Safety in use of Electrical testing equipments (rated voltages less than 650V) .......1

Unsuitable test probes, leads, lamps, voltage indicators and multimeters have caused arcs due to:

(a)  Inadequately insulated test probes (typically having an excessive length of bare metal at the contact end) accidentally bridging a live conductor and adjacent earthed metalwork; or

(b)  Excessive current drawn through test probes, leads and measuring instruments. This happens when a multimeter is set to the wrong function, eg set on a current or resistance range when measuring voltage.

(c)  Inadequate insulation of test leads and probes;

(d)  Exposed live terminations at instruments and indicators;

(e)  A lead falling off one of the terminals of a meter and either the meter terminal or the lead terminal remaining live;

(f)   Incorrect use of test equipment, eg a multimeter applied to conductors at a voltage which exceeds the maximum working voltage of the instrument;

(g)  Use of poorly constructed makeshift test equipment, eg a test lamp consisting of a combination of a bayonet lamp holder, bulb and two single insulated conductors with bared ends;

(h)  Use of long intertwined leads which were not easily distinguished, resulting in one lead being connected across the instrument and the other short circuiting the live conductors under test.