In recent research, we have noted an increasing confusion amongst tool consumers and stockists about the difference between ‘insulated’ and ‘VDE’ tested tools, and in turn the difference in levels of safety. We are seeking to clarify this ambiguity within the electrical trade.
For many years tools on the market have been branded ‘insulated’, meaning only 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.
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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.
Though the tools industry has developed technology to meet an increasingly demanding workplace, CKI are also keen to reiterate the importance of tool maintenance, especially for those in the electrical trade.
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Nicki Elkin of C.K tools comments:
“Choosing VDE tools every time is only the first step towards a safe working environment. Users must remember to examine the insulation of any electrical tools before use as even the slightest damage can render the coating useless against electricity, and therefore could cause injury.”
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