5 Safety Tips to Follow When Stripping Wire

To connect two wires, you'll typically need to strip them. Stripping involves the removal of insulation. All wires feature a conductor, such as copper. The conductor lives up to its namesake by being electrically conductive. Electricity can travel through the conductor. But wires feature insulation as well. Insulation is an electrically resistive material that covers the conductor. Here are five essential safety tips to follow when stripping wire.

#1) Disconnect

Never attempt to strip a live wire. If the wire is connected to a device or power source, don't attempt to strip it. Instead, disconnect the wire by removing it from the device or power source. Stripping a live wire is a safety hazard. If electricity is flowing through it, you may experience a shock as you cut and remove the insulation.

#2) Use Wire Strippers

You should use wire strippers. Wire strippers are cutting tools that are designed specifically to strip wire. Some workers use knives to strip wire, whereas others use box cutters. The problem with these alternative tools is that they aren't particularly effective, nor are they safe. Wire strippers feature a blade that only drops down far enough to remove the insulation without cutting through the conductor.

#3) Keep Fingers Away From the Blade

Keep your fingers away from the wire strippers' blade. All wire strippers have a blade -- similar to a pair of scissors. You can position the wire strippers over the wire, and upon squeezing the handle, the blade will close. Pulling the wire strippers back with the blade closed will remove the insulation from the wire. The risk of injury is low when using wire strippers, but you should still keep your fingers away from the blade.

#4) Don't Cut Through the Conductor

Don't make the mistake of accidentally cutting through the conductor when stripping wire. The goal of stripping wire, of course, is to remove the insulation. The insulation is the outer covering, whereas the conductor is the interior. If you cut too deep, you may end up cutting through the conductor as well. And after being damaged, the wire could be a fire hazard. You can avoid cutting through the conductor by using wire strippers in the right size.

#5) Don't Remove Too Much Insulation

Another common mistake to avoid is removing too much insulation. Most workers strip wire so that they can connect them to other pieces of wire. Therefore, you only need to remove insulation from the ends of the two wires. Removing too much insulation will leave the conductors exposed. And as electricity travels through the exposed conductors, it may create a fire hazard.