent laboratory
carelessness and uncharacteristic testing.
mistakes by even the most sea-
soned electrician. The list below 5. Leave your safety glasses
was developed as a quick in your shirt pocket. Take
reminder of what not to do when them out. Put them on. It’s
taking electrical measurements. important. Ditto insulated
gloves and flame-resistant
1. Replace the original fuse clothing.
with a cheaper one. If your
digital multimeter meets 6. Work on a live circuit.
today’s safety standards, De-energize the circuit
that fuse is a special safety whenever possible. If the
sand fuse designed to pop situation requires you to
before an overload hits your work on a live circuit, use
hand. When you change properly insulated tools,
your DMM fuse, be sure to wear safety glasses or a
replace it with an author- face shield and insulated
ized fuse. gloves, remove watches or
other jewelry, stand on an
2. Use a bit of wire or metal insulated mat and wear
to get around the fuse all flame-resistant clothing, not
together. That may seem regular work clothes. 9. Neglect your leads. Test
like a quick fix if you’re leads are an important com-
caught without an extra 7. Fail to use proper lock- ponent of DMM safety. Make
fuse, but that fuse could be out/tag-out procedures. sure your leads match the
all that ends up between CAT level of your job as
8. Keep both hands on the well. Look for test leads
you and a spike headed test. Don’t! When working
your way. with double insulation,
with live circuits, remember shrouded input connectors,
3. Use the wrong test tool for the old electrician’s trick. finger guards and a non-slip
the job. It’s important to Keep one hand in your surface.
match your DMM to the pocket. That lessens the
work ahead. Make sure your chance of a closed circuit 10. Hang onto your old test
test tool holds the correct across your chest and tool forever. Today’s test
CAT rating for each job you through your heart. Hang or tools contain safety features
do, even if it means switch- rest the meter if possible. unheard of even a few years
ing DMMs throughout the Try to avoid holding it with ago, features that are worth
day. your hands to minimize per- the cost of an equipment
sonal exposure to the effects upgrade and a lot less
of transients. expensive than an emer-
gency room visit.

From the Fluke Digital Library @ www.fluke.com/library


Understanding safety categories

Overvoltage
category In brief Examples

CAT IV Three-phase • Refers to the “origin of installation”; i.e., where low-voltage


at utility connection is made to utility power.
connection, • Electricity meters, primary overcurrent protection equipment.
any outdoor • Outside and service entrance, service drop from pole
conductors to building, run between meter and panel.
• Overhead line to detached building, underground line
to well pump.

CAT III Three-phase • Equipment in fixed installations, such as switchgear and


distribution, polyphase motors.
including • Bus and feeder in industrial plants.
single-phase • Feeders and short branch circuits, distribution panel devices.
commercial • Lighting systems in larger buildings. Fluke. Keeping your world
lighting • Appliance outlets with short connections to service up and running.
entrance.
CAT II Single-phase • Appliance, portable tools, and other household and similar
receptacle loads. Fluke Corporation
connected • Outlet and long branch circuits. PO Box 9090, Everett, WA USA 98206
loads • Outlets at more than 10 meters (30 feet) from CAT III source. Fluke Europe B.V.
• Outlets at more that 20 meters (60 feet) from CAT IV source. PO Box 1186, 5602 BD
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
CAT I Electronic • Protected electronic equipment. For more information call:
• Equipment connected to (source) circuits in which measures In the U.S.A. (800) 443-5853 or
are taken to limit transient overvoltages to an appropriately Fax (425) 446-5116
low level. In Europe/M-East/Africa (31 40) 2 675 200 or
Fax (31 40) 2 675 222
• Any high-voltage, low-energy source derived from a high- In Canada (800) 36-FLUKE or
winding resistance transformer, such as the high-voltage
Fax (905) 890-6866
section of a copier. From other countries +1 (425) 446-5500 or
Fax +1 (425) 446-5116
Overvoltage installation categories. IEC 1010 applies to low-voltage (< 1000 V) test equipment. Web access: http://www.fluke.com
©2003 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved.
Printed in U.S.A. 2/2003 2071940 A-ENG-N Rev A
2 Fluke Corporation 10 dumb things smart people do when testing electricity

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