New gloves offer front-line warning of electric shock risk

There’s an invisible killer in the Australian workplace. Workers won’t see or hear it. It lies hidden in water, or behind walls. Live AC electricity is a constant risk in construction, mining and utilities, where workers labour on the hazardous front line.

Everyone is told the construction, demolition or mine site is safely isolated. Workers have the go-ahead to dig, drill and excavate, as the job requires. Yet even when a site is declared ‘safe’ there can be human oversight or error, exposing workers to injury or even death.

The statistics are grim.

• Electric shock is the second leading cause of death in the NSW construction industry. Since 2020, SafeWork NSW has recorded more than a thousand electrical incidents and nearly six hundred injuries.
• In 2023, ‘contact with electricity’ came fifth in terms of ‘worker fatalities by most common mechanism of incident’, according to SafeWork Australia.

Uncover the current with PVAD gloves.

The Glove Company (TGC) is offering a world-first solution for every worker. Personal Voltage Alert Device (PVAD) gloves are patented electricity detecting gloves designed and manufactured in Australia. Developed by TGC in partnership with Connect 10, they detect electrical hazards that can’t be seen, without contacting the source. This helps cover any user lapses in concentration.

The gloves ‘see’ around corners, detecting live AC voltage and exposed wires through common building materials like plywood, drywall, brick and plastic. Workers are alerted when they are in proximity to AC electrical danger (110V-440V), at a distance of 30mm to 400mm. An immediate high-pitched beep and a continuous red light helps workers keep a safe distance from the electrical hazard.

Electrical protection for workers, Australia-wide.

According to TGC, PVAD is regarded as one of the biggest breakthroughs in electrical and hand safety for 40 years.

• Utilities: Older infrastructure deteriorates over time. When repair teams approach pipes, pumps, pressure valves and water mains, the gloves tell them if they are live before they get too close.
• Demolition: Before knocking down a wall or part of a building which has been declared ‘safe’, workers wearing PVAD can double-check they won’t hit a hidden live wire.
• Construction and commercial plumbing: When cutting pipes in trenches with older electrical conduits and below-ground wiring, the gloves indicate invisible live AC.
• Mining: PVAD gloves can be used to detect electrical hazards on mine sites, for power plant repairs, water maintenance jobs and demolition of buildings.
• Emergency services: Instant detection of live hazards when a power pole falls, a building’s circuits have been compromised by fire, or police enter a property that may be boobytrapped.
• Fire equipment installation: Workers installing fire protection products in commercial buildings use the PVAD ‘safety net’ to prevent potential electrocution.

With PVAD, there’s no need for workers to carry a separate device, protection is literally in the palm of their hands.

Why it matters?

Grant Staples, CEO of The Glove Company and inventor of PVAD, puts it simply:

“Our mission at The Glove Company has always been to protect Australia’s workers. After decades in the industry, we’ve seen how much of a difference the right technology can make,” he says. “That’s why we devoted so much time and energy into developing PVAD over the last seven years. Because we genuinely believe PVAD can save thousands of lives, preventing electric shock and countless serious injuries.”

Available at Blackwoods - Your safety equipment partner.

Blackwoods is proud to offer PVAD gloves as part of our commitment to keeping Australian workers safe. As the country’s largest provider of industrial and safety equipment, we’ve got everything you need to protect your team. Talk to your local Blackwoods Technical Safety Specialist to learn more about PVAD voltage detection gloves and how they can help reduce risk on your worksite. Protect your people with smarter PPE, because safety should never be left to chance.

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