“Hold the blade, not the handle,” says Lionel!
Here’s a tip from Lionel Swift of Oak Park in Victoria, that’s well worth remembering.
Lionel suggests that when using a screwdriver to manually close a contactor or a set of contacts, always hold the blade, not the handle. This way, Lionel advises that if the screwdriver slips off, it won’t short anything.
“Holding the handle (which most people do) gives a sense of false security and could be dangerous if the blade slips and shorts out a live conductor,” says Lionel. Lionel goes on to say: “It seems safer to hold the handle, but it’s not! The insulation protection when holding the blade is just the same.”
Of course this advice precludes “through tang” screwdrivers, which should never be in any electrician’s tool kit anyway (for obvious reasons).
Contributed by: Lionel Swift, Oak Park VIC
NOTE: Before using ANY screwdriver to work on ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENT THAT MAY BE LIVE the screwdriver should be checked to ensure that THE HANDLE IS ADEQUATELY INSULATED AND IS NOT DAMAGED!