Before anyone works on an electrical installation in Germany, five steps come first. They are die fünf Sicherheitsregeln, the five safety rules, set out in the standard DIN VDE 0105-100 on the operation of electrical installations.
Freischalten — disconnect.
Gegen Wiedereinschalten sichern — secure against switching back on.
Spannungsfreiheit feststellen — verify that no voltage is present.
Erden und kurzschließen — earth and short-circuit.
Benachbarte, unter Spannung stehende Teile abdecken oder abschranken — cover or fence off nearby live parts.
The accident insurance institution for the electrical trades, BG ETEM, calls them the essential requirements for making a work site free of voltage and keeping it so for as long as the work lasts. Teaching material for electrical training in Hesse adds the order. A work site may be released only after the rules have been carried out from 1 to 5. Power may be switched back on only after they have been lifted in reverse order, from 5 to 1.