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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 308
E
Edward Offline OP
Member
KLEIN Company is a mleading and one of the best tool manufacturer for electrical tools.
But why are their tools stamped with the following.
CAUTION THIS TOOL IS NOT INSULATED WILL NOT PROTECT AGAINST ELECTRICAL SHOCK.

Yet they are still great tools and the handle have protected me against 480Volts.

Any comments.
Edward


Thanks
Edward
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,081
T
Member
This is the link to the Klein Tools website.

This link will take you to the page that shows the tools designed to protect against shock (when used properly, up to a certain voltage, etc.)

The "insulation" on the tools that have the CAUTION is meant for comfort and grip, not for electrical insulation.

I'll let the experts here fill you in on the rest.

Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 50
J
Member
I always thought they do it for liability reasons. Although they design the tools to provide a certain amount of protection against shock, by putting on them "CAUTION THIS TOOL IS NOT INSULATED WILL NOT PROTECT AGAINST ELECTRICAL SHOCK." absolves them of any liability in those cases where the tool is used improperly or with a damaged coating

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,392
S
Member
still,
what manufacturers do for the sake of liability often seems to defeat their very marketing purpose.......

Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 228
J
Member
I think they put it on there due to the fact that if you are not careful your hand could slide up the tool and hit metal. All the Klien insulated tools have the guards at the top of the handle to protect from accidently hitting the metal. I think some of their toold are better if you get the insulated, I have to strippers shown on the top of the page and they are great, I like the feel of them much more than regular strippers, and I just like th orange color.

Jim

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Member
That's the main reason, Jim!.
1000V insulated tools also have the minimum of bare metal exposed. [Linked Image]

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 518
J
Member
Boy, does this re-open a sor subject!
Klein used to offer their tools with an optional "high dielectric" coating- yet insistsed that "high di-electric" in no way implied any insulative value at all!
If you wanted tools that admitted to being designed for working on live circuits, you had to import some German tools, that met DIN specs. Today, the tools Klein sells for this application appear absolutely identical to those German tools.
One requirement of the DIN standard is that there be two differently colored layers of insulating material; the idea is that this will make it easier to spot any damage to the outer layer.
The vinyl dip on tool handles is generally there for reasons of comfort only. While they may -or may not- help protect you from a shock, there is generally another place for electricity to go. That's why we've all turned a pair of dikes into strippers at one time or another- and generally haven't felt a shock when we did so!
For what it's worth, the US Navy generally has tools without the dip on the handles, as a means of encouraging personnel to de-energize equipment before working on it. No, I'm not making this up!

Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 48
O
Member
Tools are not electrically insulated unless they are manufactured according to ASTM F 1505, "Standard Specification for Insulated and Insulating Hand Tools" and must be marked on the tool with either meets ASTM F 1505 or the universal symbol of the two upsidedown triangles which overlap. The tools that meet the standard are rated at 1kv (unlike gloves and other cover up which can be obtained at various ratings).
Using anything else on energized circuits is like playing Russian Roulette, as well as violating NFPA 70E and other standards.
OSHA Professor



[This message has been edited by OSHA Professor (edited 02-09-2003).]

[This message has been edited by OSHA Professor (edited 02-09-2003).]

Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,236
Likes: 1
Member
They apparently don't add graphite, metals shavings, or any similar conductive substance to the plastic covering the handles to make them un-dielectric, but no one is willing to make any sort of claims to their dielectric strength.

That's the way I see it.


-Virgil
Residential/Commercial Inspector
5 Star Inspections
Member IAEI

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