bad experience

[jm1470]

Yesterday I had to upgrade 100 amp service to 200 amp I got the new service on the house. When I went to hookup the new service to the service drop I got zap. I use insulated pliers and must of touch one of the wires. I was wondering If there was a tool for this purpose.

 

[zog]

Yesterday I had to upgrade 100 amp service to 200 amp I got the new service on the house. When I went to hookup the new service to the service drop I got zap. I use insulated pliers and must of touch one of the wires. I was wondering If there was a tool for this purpose.

Rubber gloves and arc flash PPE

 

[bphgravity]

Did you know you were working on energized equipment?

 

[charlie]

Did you know you were working on energized equipment?

I think the answer is yes. Everyone assumes the equipment is hot until it is proved dead and locked out . . . don't they? :-?

 

[jim dungar]

I use insulated pliers and must of touch one of the wires.

Were the pliers actually rated for use on live circuits?
Were you on the utility side of the service?

I do not believe there is any PPE that would allow a non-utility worker to perform this task under NFPA70E-2009. The "task tables" would not apply as there is no "line side" protective device that would clear the arc in less than 2 cycles.

 

[celtic]

I use insulated pliers and must of touch one of the wires. I was wondering

Insulated with what?

These are not insulated:

These are insulated to 1000v:

If there was a tool for this purpose.

There are lots of tools suited for working hot...some of these tools you wear:

Plenty of other goods, also.

 

[zog]

Great post celtic, I have preached about what an insulated tool is for years, electrical tape on it dosent count either.

 

[celtic]

Great post celtic, I have preached about what an insulated tool is for years, electrical tape on it dosent count either.

LOL

Tape does not count on tools

 

[jim dungar]

From a PM in regards to my post about no PPE available for working on line side of service equipment:

Can you elaborate on this? Company I work for is trying to bring everyone up to speed on NFPA70E. We have had talks about different voltages and the diff. PPE required to work on it hot, but I was not aware of the 2 cycle thing that you mentioned. Any explanation or ref. would be appreciated. As of now, the resi department taps there own services when they complete a service upgrade.

Please read all of the notes associated with the tables in NFPA70E. My reference was specific to the text of paragraph 130.7(C)(9)(a) and note #1 of Table 130.7(C)(9)(a).

 

[Fulthrotl]

Yesterday I had to upgrade 100 amp service to 200 amp I got the new service on the house. When I went to hookup the new service to the service drop I got zap. I use insulated pliers and must of touch one of the wires. I was wondering If there was a tool for this purpose.

there are means and methods, none of which are approved under
the guidelines for arc flash protection.

based on my experience, you are working with hot cables that
are fused at a high enough level that it really doesn't matter to
you personally. by the time the circuit relays, you're gonna be toast.

if you are self employed, that's one thing... but if you are an employee
of a licensed contractor, his liability in directing you to perform this
work is unlimited, both civilly and criminally.

if you should light yourself up, and are maimed or killed, he's looking
at a wrongful death lawsuit, and criminal charges for either reckless
endangerment, or manslaughter.

time to get the public utility to kill the feed to the house... it's a royal
pain, but so's dying.


randy

 

[cschmid]

Yesterday I had to upgrade 100 amp service to 200 amp I got the new service on the house. When I went to hookup the new service to the service drop I got zap. I use insulated pliers and must of touch one of the wires. I was wondering If there was a tool for this purpose.

Around here you are suppose to have the utility connect and disconnect a service change..

Great post celtic, I have preached about what an insulated tool is for years, electrical tape on it dosent count either.

What...no tape I thought it was good for 600 volts...:-? now I am sad

there are means and methods, none of which are approved under
the guidelines for arc flash protection.

based on my experience, you are working with hot cables that
are fused at a high enough level that it really doesn't matter to
you personally. by the time the circuit relays, you're gonna be toast.

if you are self employed, that's one thing... but if you are an employee
of a licensed contractor, his liability in directing you to perform this
work is unlimited, both civilly and criminally.

if you should light yourself up, and are maimed or killed, he's looking
at a wrongful death lawsuit, and criminal charges for either reckless
endangerment, or manslaughter.

time to get the public utility to kill the feed to the house... it's a royal
pain, but so's dying.


randy

How does safety change from being self employeed to being employeed by others....:-?

the only pain in death is thoughs left behind..

 

[Fulthrotl]

How does safety change from being self employeed to being employeed by others....:-?
the only pain in death is thoughs left behind..

it doesn't, and after i posted it, i realized what i posted sounded
like pure BS, so i tried to edit it, but it was too late..... duh.

TGIF = Toes Go In First


randy

 

[Buck Parrish]

Around here with the hurricanes and ice storms. Every body was hooking up to the utilities drop. I have had inspectors tell me to hook it up even when it was not hurricane season. Just so they would not have to get out their that day.

Stand on a fiber glass ladder. Throw the rubber mat from your car over the neutral. Grab the split bolts , cut the insulation back.
Always wear eye protection and gloves.

I am not alone on this. Lots of electricians around here do it.
I've even had the poco engineers recomend my company. Because when they are going from over head to under ground. I will temp the over head back down and come up under the meter with my temp. Then the poco can take it's time.
So the customer will have power. While I am cordinating city inspectors and poco.

 

[76nemo]

Rubber gloves and arc flash PPE

I knew you wouldn't quit on the subject. Thumbs up:wink:

 

[nolabama]

call the poco - arc flash protection and insulated gloves .... dont do it unless you absoultly have to - its pretty common here too , joke goes you cant apply for your master's license in new orleans until you made up a hot drop in the rain on an aluminum ladder

 

[charlie]

. . . made up a hot drop in the rain on an aluminum ladder

I have done that but not on an aluminum ladder. I used a ladder with aluminum rungs with fiberglass rails. In those days (1975 to 1980), leather was considered good for 600 volts. Leather does work well until the gloves are damp with sweat or rain. At that point, you may as well be working bare handed. For all the complaining about 70E and OSHA, a multitude of lives have been saved because of them and people like Zog. :smile:

 

[cschmid]

I no complain..I just find trying to keep up with the massive amount of code changes an extra work load..you got building codes, fire codes, americans with disability act, electrical codes, NFPA 70E, boiler codes, plumbing codes, OSHA regs and what ever else I have spaced off this morning..

 

[roger3829]

In Connecticut, any licensed electrician can cut and tap any residential service.

Have been doing it for 30 years.

Never had a problem

 

[zog]

In Connecticut, any licensed electrician can cut and tap any residential service.

Have been doing it for 30 years.

Never had a problem

Not yet.

3 kinds of electricians.
1. Safe
2. Lucky
3. Dead

 

[charlie]

. . . 3. Dead

Nope, the dead ones are retired electricians. They don't take service calls anymore. :smile: