1.2.3 General High Voltage Guidelines
In addition to the above, the following practices have proven effective for personnel who deal
with high voltage equipment.
a. Hands off. Avoid contact with any potential source of high voltage. Keep hands out of the
equipment when it is operating.
b. Avoid accidental contact. Make sure that some other part of your body does not come in
contact with the high voltage circuits. It is easy to forget the hazards when you are
concentrating on a frustrating or interesting task. Pens and badges in shirt pockets could
contact the equipment.
c. Never work on high voltage circuits when you are alone. If anything should happen to
you, your only chance may be prompt action by some other person. Be sure someone else is
present and knows what to do in any emergency (e.g., how to shut equipment off, first aid,
who to call, etc.)
d. Use one hand when working with high voltage circuits. Many people recommend that you
put one hand in your pocket when you use a probe or other piece of equipment inside a
high voltage section.
e. Do not float measuring equipment above ground. Make all measurements with respect to
ground. If you float an instrument, do not reach inside the equipment. Although it is more
difficult to get the right setup, it is well worth the effort.
f. Do not assume that the level of risk is a function of size. Some large high power voltage
equipment looks docile. One reason the equipment is so big is to get the proper separation
between high voltage points. On the other hand, just because the equipment is small is no
assurance of safety. Dense packaging results in more difficult access and increases the
chance that you will accidentally hit the wrong point.