The ethical and legal requirements to protect workers from risk of electrocution are stronger today than ever before. The only way to ensure safety is by insisting on the use of true Safety Switches in the workplace, rather than ordinary rotary isolators.
“New duty-of-care legislation is tougher than many think,” says Kevin McCarthy, managing director of Katko UK, the leading manufacturer of Safety Switches. “Companies can now be liable for prosecution if senior managers (not just directors) fail to provide a safe system of work for employees.”
While thorough training and outright prohibition were once thought to protect against electrical carelessness and tampering in the workplace, the only way to really prevent electrical accidents is by fitting a true Safety Switch to equipment and systems.
“No one should fit rotary isolators any more as they are unfit for the purpose of safety. You can actually remove the cover off a rotary isolator – even when it’s in the ‘padlocked-off’ position thus restoring power to electrical equipment, production lines etc. A Katko Safety Switch, on the other hand, is interlocked in both the ‘on’ and ‘padlocked off’ position.”