HV Safety, was Re: Wild caps...and shopping :)

["Christopher Boden" <chrisboden-at-hotmail-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)]

Comments interspersed:

>Original poster: "Metlicka Marc" <mystuffs-at-orwell-dot-net>
>
>also one piece of safety equipment that your compodrea requires is a dry
>2" by 4", long enough to stay at a safe distance but short enough to
>swing and maneuver.

Got it, had it for a long time :) My grandfather was a DFL for many years. 
:)

>treat everything as if it was hot,

Of course, thats a given

hot gloves are a nice option here,
>but good rubber gloves preferably with dry leather ones on top will
>help.

Got a nice set (my 3rd, I replace them every 2 years) of the Gauntlets. 
Leather outer, then yellow, then orange, then something that may once have 
been a sheep. Standard issue for Consumers Energy (our local power concern)



>to check for voltage the item is called a tick tracer or detector, these
>come in lv and hv.
>if a lv one is used sometimes enough v is induced into the line to get a
>reading. a cheap voltage tick tracer held in the general proximity of an
>active sub station will chirp out a warning and is a must, also a
>"wiggy" selunoidal voltage meter is a good investment for checking the
>lv side with.

A Wiggins? Vibrating voltage probe? Got one.


don't ever try reading the hv side unless you have the
>right equipment!
>i'm not sure in your case but i have seen upwards of 70v induced into a
>line that was supposedly dead. rig yourself up a grounding lead with a
>good brass welding ground clamp on one end,then clamp one end onto a
>good ground point first and then use your wood or fiberglass rod to hang
>the clamp on the hv line connector. this sounds like allot of work but
>believe me it is good safety sense. when hanging the clamp stand
>sideways and close your eyes when contact is made.once hung make the
>connection  solid then do what you have to do. i've seen enough
>induction into the lv side of a step down transformer that it would blow
>a nice chunk of brass out of a grounding cable placed onto the hv side.
>especially if someone may be welding down stream some ware. cap banks
>are a little more on the tricky side, first ground the input side of the
>bank. then touch to ground each terminal of the caps progressively from
>there. again a small induced voltage down line will add up. now before
>i'm caused of " fear mongering" these are just some of the things i was
>thought in hv training and i "live" by them to this day. things happen
>and i have seen 30+year veteran hv men do stupid things so take it slow
>and be sure were all your tools and body parts are at all times, look
>and try to visualize what might happen and go from there.
>be slow, be careful, be safe,   marc


No fear mongering there, good common sence. I firmly hold true to the same 
school of thought. You don't get a second chance with HV. I heard an old 
lineman put it best....
"Son, that dog'll bite yall"



Christopher A. Boden Geek#1
President / Founder
The Geek Group
www.geekgroup-dot-org
Because the Geek shall inherit the Earth!

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