Is it safe to change the ceiling light if the wall switch is off ?

I changed my ceiling light in the second floor this morning. Before I took off the original light I turned off my main switch located in the basement (i.e. no electricity for the entire second floor).

I'm just wondering, if I just turn off the switch for that light, is it still safe to touch the wire for that light ? Because I don't want to walking up and down several times next time....
Is it safe to change the ceiling light if the wall switch is off ?
I don't blame you for wanting to save steps. When you short the wires in the box, fall off the ladder or chair, and break your leg, you will not have to go up and down the stairs for quite a while to turn off that circuit before working on it. You can send your wife. Good thinking. Wait till you run into joe handyman's wiring who switched the neutral rather than the hot. That will wake you up.
Is it safe to change the ceiling light if the wall switch is off ?
Having been zapped a couple times by 110 volts, I always switch off the circuit to the fixture or outlet I'm working on. We mapped out the entire house by turning on all the lights and plugging lamps, radios, tvs %26amp; fans into every socket. By flipping the breakers off one by one we were able to map exactly what was controlled by each one so we can narrow down the area rather than pulling the breaker for a whole floor or the entire house.
the wire's at the ceiling are live, the live wire goes to all the ceiling roses,turning the switch of only isolates power to the bulb
It is definitely safe just turn off the switch for the respective light, moreover when changing ceiling light you don't touch the wire at all, just the bulb and its socket. For safety precaution, ALWAYS put on your rubber shoes whenever handling and fixing faulty electrical wiring and equipment.
It all depends on how your home was wired....



In many cases... power is run to the ceiling first, and then a switch wire is run from there to the wall. In this case... the ceiling wires will still be hot, and can hurt you.



In my home, (recently rewired) I ran all the power to the switches first... then when I need to change out a fixture, I can turn the switch off, and know that there is no power in the ceiling. In addition... I tape the switch down... hehehe.. so no one comes in and flips it on, out of habit, while I'm working on the circuit, hehehe. ( I did this deliberately, because I used simple low cost fixtures with the initial rewiring.. and am upgrading fixtures each month, as the budget allows )



To help avoid all the trips up and down... borrow a second pair of hands, and use a walkie talkie, or phone -- but always use a meter to verify the power is off ;)



Have Fun
There are several ways to wire a switch. Some involve haveing hot wires at the juncttion box where the light is connected. If you don't know which wires are live and which are dead, it is best to shut the power off at the breaker.
you could do this if your careful, but there still can be live wires up by the light fixture.

The circuit breaker is the best, safest option.
Yea Ive done it that way but your much safer turning the breaker off. I have a meter to test the circuit first. (sometimes I've tested it by hand, quite the thrill) but like others have said once in awhile you have some nut who wired hot to the fixture first and not the switch. Then you have the child who runs in and turns the switch on too, or the wife who has a large insurance policy on your head.
What you have done is the safest way.It is not safe by just the wall switch off. Unless you are qualified electrician you can do so. In electrical standard the hot or live wire is connected to the wall switch and the ground or neutral wire directly wired to the light or bulb. Whenever the wall switch off there is no electrical power passing thru both wires going to the light. The only question there is if the electrician who installed the wiring made a honest mistake swapped the wires then surely you will get shock if not switch off from the main.
dont be a wimp...its only 110...all it does is wake you up a little bit...if you only touch one wire at a time...and dont ground yourself out...you wont get zapped...
If it is wired correctly the hot will be switched.
Do not so that. Turn the power off at the breaker. It may be inconvenient to have half the power off but being electrocuted is worse.