What is an insulating rod and what is it for?

An electric shock can lead to disability and even death. Therefore, in order to protect workers during work, many protective devices and tools are used. One of them is an insulating rod - these are special rods that are made of non-conductive materials. They can touch electrical installations that are energized. They also serve as a life-saving element (release of the victim from the action of electricity).

Content:

Varieties of insulating rods
Design
Test technology
Terms of use

Varieties of insulating rods

Depending on the purpose, this protective agent is divided into the following types:

Operational bar. It is used to connect / disconnect single-pole disconnectors, to check the presence or absence of current, to clean the insulation of equipment that is energized from dust, to remove / install tubular arresters and other similar works.
Universal. The purpose of this device is diverse. Basically, it can be used to perform the same operations as with an operational device.
Measuring. Used for measurements in electrical installations that are in operation.
Repair. They are used during installation and repair work near parts or installations that are under load. Also with its help insulators are cleaned of dust, the presence of voltage in the cable is checked.

The photo below shows several types of insulating rods:

Design

This protective agent consists of the following parts:

the working part (this is the main part that determines the purpose of the device);
insulating (ensures human safety from electric shock);
handle (necessary to hold the device, as a rule, this is an extension of the separating part, which is divided by a ring).

Also, devices are divided into solid and composite. The latter are a construction of several links that are connected using a special separating part.

They can be operational. This design is a device with a removable working part. Due to this, the working head can vary depending on the type of work and action.

As for weight, such an insulating protective measure should not be heavy for a person. After all, he will have to work with him for some time. But there are such designs that have significant weight. Then two workers work with him using supporting structures.

Size Charts by Purpose:

Test technology

There is one test method for this protective tool - the separating elements of operational or measuring devices are experiencing increased voltage.

There are a lot of varieties of insulating rods, respectively, and the voltage classes where they are used are also many.Therefore, when conducting checks, they use a special table where all the names of structures are indicated depending on the voltage class. It also indicates the frequency of testing and their duration.

This is what this table looks like:

The test method of an insulating rod with increased voltage is demonstrated in the video:

Terms of use

Before starting work, the protective agent used should be checked and make sure that it is suitable. To do this, check the integrity of the structure and the presence of the test stamp. The insulating rod must not contain mechanical damage, the absence of defects at the joints is mandatory. The stamp must contain the voltage value (in kV) to which the application is permitted, and the date of the next test. For instance: