Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can help with issue i'm having over the difference between isolation under reg 19 of PUWER and Reg 12 of EAWR. If operators break open machinery (food production equipment, e.g. augers, pumps, converyors, etc) to complete cleaning tasks on a daily basis they are instructed to isolate the equipment at the provided isolation switches (yellow and red, lockable switches). They follow LOTO and each person applies their padlock. My thought was that all electrical energy is remove from this machine by closing the isolator switch and locking it off. The switch disconnects and physically separates the electrical supply.....is this not the case? The term disconnect and separation of electrical equipment from every source is causing a prob at minute. Wil the isolator switches not be a suitable means of isolation because there is not a separation?

Hi Ron, Other energy sources have been considered, My query is relating to elecctrical isolation. Electrical supplies powering mechanical parts of equipment and electrical isolation on electrical systems.

safetyman, To be pedantic, you open an electrical isolator to achieve isolation. You close a hydraulic, pneumatic, water valve (mechanical) isolation device to achieve isolation of energy. terminology I know. Your procedure is fine as long as the fixed installation is adequately maintained. For the equipment to operate fully with a 3 phase electrical isolator locked in the open positionyou would expect to see around 4 simultaneous faults on a single device. These items are safety related parts and they carry a CE mark having been made to a reputable standard (we hope! ;-) ) It is late now, however, the simple situation you describe would normally be safe for undertaking mechanical maintenance on the machine and electrical maintenance on the machine control & power systems as long as (in the electrical case) full safe isolation procedures were undertaken to ensure that the conductors to be worked on were de-energised prior to work. Paul