What are insulated tools?
Insulated tools are hand tools employed by electricians, designed to guard them against injury if they encounter an energised source. The insulated tool is designed for safety and is rated for live spend to 1000 VAC or 1500 VDC. These tools are manufactured according to strict standards.

Who should use insulated tools?
Anyone performing on or near energized exposed conductors OR circuit parts where a tool is required should use insulated tools. Examples:

  • Skilled Professionals (HVAC or Battery Maintenance Technicians)
  • Electricians (Commercial or Industrial)
  • Utility Workers (Metermen, Nuclear, Substation, Line & Switchgear)
  • Renewables / Green Energy Market (Solar, Wind & Electric Cars) 

Industrial work is associated with a high risk of injury. And though the industry is quite cognizant of safety, there are multiple ways injuries can occur in a plant. Accidents due to electric shocks and other electric hazards are very common at the workplace. In India, electrical hazards cause more than 10,000 workplace fatalities and countless injuries that result in lost workdays.

This number is much too high not to investigate the obvious questions: what actually causes these accidents? And how can be they be prevented? Despite the statistics, preventive measures are insufficient and electrical hazards continue to cause injuries and deaths much to the chagrin of the safety officer. Accidents during electrical operations and maintenance within the manufacturing sector are common though often avoidable.

Most electrical accidents result from one among the subsequent three factors:  

  1. Unsafe equipment or installation
  2. Unsafe environment
  3. Unsafe work practices

These accidents can be prevented with the use of safety equipment, guarding, grounding, circuit protective devices, and other safe work practices.

Electrical injuries can occur in myriad ways, like when a worker comes into contact with an exposed electric conductor or a part of a circuit. This can cause heart problems, muscle spasms, and loss of breath. The damage occurring due to electrical injuries can lead to the dysfunction of multiple tissues or organs.

The injury also can result if electricity is passed from a conductor OR circuit through gas and into a grounded worker. This type of injury is more serious and may often end in death. Additionally, workers are often burned by electrical fires or fall from heights after being shocked.

A worker suffers from electrical injury when his body becomes part of a circuit. It’s a scary picture, but an accurate representation of how an electrical injury occurs. Human beings are incredibly conductive and electricity will flow through us if there’s no other easy path.

Is it possible that your choice of hand tools can cost you your life?

Standard tools offer no protection from electric shock and they should not be used even for un-energized electrical equipment. Even in the powered-off condition, a thorough assessment needs to be done to see if your equipment is truly isolated if using regular hand tools. Otherwise, it is always advisable to use insulated tools. In fact, every company should invest in insulated tools, as the cost of injuries far outweighs the price of tools.

Insulated hand tools play a role in creating a safe workplace for employees who are working near energized circuits.

These preventative measures could seem like overkill, but the reality is that you simply can never be too safe when it involves electrical work. With such heavy statistics showing what percentage of people can die from such hazards, businesses should take care to guard their workers. If workplaces were to properly train and use protective gear for their employees, the number of electrical injuries would be greatly reduced.

Insulated tools provide an extra measure of protection against such hazardous and unpredictable situations. High-quality insulated hand tools are engineered to guard you against electric shock and reduce the likelihood of arc faults caused by short circuits. 

Work done where there are exposed energized electrical conductors OR circuit parts requires the utilization of an insulated tool.

We at Bombay Tools believe that safety should always be a top priority. That’s why our team of engineers, workers, and craftsman help manufacture the proper tools for the job. 

Our tools are tested and certified for 

  1. Durability with IMPACT test ( Hammer falling on 3 different places on the tool, fall of the tool from varying heights at varying temperatures)
  2. Reliability with INSULATION TEST (Test piece is heated and loaded with weights)
  3. Protection with STAMP and FLAME RETARDENCY TEST

All products of Bombay insulated tools go through a rigorous, internal testing process, including the above-mentioned tests.

The use and application of insulated tools and PPE by electricians are a must to protect yourself and your employees from unwanted electric injuries. This means that insulated tools should be a vital part of your tool kit.

 For more details you can write us on – info@bombaytools.in