A Brinkley stick is a safety device used to discharge

high voltage High voltage electricity refers to electrical potential large enough to cause injury or damage. In certain industries, ''high voltage'' refers to voltage above a certain threshold. Equipment and conductors that carry high voltage warrant spec ...

capacitor A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field by virtue of accumulating electric charges on two close surfaces insulated from each other. It is a passive electronic component with two terminals. The effect of ...

s and ensure HT (

) electrical circuits are discharged. The tool consists of a hook attached to the end of an insulated rod. The hook is connected by a length of insulated wire to a suitable ground or earth, often via a suitably valued

resistor A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active el ...

. Named after Charles Brinkley, an amputee ferry boatman who carried radar staff across the river Deben. Groundstick

One of the

Trade test colour films Trade test colour films were broadcast by the television network BBC2 in the early days of colour television in Britain during the long periods of the daytime when no regular programming was scheduled, with the exception of '' Play School''. The ...

, ''On the Safe Side'' includes a fictionalised sequence during which the life of a technician is preserved by his decision to deploy a Brinkley stick.

References

{{tool-stub Safety equipment