The GroundHound Safety Instrument for High-voltage Workers Granted Safety Testing Certifications

Online, September 30, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The GroundHound ™ site-safety warning system, a highly precise analytical instrument used on high-voltage work sites to monitor, warn and record dangerous conditions associated with Ground Potential Rise (GPR) including Transient spikes has successfully pass the most current directive, 3rd Edition of Underwriter's Laboratory (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and European Community Directive (CE Mark) and received certification in all required safety testing Additionally since the instrument is controlled via a smartphone using the ZigBee wireless communication protocol it was tested to and passed the Federal Communication Commission Part 15 (47 CFR 15) for intentional transmitter. The device developers, Advantage Electronic Product Development, are committed to the safety of the high-voltage workers and felt it imperative to ensure that the instrument is safe to operate and encourages them to operate it with best practices providing a means to operate it at a safe distance away.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) employees and incident prevention safety trainers from Western Area Power Administration, (WAPA) collaborated with Advantage Electronic Product Development to design the instrument. After granting an international DOE license covering product development, sales and manufacturing of their patented technology, Advantage developed and field tested the instrument in conjunction with them. Understanding the importance of safety testing a safety instrument Advantage initiated UL, CSA, CE, and FCC testing.

According to GroundHound co-inventor and grounding instructor Gary Zevenbergen PE, of Western Area Power Administration, "Current can vary from low values around 10 ohms to extremely high values of 1000 ohms or more. Shock hazards from GPR are more commonly referred to as step voltage, touch voltage and transfer touch voltage. Utility and contractor work crews face constant danger from unexpected currents."

Jody Singleton, President/CEO of Advantage Electronic Product Development, states, "The GroundHound site-safety warning system monitors, warns and records - in real time - transient (rogue) currents and Ground Potential Rise (GPR) on high-voltage work-sites. For the first time these workers have real time situational awareness they can monitor and record. We are very happy to be able to provide them with a solution that has been fully safety tested and improves upon their safety."

About Advantage Electronic Product Development, Inc:

The Colorado-based electronics-engineering firm has achieved recognition for its expertise in instrumentation development including a flight-qualified photonics dosimetry instrument for astronaut medical safety on the International Space station awarded by NASA. Advantage has supported space & earth sciences, renewables/energy, and eco-friendly electronic products for 18 years in the electronic product development business and looks forward to developing future utility crew safety instruments.

Download the App GroundHound Android App on the Google Play Store