College of Engineering Laboratory Procedure

General High Voltage Safety Procedure

Dept: Multi-department Laboratory: Multi-lab Rm: Multi-room
Authored by: Dick Sevier, Research Support Engr. Date: 15-Jan-12
Filename: High Voltage Safety Proc 15-Jan-12 Revision: 1

This procedure provides general instructions on how to work with high voltage power
supplies (48 V and higher) and circuits in the research and student project
Brief Overview & environment.
Scope It is meant to be to provide a general overview of the hazards and safe practices
associated with high voltage work. It is recommended that you modify and/or add to
this to reflect your specific work.
Potential Hazards Electrical shock, trip and fall
Engr. Controls GFCI circuits, circuit interlocks, grounding rods, current limit circuits
PPE Shoes with rubber or other insulating soles; Insulated gloves
Equipment,
DMM, high voltage probe
Tools:
Mat’ls, Supplies: none
Add’l Training
none
Requirements
Special Requirements:
Handling &
none
Facilities
Spill & Incident n/a
Decontamation/
n/a
Waste Disposal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WARNINGS: ................................................................................................................................... 2
EMERGENCY RESPONSE: ........................................................................................................... 2
ELECTRICAL CURRENT AND THE BODY: .................................................................................. 3
1. How Electrical Current Affects the Body: .............................................................................. 3
2. Electrical Path Information: .................................................................................................... 3
HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL DESIGN: ...................................................................................... 4
3. Design Review ......................................................................................................................... 4
4. High Voltage Source or Supply .............................................................................................. 4
5. Circuit Insulation and Isolation .............................................................................................. 4
6. A Use of System Interlock ...................................................................................................... 4
7. Use of Current Limiting Circuits............................................................................................. 5
8. Use of “In-Circuit” Instrumentation........................................................................................ 5

Certification of Hazard Assessment

 General High Voltage Safety Procedure
9. Capacitors and Bleeder Resistors.......................................................................................... 5
10. Use of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) ................................................................... 5
ROUTINE TASKS: .......................................................................................................................... 6
1. De-energizing the High Voltage Circuit .................................................................................. 6
2. Making an Electrical Measurement of A Live Circuit ............................................................ 6
3. Working on De-Energized Circuit ........................................................................................... 6
4. Circuit Modifications ............................................................................................................... 6

WARNINGS:
a. An electrical shock from high voltage can be lethal due to cardiac arrest or respiratory inhibition or
lead to a (secondary) trip or fall accident.
b. Never work alone when working with high voltage.
c. Do not work on a circuit that has not been approved by faculty or staff.
d. Due to the specialized knowledge required in working with high voltage, only designated team
members who have passed written and hands on training as deemed by the project PI or advisor
may work on the high voltage circuit.
e. Do not work on a circuit that you are not familiar with. Be aware of the high voltage sections and their
potentials.
f. Never work on a high voltage circuit when it is energized. Be sure to de-energize the circuit using a
grounding rod prior to working on it.
g. Work with rubber soled shoes when using the high voltage circuit.
h. Be particularly cautious of high voltage AC circuits, as they can lead to involuntary muscular
contraction and inability to release from the high voltage circuit.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE:
a. In the event of a serious electrical shock or other injury, call 911.
b. If a person is knocked unconscious, call 911, then administer CPR if you have CPR training or seek
someone who is trained.
c. If a person appears to have suffered a cardiac incident, call 911 and then use the Automated
External Defibrillator (AED).

15-Jan-12 Page 2 of 6
 General High Voltage Safety Procedure
ELECTRICAL CURRENT AND THE BODY:
1. How Electrical Current Affects the Body:
Three primary factors affect the severity of the shock a person receives when he or she is a part of an
electrical circuit:
O Amount of current flowing through the body.
O Path of the current through the body.
O Length of time the body is in the circuit.
Other factors that may affect the severity of the shock are:
O The voltage of the current.
O The presence of moisture in the environment.
O The phase of the heart cycle when the shock occurs.
O The general health of the person prior to the shock.
(source for above: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/electrical_incidents/eleccurrent.html)
2. Electrical Path Information:
O The exact current that leads to cardiac arrest is indeterminate, however, currents as low as 50mA may
lead to cardiac arrest if the current path is through the heart.
O One of the most direct current paths through the heart is from one arm to the other arm.
O To minimize risk of current taking this path, do not touch a high voltage portion of the circuit with one
hand while touching a low voltage section with the other. One option to reduce risk of severe electrical
shock is to work with just one hand when possible so that the return path is through a leg.

15-Jan-12 Page 3 of 6
 General High Voltage Safety Procedure
HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICAL DESIGN:
3. Design Review
The following information describes important aspects to consider in designing a safe high voltage
circuit. However, it is critical that a schematic be made and the design be reviewed by a professor or
staff member that has experience in the design of high voltage systems.

WARNING: Do not begin fabrication or use of a high voltage system until the design has been
approved by faculty or staff.
4. High Voltage Source or Supply
Read the technical literature accompanying the high voltage electrical source before beginning the
circuit design. Be aware of the features and limitations of the source so that you can use the use the
features, or compensate for lack of features, as needed.
5. Circuit Insulation and Isolation
a. Clearance

The clearance is defined as shortest distance through the air

between two conductive elements. High voltage can arc from one
portion of a circuit to another if the voltage differential is great
enough for a particular clearance. A good rule of thumb is:
Minimum Spacing (mm) = V-diff×0.003, where V-diff is the
differential voltage.
b. Creepage

High voltage can also travel along the surface of an insulator. This
is known as creepage. Creepage will be dependent on the material
and its overall cleanliness. For clean, uncoated PCB materials, the
following IPC-9592 standard may be applied:
Minimum Spacing (mm) = 0.6+V-diff×0.005, where V-diff is the
differential voltage.
Above figures from:
https://b2b.harting.com/Webhelp/EGds/WebHelp/GBgdsCreepage_and_clearance_distances.htm
c. Enclosure

It is customary to enclose the components of a high voltage circuits in an insulated box of some sort.
A clear plastic box walls will allow a view of the components while maintain isolation from the user
and is recommended for systems that may have measurement or status indicators that must be seen
when the system is on. Surfaces should be cleaned with alcohol prior to energizing to remove oils or
other conductive materials.
d. Conductor Insulation Rating
Be sure that your conductor insulation is rated well above its operating voltage. A good rule of thumb
is 50% margin between rated and operating voltages. Silicone rubber insulation is often used for
systems in the kilovolt range, with thicker insulation needed as voltage increases.
6. A Use of System Interlock
A system interlock must be used on the enclosure to turn off the power to the high voltage supply when
the enclosure is opened. This provides an important safeguard in the protection of the user from shock.
A simple interlock may be a switch that is actuated when the enclosure cover is removed or replaced.

15-Jan-12 Page 4 of 6
 General High Voltage Safety Procedure
The switch is wired in series with the high voltage power supply input (the low voltage side) circuit so
when the switch is opened, the supply turns off. It is critical that the interlock be regularly checked to
ensure it is working properly. Never attempt to defeat an enclosure interlock.
A system interlock alone is not always sufficient to eliminate high voltage in the circuit due to storage
(capacitors, etc.). WARNING: Always use a grounding rod to completely discharge the circuit,
even when an interlock is place.
7. Use of Current Limiting Circuits
The high voltage supply may have a current limiting feature. Set the current so that it is sufficient to
perform the experiment with 10-20% margin so that the supply will not have any additional current in an
accidental shock case. WARNING: this does not ensure no shock will be delivered but helps
reduce the severity of the shock.
8. Use of “In-Circuit” Instrumentation
The used of fixed instrumentation can reduce risk of electrical shock by eliminating the need for making
“manual” measurements of live circuits. Consider the use of meters in an enclosure to measure voltage
and current. For example, a DMM could be installed in a clear enclosure to measure a critical circuit
parameter.
9. Capacitors and Bleeder Resistors
If capacitors are used, it is highly recommended that “bleeder” resistors be used in parallel with the
capacitors to allow discharge when power is removed. The resistor should have a resistance and power
rating consistent with the circuit requirements. WARNING: Capacitors may still require considerable
time to discharge even when bleeder resistors are used. A grounding rod is still required to fully
discharge circuits.
10. Use of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI)
GFCI devices monitor any imbalance between the energized conductor (line) and return conductor
(neutral), interpreting the imbalance as unintended leakage path to ground. This leakage could be
through a person’s body, leading to shock or electrocution.
When the imbalance reaches a trip value, the GFCI device breaks continuity to both the line and neutral
conductors. A GFCI with a HS (high sensitivity) rating should be used to provide better protection
against shocks.
NOTE: A GFCI will be helpful only in mitigation of shock hazard from the primary circuitry of a high
voltage device.

15-Jan-12 Page 5 of 6
 General High Voltage Safety Procedure
ROUTINE TASKS:
1. De-energizing the High Voltage Circuit
WARNING: It is critical the high voltage circuit be de-energized when experimentation has
concluded and before working on the circuit.
a. Turn off the power to the input of the high voltage supply power supply.
Make sure that the input switch is conspicuously labeled and easily
accessible.
b. A grounding rod consists of a long rod that has an insulated end that the
user holds and a conductive tip that is used to contact the circuit after it
has been turned. The rod has a flexible wire or braid connected to the
conductive tip, which is then solidly connected to earth ground.

(image at right from

http://www.rossengineeringcorp.com/grounding_rods.htm)
c. Ensuring the grounding rod is connected to earth ground, hold the
grounding rod by the (insulated) handle and contact the tip with the high
voltage component.
d. Repeat a second time to ensure the circuit is de-energized.
Confirm circuit is de-energized by measuring voltage of high voltage
section with DMM and high voltage probe.

2. Making an Electrical Measurement of A Live Circuit

As previously mentioned, frequent measurements of live circuits should be done with fixed
instrumentation.
If a temporary measurement is needed, it can be done this way:
a. Turn the system off.
b. Ground the system using the grounding rod.
c. Set the meter and connect it in the circuit, making sure all creepage and clearance needs are met
relative to conductive components or materials on the table.
d. Keep a safe distance from the meter.
e. Turn the system on and read the measurement.
f. Repeat steps a) and b), remove the meter and restore the system.
WARNING: Do not attempt to make live measurements while holding instrumentation or probes,
as this could lead to electrical shock.
3. Working on De-Energized Circuit
After the circuit is de-energized, further confirm there is no voltage on the hgh voltage circuit by putting
one hand in your pocket and quickly touching with the back of your hand the high voltage circuit. Note:
With one hand in the pocket, the electrical path circumvents the heart and back of the hand is
used so that you will not involuntarily grasp the conductor if it is live.
4. Circuit Modifications
Circuit modifications must be reviewed before implementation, just as the original design must be
reviewed before it can be built. Consult with your advisor or expert faculty or staff member.

15-Jan-12 Page 6 of 6