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In my experience most consumers up to untrained professionals have no idea about the rules and recommendations surrounding even the most basic test meter. There's quite a lot of specific basic process that even the trained professionals are being doubly encouraged and reminded to follow.
I wouldn't make any assumptions that a consumer has a reliable voltage tester and is testing it properly before they test for dead or is locking the means to re-energise the circuit.
Airhead-
locking the means to re-energise the circuit
I can see that being necessary in a big site where there are multiple people working but when I turn the CU off to replace a light switch or something there is zero chance my wife will turn it back on again. Do any domestic consumer units have lock off points anyway?
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I wouldn't make any assumptions that a consumer has a reliable voltage tester and is testing it properly before they test for dead or is locking the means to re-energise the circuit.
Agree. There are people who can't change a lightbulb or wire a plug.
I do think that technical, able people (like Rogan) who 'get' systems and know they need to train themselves before doing something 'technical' in nature will do enough due diligence and buy the tooling (and test it!) required to minimise the risk of zapping themselves and / or setting themselves a trap for later though :)
Could be wrong. I'm not dead yet, have done many light fittings in our gaff. But then I grew up doing electrical shit / nerdery.
jellybaby
Howard
I know. This is true whether the circuit is earthed or not, I think? Although it's possibly more likely to install a fitting in a way that's less than acceptable with a circuit that has no earth. But class ii fittings exist - like the plastic ceiling rose - to side step the worst of that.
Yeah, it's unlikely. I was referring to tooling a consumer needs to verify the wiring they are working on is 'dead', having been shut off at the fuse box / consumer unit.