Safety instructions

		WARNING
		Death or severe injury can occur if the appropriate safety instructions are not observed. The COMPANO 100 test set can output life-hazardous voltages and currents. Before operating any such electrical equipment, carefully read the Safety Instructions section of this manual. Do not use (or even turn on) any electrical equipment without understanding the information in its manual. Existing national safety standards for accident prevention and environmental protection may supplement the equipment's manual. Only trained personnel should work with COMPANO 100.

hiddenFor your own safety always follow the 5 basic safety rules:

1. Disconnect completely.
2. Secure against re-connection.
3. Verify that the installation is dead.
4. Carry out grounding and short-circuiting.
5. Provide protection against adjacent live parts.

Operator qualifications

• Working on high-voltage assets can be extremely dangerous. Testing with COMPANO 100 must be carried out by qualified, skilled and authorized personnel, only. Before starting to work, clearly establish the responsibilities.
• Personnel receiving training, instructions, directions, or education on COMPANO 100 must be under constant supervision of an experienced operator while working with the equipment. Testing with COMPANO 100 must comply with the internal safety instructions as well as additional relevant documents.

• Personnel operating the COMPANO 100 must be familiar with all necessary personal safety equipment.

Rules for use

• COMPANO 100 is exclusively intended for the application area specified in this manual. The manufacturer/distributors are not liable for damage resulting from a use other than the specified operation.
• Use both the COMPANO 100 test set and its accessories only when they are in a technically sound condition.
• The COMPANO 100 test set does not contain any serviceable parts. Do not open the test set, or remove any of its housing components. The test set's lid with the attached QR code sticker is removable, though.
• Do not carry out any modifications, extensions or adaptations at the COMPANO 100.
• Use COMPANO 100 in observance of all existing safety requirements from national and international standards for accident prevention and environmental protection.
• Always keep the manual either printed or as PDF file at the site where COMPANO 100 is used. The manual must be read by all people working with COMPANO 100.
  In addition to the manual and the applicable regulations for accident prevention in the country and at the site of operation, heed the accepted technical procedures for safe and competent work.

• Always be aware of the dangers of high voltages. Pay attention to the safety information provided in the documentation.

• When testing a current transformer by feeding a test current into its primary winding, make sure that all secondary windings are shorted.

• When measuring the ratio of voltage and power transformers, make sure that the test voltage is connected to the corresponding primary winding, and the voltage of the secondary winding is the one that is measured. Accidentally mixing up the windings can generate life-threatening voltages within the transformer.
  For example: feeding a voltage of 100 V to the secondary winding of a voltage transformer that has a ratio of 10,000:100 V, induces a voltage of 10,000 V in the transformer’s primary winding.

• The mains cable (cable to the OMICRON-supplied battery charger) must be rated for the nominal voltage and current specified in chapter Technical Data ► Battery Charger. We recommend to only use COMPANO 100 in combination with the original cable supplied by OMICRON accessories together with the test set.

• Test leads wired to tall test objects must be sufficiently mechanically secured. Be aware of the hazard of falling adapters or cables.

• Do not block access to safety-relevant test set components, such as the emergency stop button. In a case of emergency, such components need free and quick access.

• Only operate the COMPANO 100 test set under the environmental conditions specified in chapter Technical Data ► Environmental conditions.

• Do not operate the COMPANO 100 test set when explosive gas or vapors are present.

• Do not use COMPANO 100 during rain or in condensing environments.

• Do not use COMPANO 100 above an altitude of 4000 m (13,000 feet).

• When setting up the COMPANO 100 test set, make sure the ventilation holes remain unobstructed.

• Do not insert objects (for example, screwdrivers) into any input/output socket.

• If the COMPANO 100 test set does not seem to function properly, contact OMICRON Support (→ Support).

Cleaning

To clean the COMPANO 100 test set, use a cloth dampened with isopropanol alcohol. Prior to cleaning, always switch off the On/Off power switch and unplug the battery charger.

Wiring and Safe Connection

To carry out tests with COMPANO 100, proceed as follows:

1. Always press the emergency stop button first.

2. Secure the device under test by following the 5 basic safety rules (see The 5 basic safety rules):

3. Connect the cables to the device under test.

4. Connect the banana plug cables to COMPANO 100 (see Safe use of test leads and adapters).

5. Release the emergency stop button and power up COMPANO 100. Do not enter the dangerous area anymore now (see image above).

6. Start the test at COMPANO 100.

   While testing, do not enter the dangerous area. Stay clear from the cable ends at the device under test. Quite often these devices have connectors that can easily be touched. The same applies to some connection adapters of COMPANO 100. Always stay in the safe area (see image above).

When the test is finished and you want to leave the site, proceed as follows:

1. Power down COMPANO 100, and press the emergency stop button.

2. To prevent the COMPANO 100 from unauthorized usage or from being powered up again accidentally, pull off the dongle (the connector for external safety functions; see side view).

3. Disconnect the cables from COMPANO 100.

4. Disconnect the cables from the device under test.

Safe use of test leads and adapters

Test leads

		WARNING
		Death or severe injury caused by high voltage possible The outputs of the COMPANO 100 are controlled by the software running in the device. Note that just turning off the outputs in the controlling software is not sufficiently safe. Do not work on connected touchable test objects, connections or teminals while the COMPANO 100 is active (Start/stop pressed) . Always make sure that the emergency stop button is pressed, the test set is secured against reactivation, and all parts in the working area are powerless before you work on touchable test objects, connections or terminals (see Wiring and Safe Connection).

Terminal adapters

Use flexible or hard terminal adapters to connect regular test leads to screw-clamp terminals.

		WARNING
		Death or severe injury caused by high voltage possible The terminal adapters have blank ends. Before connecting the terminal adapters, press the emergency stop button on the COMPANO's front panel and secure the test set against reactivation (see Wiring and Safe Connection). Always insert the terminal adapter with its blank end first into the terminal strip, and fasten it before connecting it to a test lead.

Grounding COMPANO 100

COMPANO 100 is of protection class II. Therefore, grounding is not as critical as with devices that are grounded via a power cord. Nevertheless, due to internal capacities you could still sense some coupled voltages at the housing. Grounding is therefore recommended.

Grounding is mandatory in the following scenarios:

• If COMPANO 100 is connected to other devices via Ethernet or USB cables.

• If COMPANO 100 is used outdoors and there is the risk of rain or condensation, e.g. due to changing weather conditions

• If COMPANO 100 is used in a substation environment.

• Use a ground connection with a diameter of at least 2.5 mm2 (see side view).

• Ground COMPANO 100 as close to the operator as possible.

Setting COMPANO 100 into operation

• Follow the instructions in chapter Product Startup that describe how to properly and safely set COMPANO 100 into operation.
• The warning symbol on the COMPANO 100 front panel indicates that the device is activated, and that its outputs may carry dangerous voltages.
  Even if the test set does not indicate dangerous output voltage, it's safe to always consider the outputs live. The indicator could be defective. Also a software error or remote command could accidentally start the test set. You may assume the outputs to be free of dangerous voltage when the emergency stop button is pressed (see Wiring and Safe Connection).

Safety instructions for grounding system tests

The grounding system application modules of COMPANO 100 allows for output voltages of up to 150 V used for grounding system tests in medium- and high-voltage systems according to EN 50522 and IEEE Std 80/81. COMPANO 100 is only intended for current injection using an auxiliary current probe.

• Refer to the descriptions of the corresponding application modules for more information:

  → Ground impedance

  → Step and touch voltage

  → Soil resistivity

		WARNING
		Death or severe injury caused by high voltage or current possible. Employ the proper test set. Never use COMPANO 100 to directly inject currents into power cables or overhead lines. If this should become inevitable, use the CPC 100 test set together with CP CU1 and CP GB1. The auxiliary current probe can carry life-threatening voltages during the test. In case of an error, unexpected high voltages can occur at output I OUT or V OUT at any time. Also the step voltage around the auxiliary current probe can be quite high. Always press the emergency stop button before working with these connectors. Use the provided warning flag*) to mark the auxiliary current probe, or use grounding spikes with safety handle. Mark an area of 5 m/15 ft around the electrode as dangerous zone, and position a guard outside this area to keep people from entering the dangerous zone. In case of a high-current ground fault within the substation or at the transmission tower during the test, high voltages may occur in any wire connected to the grounding grid or leading away from it. Do not touch the current probe, the potential probe or any wire without insulating gloves. First insert the current probe, then connect it to the provided crocodile clamp. Before removing the current probe, disconnect the crocodile clamp.

Required maintenance

COMPANO 100 contains safety-relevant mechanical components like the emergency stop button. To ensure the safe operation over long times, the device must be sent to OMICRON for inspection at least after every 10 years of use. This inspection is part of the calibration or repair process (→ Support).

Accessories

Only use COMPANO 100 in combination with original OMICRON accessories as explained in the user manual. Only use COMPANO 100 accessories with other OMICRON devices when this usage is described in the respective device's user manual.

Information for disposal and recycling

The test set and all of its accessories are not intended for household use. At the end of its service life, do not dispose of the test set with household waste! For customers in EU countries (incl. European Economic Area) OMICRON test sets are subject to the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive 2012/19/EU (WEE directive). As part of our legal obligations under this legislation, OMICRON offers to take back the test set and to ensure that it is disposed of by an authorized recycling facility.

However, if there are any signs of a defective lithium-ion battery, transportation is not allowed.

For customers outside the European Economic Area

Contact the authorities in charge for the relevant environmental regulations in your country, and dispose of the OMICRON test set in accordance with your legal local requirements.

see Handling defective lithium-ion batteries.