Rolling Out Personal Voltage Detectors: A Program Guide and Policy Template

A personal voltage detector (PVD) only protects crews if everyone uses it the same way. A written policy sets who wears the device, how it is checked, who can change its settings, and what an alert means. This guide covers a seven-step rollout and a policy template you can adapt. It is a starting point for your safety and legal teams, not a substitute for their review.

Why Write a PVD Policy

OSHA's crane rule offers a useful model for any warning device. For cranes and derricks in construction, OSHA 1926.1408 requires training on "the limitations of an insulating link/device, proximity alarm, and range control (and similar) device, if used," and requires devices used for compliance to meet the manufacturer's procedures for use and conditions of use.

The same two principles make a sound basis for a PVD program: train every wearer on what the device cannot do, and follow the manufacturer's conditions of use. A written policy is where both live.

A Seven-Step Rollout

1. Map the work

List the voltages, locations, and conditions each crew works near. OSHA 1910.269(a)(4) already requires employers to determine existing conditions before work starts, including nominal voltages and the presence of hazardous induced voltages. Note any classified hazardous locations.

2. Match the device to the crew

Different crews may need different models. With the Compass Series, for example:

• Compass CoreCrews who need full-range detection with the fewest settings to manage
• Compass ProCrews crossing low, medium, and high voltage in the same week, or working alone or remotely
• Compass Pro ISCrews in classified Division or Zone areas
• Compass G2Contractors and visiting trades outside the connected safety program

How to Choose a Personal Voltage Detector covers the full set of questions.

3. Set the configuration centrally

Decide who may change sensitivity, mute the device, or use adaptive modes, and set those rules in one place. In Navigator Console, Compass Pro Configurations let administrators set sensitivity, adaptive modes, and impact, fall, and arc flash policy, and lock specific options. Changes apply once the worker confirms them in Navigator Mobile.

4. Build the emergency response team

If your devices raise emergency events, the roster decides who hears about them. In Navigator (see Create Your Emergency Response Team):

• Add responders in priority order and define backup coverage for time off.
• In-organization contacts with a Navigator subscription receive app push notifications plus SMS. External contacts receive SMS only.
• Check that each responder's phone has notification permissions granted.
• Keep a written roster outside a single phone, because shift changes happen mid-incident.

5. Train before field use

Cover, at minimum:

• What the alerts mean (red for voltage, blue for current), how they escalate as the distance closes, and how they show direction
• The operating limits, including humidity, shielding materials, walking speed, three-phase field cancellation, and the conductor's surface area, elevation, and nearby grounded objects
• The pre-use test against a known voltage or current source
• Correct mounting on the hard hat brim
• What mute and Transit do, and what they do not do
• That adaptive modes are for experienced electrical professionals only
• How to confirm or cancel an emergency countdown, and how to raise an SOS

6. Pilot, then expand

Start with one or two crews. Run supervised drills that cover the emergency countdown, confirmation, chat, closure, and event history. Fix rostering and settings problems before the broader rollout.

7. Review events and the policy

Use event records in your after-action reviews. In Navigator Console, the Emergency History page logs the date, incident type, initiator, and resolution of each event, with an archived chat log and a downloadable PDF report. Review the policy on a set schedule and after any event.

Personal Voltage Detector Policy Template

Replace each bracketed field with your own requirements. Delete sections that do not apply.

• PurposeThis policy sets requirements for the use of personal voltage detectors (PVDs) by [Company] employees and contractors working on or near energized lines and equipment.
• ScopeThis policy applies to [crews, roles, and work types]. Contractors are [required to supply approved PVDs / supplied PVDs by Company / not covered by this policy].
• Relationship to other requirementsThe PVD is a secondary warning. It does not replace [Company procedure for testing for voltage], [lockout/tagout procedure], [grounding procedure], [minimum approach distances], or required PPE. An absence of alerts is never evidence that equipment is de-energized.
• Required useEmployees wear an approved PVD [at all times on site / whenever working within (distance) of energized lines or equipment]. Approved models: [model by crew or work type].
• MountingThe PVD is mounted on the hard hat brim, centered and forward, in the wearer's peripheral vision, or on an approved adapter. In classified hazardous locations, only [intrinsically safe model] with approved adapters may be used.
• Pre-use checkAt the start of each shift, and after the device is moved to a different hard hat or adapter, the wearer confirms the device powers on and shows normal status, tests it against a known voltage or current source [using (test source)], and [connected programs only] confirms it is paired with Navigator Mobile and its firmware is current. A device that fails any check is removed from service.
• SettingsSensitivity is [set by the administrator / changeable by (role)]. Muting is [prohibited / permitted only when (condition)]. Adaptive modes are permitted only for [experienced electrical professionals designated by (role)]. Settings are managed through [Compass Pro Configurations in Navigator Console].
• Responding to an alertOn any alert, the wearer stops, does not proceed, identifies the direction of the source, notifies [crew lead], and verifies conditions per [procedure] before continuing. Unexpected alerts are reported [how and to whom].
• Emergency events[Connected programs only.] After an automatic event, the wearer has 30 seconds to confirm or cancel. Workers can raise an SOS by holding the SOS button for 3 seconds. The emergency response roster is maintained by [role] and reviewed [frequency].
• Faults and serviceAny device showing a fault state (on Compass devices, red and yellow corner LEDs) is removed from service and [returned under an RMA / sent to (location)]. Hardware and firmware are not modified outside authorized channels.
• Charging and storageDevices are charged within the manufacturer's temperature limits [for Compass Core, Compass Pro, and Compass Pro IS, 0 °C to 45 °C] and stored [location and conditions].
• Training and recordsWorkers complete PVD training before first use and [annually]. Training covers alert meanings, operating limits, the pre-use check, mounting, settings rules, and emergency procedures. [Role] keeps training records for [period].
• Review[Role] reviews this policy [annually] and after any event involving a PVD alert or emergency.

This template is a starting point. Have your safety and legal teams review it against your procedures and the regulations that apply to your work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408, paragraph (g)(1)(iv) (quoted) and the closing note on manufacturer procedures.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269(a)(4), existing characteristics and conditions.
• Safeguard Help Center: Create Your Emergency Response Team, Compass Pro Configurations, Emergency History and PDF Reports, Mount the Device Correctly, Adjust Sensitivity and Use Transit, Compass Core vs Compass Pro vs Compass Pro IS, and Safety Disclosures and Field Use Warnings.