Work Safely with Draper VDE products.
Tool safety is paramount when it comes to professionals who use them to make a living. Choosing the right tool is not just a matter of performance, but also the protection it provides the user.
Selecting between two tools that might look and perform identical but provide different levels of protection depending on the application, can mean the difference between life and death.
A question we hear a lot is: Do I need to use insulated hand tools for electrical work? If you are doing any type of electrical work, insulated tools come highly recommended. They may even come as a requirement depending upon the job. Remember that, just because your screwdriver or pliers have plastic handles, this does not guarantee they can and will insulate you from an electrical shock.
Why Insulated Tools?
Using insulated tools is not always a priority for professionals working in the presence of live electrical current. From a performance standpoint, the same task can be accomplished with regular tools. With one important difference: insulated tools offer user protection against electrical shock up to 1000 V.
No modifications made to regular tools (like using garden hose to cover the handles or covering the exposed part with a coating of ordinary rubber) will provide the same level of protection as fully certified insulated tools.
Choose a reputable tool manufacturer. The overall quality of an insulated tool cannot be judged solely on the insulation method. The quality and performance of the base tool is fundamental.
VDE stands for Verband der Elektrotechnik, they are responsible for testing and certifying tools and appliances. The VDE Testing and Certification Institute is a nationally and internationally accredited institution in the field of testing and certification of electrical engineering devices, components, and systems. They test electrical products for safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and other product properties
