Electrical Contracting News (ECN) November 2016 | Page 37

TOOLS

Ensuring you are equipped with tools
designed specifically for the task at hand
is the first step. Historically, side cutters
were manufactured with a one size fits all
approach, manufactured with an obtuse
cutting angle to provide the strength
needed for cutting through high tensile
steel wire used in the construction industry.
Until now, there has been a distinct lack of
choice for side cutters that are specifically
designed for the effortless cutting of wires
that electricians deal with, day in, day out.

Independent testing

E POINT
Cutting through
wire is one of the
most repeated tasks
during a workday
for an electrician,
a basic task that
requires the use of
an incredible 42 hand
muscles.

Through an exhaustive testing program, CK
tools redefined the cutting geometry of its
side cutters to define the optimum blade
angles for the effortless cutting of copper and
aluminium cables. Independent, controlled
testing has shown that this fusion of
engineering expertise has a marked impact
on the ease of cut and blade durability. To put
this in context, the average pressure saving
to make a cut is 74 Newton meters, with
the average electrician making over 10,000
cuts per year – there is a resultant personal
saving of over 75 tons of pressure.
In addition to trigger finger, injuries
as a result of contact with electricity or
electrical discharge present a huge risk
to electricians and their ability to work
safely. With volts as low as 50 able to cause
significant damage it’s no surprise to hear
that there were two workplace fatal injuries
in 2014/2015 as a result of contact with
electricity, and that a further 230 workers
were forced to take in excess of seven days
off work as a result of electrical injuries.
One simple preventative method is to
ensure that your chosen
tools are tested as safe to
use up to a high voltage.

FEATURE

For many years, tools on the market
have been branded ‘insulated’, only
meaning that the tools are coated with
a material that is not a conductor of
electricity. However, only by choosing a
tool marked VDE are electricians safe in
the knowledge that each tool has been
individually tested to 10,000V – a sizeable
voltage in comparison to the mere 50V that
can cause substantial injuries.

VDE certified
VDE tested tools are designed specifically
to reduce the user’s risk of injury plus
reduce the risk of damage to electrical
circuitry. Electricians need to be aware of
cheaper, non-VDE certified tools as they
could cost them their lives.
VDE tested tools are a vital element
in the health and safety mix, something
that should never be ignored or
underestimated. Within the electrical
industry, where efficiency, quality and
safety are paramount, compromising on
any of these elements could result in a
nasty shock. Ensure your safety and invest
in quality tools fit for purpose.
Your hands are your most treasured
possession, your bread and butter, and they
need looking after. Superior quality is the key
to a good tool and, in turn, healthy hands.
Investing in quality tools, fit for purpose,
ensures a quality job done, time saved,
money earned and a fit bill of health.

VDE tested tools are
designed specifically
to reduce the user’s
risk of injury plus
reduce the risk of
damage to electrical
circuitry.

but over time trigger finger can easily
develop and worst case scenario, could
leave a tradesman incapacitated for weeks,
impacting negatively on profits.
According to the Health and Safety
Executive, 27.4 million working days
were lost due to work related ill health or
workplace injuries in 2014/2015. For the
self-employed time is indeed money.
Time lost due to unnecessary injuries will
make a significant dent in your wallet, so
preventative action is extremely important.

November 2016 | 37

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11/10/2016 13:01