Current On Tag

Current On Tag for Live Electrical Circuit Warnings

A current on tag is hung on a switchboard, panel, cable or piece of electrical equipment to warn crew that the circuit is live and must not be treated as isolated. This is the counterpart to a lockout tag used during electrical isolation work: where an isolation tag confirms a circuit is safely de-energised, a current on tag makes clear the opposite, that power is still flowing and normal electrical hazard precautions apply.

Referenced under IMPA 33.2504 and ISSA 47.525.04, the tag carries the standard yellow lightning-bolt hazard symbol together with printed ‘Authorised by’ and ‘Date’ fields, letting the crew member who confirms the circuit’s live status record their name and the date. This is particularly useful during staged electrical work, where some circuits in a switchboard may be isolated while others nearby remain live.

Supplied at 150x75mm, this current on tag is sized to hang cleanly from a switchboard handle, cable gland or panel fitting without obstructing access to controls.

Typical Uses During Electrical Work

A current on tag is most useful in situations where only part of an electrical system is being worked on, such as a multi-way switchboard where some breakers are isolated for maintenance while others remain energised to keep essential systems running. Fitting a current on tag to the live sections prevents a crew member or contractor from mistakenly assuming an entire panel is safe simply because nearby breakers are tagged out.

This tag is also used after maintenance is completed and a circuit is re-energised, giving a clear signal that testing or normal operation can resume and that the earlier isolation tag no longer applies to that particular point.

Hang-Tag Format and Installation

This current on tag is supplied as a punched hang-tag rather than a self-adhesive label, since it needs to be fitted and removed quickly as circuits are isolated and re-energised during electrical work. It attaches with a cable tie, wire loop or standard tagging cord threaded through the punched hole, making it easy to apply directly to switchboard hardware, breaker handles or cable runs.

Material, Sizing and Compliance

The current on tag is produced on durable, fire-retardant, photoluminescent laminated card stock a long-duration afterglow, so the warning stays visible in a dimly lit switchroom or during a power interruption elsewhere on the vessel. The material is waterproof and resistant to the heat and handling typical of electrical spaces and machinery rooms.

Tags of this kind support the graphical symbol conventions set out in IMO Resolution A.1116(30) for shipboard use, and fit into the same broader electrical isolation discipline addressed in general workplace safety guidance published by Safe Work Australia, which covers lockout/tagout procedures for live electrical equipment. See the complete Tie Tags range for the full set of matching hang-tags used to flag equipment and circuit status across a vessel.