Magazine | Issue 1 2023 We recently redesigned our existing ground spike with an isolating handle and safety plug. This minimizes the risk of an electric shock when the spike is accidentally touched while a test is running. Grounding system measurements require a test current injection at a sufficient distance from the substation under test. Our measurement sets can generate high voltages, which are necessary for some testing situations. This can be potentially dangerous if the ground spike is touched while a measurement is still running. Therefore, our user manuals and safety instructions draw attention to these potentially dangerous situations and describe measures for preventing accidents, such as cordoning off the dangerous area with warning tape and observing the injection site. We spoke to Paul Kerr, Safety Expert at OMICRON, and Josef Harl, Development Engineer at OMICRON, about this safety improvement. Paul, why is safety such an important topic for OMICRON? Paul: Our products are used in environments where hazardous voltages and currents can occur. Our goal in these environments is to minimize the impact of dangerous scenarios so that everyone can safely carry out their work and go home at the end of the day. How do you identify dangerous scenarios? Paul: We need to understand how our products are used and the chain of events that can lead to a dangerous occurrence. This is done through regular internal audits where we discuss, analyze, and determine potential «Our goal is to minimize the impact of dangerous scenarios so that everyone can safely carry out their work.» Paul Kerr, Safety Expert, OMICRON Background: Protection application engineer now focused on product safety and quality 19
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