Using Gloves When Doing Electrical Work


by Donny Tee - Date: 2007-03-25 - Word Count: 434 Share This!

Electricity is extremely dangerous so you need to focus on safety at all times when dealing with it. There are special gloves just for the purpose.

Electrical gloves are used to protect the electrician from accidental contact with charged systems while working. In normal situations, electrical systems are deactivated before work is performed. It is normal to shut down the entire electrical supply to a work area and most often equipment is even tagged out to insure that no one turns it back on. There are occasions when the electrician must work close to a charged system. At these times, protective gloves can be a life saver.

The gloves are made from good quality Natural or Synthetic rubber or combinations of both. Suitable compounds are added and there must be a suitable thickness to comply with standard specifications for the various voltage levels that might be encountered. 100% Natural latex is another material used for electrician gloves.

The gloves are assigned classifications based on thickness and expected voltage levels. The classes run from 00 to 3. The smallest level, 00, requires only a .05mm thickness and is rated for only 500 volts. The highest classification of 3 measures 2.9mm in thickness and is rated for 26,500 volts. The gloves are long and fit up over the sleeves of the user's clothing to insure maximum coverage.

It is important to maintain the gloves in perfect condition. A slight flaw in the glove could have fatal consequences. It is important to store them away from light and moisture. They need to be kept away from sharp or pointed objects also. The latex gloves are adversely affected by animal body fat and other substances that react with the latex and break it down. The gloves must be tested periodically and replaced if there are any doubts concerning their condition. The wise electrician uses his gloves only when the work situation requires their use and stores them safely in between uses.

Electricity is a wonder and has powered the lifestyle of the 21st century. It remains, however, a powerful and deadly force. Accident deaths from electrocution occur each year. The electrician works around this force on a daily basis and has no margin for error when dealing with charged systems. The electrician's glove is a critical and lifesaving accessory. Electrician gloves are available from electrical supply firms, and are sometimes used for other purposes. One such purpose is protection against toxic substances. It is important to remember that this is not their intended purpose. Once the glove has been used for any other purpose than protection, it has become worthless to the electrician


Related Tags: safety, electricity, injury, electrical, amps, gloves, rubber, voltage, thickness

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