What safety step should you perform before wiring or adjusting a powered robot?

• A. Do nothing and continue work.
• B. Power down the system and follow lockout/tagout procedures.
• C. Disconnect the battery only and leave all other power connected.
• D. Leave power on but remove protective covers.

Answer: (B)

Before wiring or adjusting a powered robot, you must ensure all energy sources are isolated and cannot create movement or energize circuits during the work. Powering down the system and applying lockout/tagout keeps the equipment off and prevents accidental re-energization. Lockout means physically locking the energy switch so it cannot be turned back on, and tagging provides a written notice that maintenance is in progress and the lock should not be removed until the work is finished. This approach protects you from electrical shock, burns, or injury from unexpected robot motion, and it also handles stored energy in capacitors, springs, or pressurized systems.

Doing nothing leaves energy available and the risk of surprise startup or residual energy remains. Disconnecting only the battery may not address other power sources, and leaving power on with covers removed increases the chance of contact with moving parts or energized circuits.