Voltage Testing: Putting Safety First

Servicing electrical equipment involves complying with numerous safety regulations and countless time-consuming procedures. Navigating through these rigid and laborious stages can be complex, especially when running tests to validate the absence of voltage in plant equipment. 

Traditional testing can be problematic

The traditional method of manual voltage testing involves using hand-held portable test instruments after accessing an electrical panel. In addition to being cumbersome, there is also the risk of an electrical incident caused by unsafe work conditions not established before exposure to the panel. Human error and user misinterpretation of data are other detrimental factors that come into play as electrical workers lean towards minimizing their exposure time. An over-reliance on pre-installed voltage indicators can also be questionable and dangerous. Voltage indicators only warn of the presence of voltage but do not guarantee its absence. A unit with a non-illuminated light may detect a de-energized environment, but the chance of unit malfunction means there’s no guarantee of equipment being genuinely safe.

Fail-Safe verification with VeriSafe AVT

The VeriSafe™ Absence of Voltage Tester by Panduit simplifies and automates this process before equipment is accessed. By removing the unknown variables of manual testing, VeriSafe provides critical benefits that streamline plant instrumentation testing by: 

• Reducing the risk of employee exposure to electrical hazards for improved safety
• Reducing test procedure time and complexity to improve productivity
• Supporting compliance when used to verify the electrical lockout/tagout process in NFPA 70E

Once installed, VeriSafe confirms if plant equipment is de-energized by using active indications in a fraction of the time compared to traditional manual methods. It acts as both a voltage tester and voltage indicator to create safety, reliability, and efficiency, all with a simple push of a button. 

What’s in the pipeline?

Panduit plans to release VeriSafe AVT 2.0 in July 2022 bolstered with fantastic upgrades. Along with keeping its existing revolutionary AVT technology, this new offering will have higher voltage ratings, a battery-free option, a dedicated DC/single-phase indicator, network connectivity, and a second indicator option.

VeriSafe AVT 2.0 also comes equipped with widened application compatibility to cover industries where outdoor temperature, climate, or high-frequency noise is a performance factor. Water/Wastewater, HVAC, O&G, and other Outdoor sectors now have the option to apply this dynamic automation tool to run their plant equipment safely and efficiently, avoiding more traditional, riskier methods.

Contact us at info@buckles-smith.com or reach out to your sales representative to discuss which version of Panduit’s VeriSafe offering is right for you.