Safe Isolation of Electrical Systems
Prove it dead before you touch it. Learn to safely isolate single-phase and multiphase circuits the right way: the law behind it, the approved test kit and GS38, the six-step procedure, and the harmonised-colour traps on older boards. Then prove your competence with LCL Awards.
Not slides. Work.
Flip a conductor between the old and new colours and watch its meaning invert. Inspect four test leads against GS38 and decide which you'd refuse.
Every lesson can be studied three ways: hands-on, written out in full, or as audio for the drive. Switch whenever you like and carry on where you left off. Readable in Polish, Romanian and Russian.
Safe isolation is the routine that keeps you alive, and it is the one an assessor watches most closely. Get it right every time, and prove it. The skill sits behind almost every job you will ever do on an installation.
See what's insideReal training, not stock photos
Inside a Greenpays training day.
Three steps to certified
Work through every module here, online and at your own pace — revisit them as many times as you like.
Call or email us when you're ready and sit it in person at our training centre.
LCL Awards marks your assessment and issues the certificate — usually within a few weeks.
The theory is entirely online and yours to work through at your own pace. Five modules you can take in Explore, Deep Dive or Listen mode, and revisit as often as you like. Nothing you do online is marked. Your competence is confirmed by an in-person practical set by LCL Awards, in three tasks: identify components and faulty circuits on a board, carry out the safe isolation procedure on a selected circuit with the correct instrument, and answer the assessor's oral questions. The practical is booked separately from the online theory. New assessment dates are being finalised now and will be announced soon.
Who it's for
- A basic understanding of electrical installations and consumer units is recommended.
- You should be comfortable identifying conductors, protective devices and the parts of a distribution board.
What you'll be able to do
Every outcome below is mapped straight to the qualification — nothing here is padding.
Course content
6 modules · 23 lessons · modules unlock as you complete them.
Your tutor team
Working electricians and assessors who built this course from the LCL Awards Safe Isolation training and assessment material, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and HSE guidance GS38, and keeps it aligned to BS 7671.
Questions, answered
Do I need to be a qualified electrician?+
No, but a working knowledge of electrical installations helps. The skill is aimed at anyone who works on or near electrical systems and must prove a circuit dead before working on it.
Is the assessment included in the price?+
No. The fee covers the online theory: the five modules you study here, in your own time, as many times as you like. The LCL Awards practical assessment is booked separately and sat in person at our centre.
How is it assessed?+
By an in-person practical set by LCL Awards, in three tasks: identify components and faulty circuits on a board, carry out the safe isolation procedure on a selected circuit with the correct instrument, and answer the assessor's oral questions.
What do I prove a circuit dead with?+
An approved voltage indicator conforming to GS38. Volt sticks, socket testers and neon screwdrivers are not recognised for confirming safe isolation and must never be used to prove dead.
Does it cover three-phase?+
Yes. The course covers single-phase and multiphase isolation, including the harmonised cable colours and the full set of ten prove-dead tests on a three-phase-and-neutral supply.
Is there a practice test?+
Yes. Lesson 5 has a self-marked practice test drawn from a bank of forty questions. It rehearses the knowledge behind the practical and does not count towards the qualification, and you can sit it as often as you like.
How do I book the assessment?+
Work through the course online, and when you are confident, email us. We will send you the available dates and get you booked in for your practical day.
Do I get a certificate?+
This course is the theory, so it does not issue a Brightpeak certificate. LCL Awards records your competence once you pass the in-person practical assessment.
This course is on its way.
We're building this course now. Get in touch and we'll let you know the moment it opens.
