Workshop Safety

This is the equipment that makes the bay safe rather than the person. Matting puts an insulating layer between the technician and the floor, which is the return path that makes a shock across the body possible. Rescue provision covers the moment it has already gone wrong.

Two things in here get bought late and should be bought early. A rescue hook is useless in a cupboard on the other side of the building, and a lithium electrolyte spill is not something a general workshop absorbent deals with. Both belong in the bay.

21 products

Common questions

What is a rescue hook for?

Separating a casualty from a live conductor without touching them. Grabbing somebody who is in contact with a live source is how one casualty becomes two.

Is a standard workshop first aid kit enough?

Not on its own. It has no means of safe separation and usually little burn provision. Keep the general kit and add electrical specific provision alongside it.

What standard should floor matting meet?

IEC 61111 is the standard for electrical insulating matting. Check the marking and keep the certificate, and replace matting that is cut, oiled or worn through.

How often should insulating gloves be tested?

Six months is the common re-test interval, and they need an inspection before every use. A glove tester in the workshop is what makes the before-every-use check realistic.