Electrical Safety in the Workplace: Finger Safe Devices

One of the most dangerous aspects of working in a material handling facility is something everyone uses for almost every task, every day: electricity. As warehouses become more automated with electronics, robotics, conveyors, and vehicles, employees encounter electrical equipment and components more often. Electric shock, arc flash, circuit overload, and moisture exposure are all real electrical hazards.

Today, we will examine one safety feature that electrical panels and circuit breakers require but that workers often misunderstand, because it can create a false sense of security: finger-safe devices.

What “Finger Safe” Means (IP20 and IEC 60529)

Finger-safe devices are installed on control panels and breakers to prevent accidental electrical contact and reduce the risk of electric shock. They earn the name “finger safe” because they block solid objects that are 12mm in diameter and 80mm long, about the size of a human finger, from reaching the live panel. These devices carry an IP20 rating under IEC Standard 60529.

Even with these devices in place, working on or near energized breakers or panels still demands safety precautions and warnings. Below are three common misconceptions about finger safe devices and electrical panel safety.

3 Misconceptions About Finger Safe Devices

1) Finger-safe devices mean the panel poses no danger

These devices protect against accidental or incidental contact, but the equipment they attach to remains highly energized and dangerous. Precautions such as using a qualified electrician, obtaining the proper work permits, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when working on or near electrical panels remain required. Even with finger-safe devices, all standard electrical safety protocols under NFPA 70E still apply.

2) Finger safe devices protect against arc flash

While they reduce risk, finger safe devices cannot prevent arc flash, so they are not a substitute for arc flash protection. Arc flash, or arcing, happens when electricity jumps between circuits and can cause burns, fires, or even explosions. Because a combination of energy, fault current, and clearing time causes arc flash, not finger contact, people wrongly assume finger-safe devices will prevent it. That is not the case, and dedicated arc flash safety measures are still needed.

3) Proper panel warning labels are still required

Using finger-safe devices does not remove the need for warning labels on the cabinet. You still need to apply warnings, particularly for arc flash, to any panel that uses finger safe devices.

An Integrated Approach to Electrical Safety in the Workplace

These misconceptions show that proper installation, compliance, and electrical safety training around electrical cabinets are vital to protect workers and facilities from electrical accidents. This protection depends on every professional involved in a project, including system designers, equipment manufacturers, installers, and facility managers.

Make sure your equipment manufacturer, designer, and integrator provide risk assessments and install these safety devices where necessary. Confirm that cabinets housing electrical panels carry the appropriate labels to communicate possible dangers, and that employees follow the training and precautions required in and around electrical equipment.

Finger safe devices are valuable tools for protecting against electric shock, but they are only one part of a complete electrical safety system. Members of MHI’s Solutions Community Safety Committee have the expertise to help managers keep their facilities safe. If you have questions or are beginning the automation process, contact a member company today.

Contributor: Alex Ramirez, Beumer Group

Reviewed by Solutions Community Safety Committee

For more information about the Solutions Community: mhi.org/solutionscommunity

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