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It’s true, volt sticks are readily available and have been around since the 70’s.
While they’re not 100% accurate, they mostly do the job when used. But ‘when used’ is key there because they’re only taken out when workers need to check something, then they go back into their pockets.
And in your pocket, they can’t alert you to the backfeed that slipped past. The extensions never added to the plans. Or the switch another bloke flicked on.Â
Whether it’s due to human error, equipment faults, environmental damage, or unforeseen circumstances, how will you know there’s unexpected live electricity when you think you’re sweet?
Enter wearable, completely hands-free, continuous non-contact voltage detection. PVAD® Tech Gloves provides always-on safety, looking out for hazards while you work.Â
How Does PVAD® Perform Compared To Volt Sticks?
Did you know the way you hold a voltage detector pen can reduce detection sensitivity up to 85%?
It’s because your body absorbs radio frequency (RF) signals, and tools like PVAD and volt sticks rely on RF signals to detect live electricity.
That’s why PVAD features a unique, dielectric layer that blocks the body from absorbing RF signals. So no matter if you’re crawling through a roof space, crouching, or standing, PVAD detects live electricity consistently.Â
Testing conducted by Connect 10 found that on average, volt stick detection distances decreased by up to 74.3% when user handling behaviour shifted. Meanwhile, the use of PVAD Gloves can’t be altered in the same manner.
The same test found that the average single-phase detection distance for PVAD® is 115.95% further away than the top-performing volt stick.
In their tests, Connect 10 also tested volt sticks and PVAD on three-phase. Only 1 in 5 pens gave a result. The average detection distance of the pen was 1.08mm away, meanwhile, PVAD’s average detection distance was 34.75mm away, a notable 3117.59% difference.Â
So, in summary, PVAD detects both single-phase and three-phase further away, blocks your body from absorbing RF signals, provides continuous hands-free electrical hazard detection, and is built into an EN388 rated glove for mechanical protection!
See the lab results that prove our advantage here. For Connect 10’s technical results, book a free, live demo with our safety specialists.Â
How Can PVAD® Be Used On Site?
PVAD Tech Gloves are not here to replace your training, your lockouts, your common sense, or general safety practices. PVAD is here to be your failsafe.
One week into market trials, the PVAD Tech Glove prevented an electric shock injury in three separate incidents. By the end of the trials, 20% of trial participants reported PVAD prevented an electrical injury.
In one of the higher-risk cases, PVAD warned Sam Harris and his team that the wires he was about to cut weren’t dead like he was told. The wires were connected to a live 240V circuit that was not subject to the circuit breaker. Read Sam Harris’ story here.
Now, PVAD can be used in plenty of ways that fit you. Here’s the most common ways workers ensure their safety with PVAD:
- Before starting work: Put your PVAD gloves on and do a complete sweep of the area (walls, pipes, where you’re cutting, crawling, working, etc)
- During work: Keep PVAD Gloves turned on the whole job for a sidekick that detects unexpected energisation e.g. power reconnected mid-job
- After job: Double-checking circuits that are supposed to be live are live and vice versa
The world’s not getting less energised, and it’s certainly not slowing down. When you don’t know what’s lurking behind a wall or separate from the circuit breaker, but you’ve got work to do, PVAD Tech Gloves are at your fingertips. They detect live electrical hazards so the job doesn’t turn into an incident report, or the unthinkable.
Book a free, live demo with our safety specialists to discuss how PVAD can work for you.
