Safe working conditions
Employees performing operations and testing work in high voltage laboratory are exposed to a greater hazard than most other employees. Safety rules MUST NOT be seen as a means of limiting our freedom, but should rather be looked upon as valuable advice to ensure safe working conditions.

7 golden rules to remember ALWAYS
Just to mention that there are many other safety rules to be followed. These are just the basics and I think some of the most important.
If you have some rule(s) to add, please leave the comment below ;)
Rule no. 1
Sufficient clearances must be provided to prevent unplanned flashovers.
Rule no. 2
Suitable barriers must be provided.
Rule no. 3
A suitable earth plane must be provided as safety earth and reference point for measurements. It is not advisable to try to separate earths. In measuring circuits, such as voltage dividers and the Schering bridge, a bolted connection to earth is required.
If this connection is broken, the full voltage appears across the break. Protective spark gaps and overvoltage limiting devices can be used.
Rule no. 4
Any object in the laboratory should be either well connected to earth potential or at high voltage. “Floating” objects cause problems.
Rule no. 5
Suitable interlocks that switch off the power on opening must be provided on doors and gates leading to live areas.
Rule no. 6
A suitable earth stick must be provided to earth any piece of equipment before touching. The rule is not to become part of a circuit. Special care should be taken with circuits having capacitors – especially with DC.
Rule no. 7
A person must NEVER work alone in a high voltage laboratory: double check and cross-check.
Take allways enough distance to the testing devices….experiences.
do not wear synthetic clothes. wear cotton apron, leather/rubber shoes.
unplug the equipment after use. also, discharge it using earth rod(discharge rod)
Test Hot, Test Dead, if it’s not Grounded, it’s not Dead!
Safety First, Safety Always!
lab should be free from dust,humidity,draught.
Only Competent Authorized Personnels are allowed to work on any HV Testing/Operation.
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Keep your left hand in your overall or overcoat’s pocket, while right hand is engaged in testing and vice versa for left hand users. Objective is to mitigate leakage current flow through your heart.
Always we must work with a coworker, never work alone, and if its possible that the coworker have a good professional feeling with you.
Home`s problems aren´t a good help for finish a good job.
We can park the troubles in your minds and imagine mentally the energized bars, the magnetic fields, the air ionized zones.
If is possible, working with one hand and the hand not used in the backs to prevent discharges to ground and participate in the circuit.
Learn the position of the main breaker, and the fire extinguisher, and prepare take down it for ready to fire
Agree with you Antonio. There are so many potential distractions that can lead you to the deadly hazard in laboratory.
The supporting Equipments (Tools and accessories) used for testing should be Kept in proper places . They should be placed in such a way that ,Equipments should not block Exit way during any Hazards
Good point Kichu.
All capacitors stored in a high voltage Lab must be shorted and case grounded at all times. This applies to to both AC and DC high voltage testing. This also applies to high voltage impulse testing.