Bucket truck work . " Changing parking lot lights while energized " ???

[Davebones]

Have a contractor that is coming in with a bucket truck to change our parking lot metal halide lamps that are out . He wants to do this while energized . I say this is not allowed anymore . Just wondered if the contractors out there are doing this " HOT " . ???

 

[kwired]

To just replace lamps might be acceptable.

Then comes whether or not the guy is self employed or is an employee. Self employed are not subject to OSHA as they are not an employee.

Your company could still require contractors on your property to comply with your companies safety policies though regardless of what they may or may not have for their own policies.

 

[mopowr steve]

Gets awfully difficult to troubleshoot problems with HID fixtures with the power off.

Beside that he should be in an insulated bucket and using live voltage gloves to do testing if needed.

 

[kwired]

Gets awfully difficult to troubleshoot problems with HID fixtures with the power off.

Beside that he should be in an insulated bucket and using live voltage gloves to do testing if needed.

I agree that some of the troubleshooting tasks are live work tasks. Replacing a lamp may not be considered a live work task, replacing a ballast, capacitor, ignitor or lamp holder I would think would ordinarily require verifying there is no voltage before performing the task.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Have a contractor that is coming in with a bucket truck to change our parking lot metal halide lamps that are out . He wants to do this while energized . I say this is not allowed anymore . Just wondered if the contractors out there are doing this " HOT " . ???

relamping is one thing.
it would be nice to see it fire before lowering.
don't see that as unsafe. what's 70E say about
relamping where no live parts are present?

pole lighting is usually 480 or 277 where available.
sure... let's poke around in a 20 year old ballast with
an old wasps nest in the top of the pole, hot. sounds
like fun.

 

[ActionDave]

relamping is one thing.
it would be nice to see it fire before lowering.
don't see that as unsafe. what's 70E say about
relamping where no live parts are present?

pole lighting is usually 480 or 277 where available.
sure... let's poke around in a 20 year old ballast with
an old wasps nest in the top of the pole, hot. sounds
like fun.

Funny and true at the same time. You have a knack for that.

 

[Davebones]

These are 480 volt , 400 watt metal halide type lamps

 

[AKElectrician]

Have a contractor that is coming in with a bucket truck to change our parking lot metal halide lamps that are out . He wants to do this while energized . I say this is not allowed anymore . Just wondered if the contractors out there are doing this " HOT " . ???

Well de-energized does not make the task safe. It limits the risks with one aspect of the work electricity and it doesn't eliminate that risk.
What about gravity? Is he tied off with the correct fall protection? Can people walk under his work area and have a tool dropped on them?
What about LOTO? He turned it off but can someone turn it back on while he's in the lift?
What about using mechanical means to move yourself into position? is the machine jerky? Is he experienced in it?
What about gloves? Bulbs that are fragile and break when the base is corroded a little in the socket cut hands easy.
What about glasses? Bulbs shatter...
What about communication? Can he call someone to help him quickly?
What about a the capacitor in the light fixture that can't be de-energized without touching it, does he know what they are and does he know the dangers of them?
Does he have a ground guy? Does the ground guy know how to lower the boom with the emergency release switches on most lifts? Is someone able to see the guy in the lift in case he smushes himself into something?

 

[Davebones]

Didn't ask " What About " , Gravity , LOTO , Machine jerky , Gloves , Glasses , Communication ,Capacitor , ground guy , etc ... Was asking if contractors are working these while energized ! Have worked on jobs where someone was killed ( 4160V electrocution ) ( 277V electrocution ) ( 120V electrocution ) ( fall from D ring in Nuclear plant ) ( Fall from smokestack at coal plant ) ( Crushed by coal train unloading ) ( Fall from building steel ) ( 230KV electrocution ) ( Fall into sulfuric acid pit ) ( fell from JLG lift ) etc ...I try to be as safe as possible with contractors coming in . I know a lot of people think OHSA is overboard but I do know that the safety is better than when I started in the trade . The operator was trained , he had gloves , glasses , a ground man , a harness , a phone . When I started in the trade there wasn't training you went with a journeyman and learned that way . They wanted to change them while energized I said no . My question are contractors working these lights hot !

 

[mjf]

I've been known to disconnect power in the hand hole at the pole base to perform my work. Ground man can reconnect for testing purposes.

 

[AKElectrician]

Have a contractor that is coming in with a bucket truck to change our parking lot metal halide lamps that are out . He wants to do this while energized . I say this is not allowed anymore . Just wondered if the contractors out there are doing this " HOT " . ???

Didn't ask " What About " , Gravity , LOTO , Machine jerky , Gloves , Glasses , Communication ,Capacitor , ground guy , etc ... Was asking if contractors are working these while energized ! Have worked on jobs where someone was killed ( 4160V electrocution ) ( 277V electrocution ) ( 120V electrocution ) ( fall from D ring in Nuclear plant ) ( Fall from smokestack at coal plant ) ( Crushed by coal train unloading ) ( Fall from building steel ) ( 230KV electrocution ) ( Fall into sulfuric acid pit ) ( fell from JLG lift ) etc ...I try to be as safe as possible with contractors coming in . I know a lot of people think OHSA is overboard but I do know that the safety is better than when I started in the trade . The operator was trained , he had gloves , glasses , a ground man , a harness , a phone . When I started in the trade there wasn't training you went with a journeyman and learned that way . They wanted to change them while energized I said no . My question are contractors working these lights hot !

I didn't want to re answer the question you answered.... That contractor is obviously changing lights energized. So therefore yes contractors are changing lights energized. But sounds to me like they are a good one if they limited all the other hazards lots overlook, and if they did it themselves, even better.