"I can't see much point in your job if your not allowed to open anything."
Jim,
My job as the utility inspector is to identify NESC violations on our system, assign these violations to the appropriate utility department for correction, then verify that the correction actually fixed the violation. Part of the collective barganing agreement with the union linemen is that they are the only ones allowed to work on or near energized equipment, as frustrating as that may be, thats the rule. I'm not going to gripe to hard about their rules as since I shut down my shop and started this job 2 years ago, I haven't had to crawl in any attics or re-wire any 20 year old septic pumps and payday is on time every time.
"Someone must have approved this job to be connected being we see a meter and seal and assume it is hot."
This service was re-connected with a "letter of re-connect". In Oregon, any licensed supervising electrician can fill out this form authorizing the utility to energize the service without the local AHJ's inspection in order to expidite service changes. The AHJ has to "post connect" inspect these service changes within a couple of days, which he did but I don't think he opened up the live front as the 10-32's were suspiciously goobered with large amounts of no-alox (hadn't thought of that one before).
This job was just "created" two years ago after the PUC audited our system. All of the other utilities that I know of use engineering type "NESC code specialists", that have no other electrical training, to perform these inspections. I kinda fell into the job when the economy tanked. Just been having a hard time taking off my electrician glasses.
Jim,
My job as the utility inspector is to identify NESC violations on our system, assign these violations to the appropriate utility department for correction, then verify that the correction actually fixed the violation. Part of the collective barganing agreement with the union linemen is that they are the only ones allowed to work on or near energized equipment, as frustrating as that may be, thats the rule. I'm not going to gripe to hard about their rules as since I shut down my shop and started this job 2 years ago, I haven't had to crawl in any attics or re-wire any 20 year old septic pumps and payday is on time every time.
"Someone must have approved this job to be connected being we see a meter and seal and assume it is hot."
This service was re-connected with a "letter of re-connect". In Oregon, any licensed supervising electrician can fill out this form authorizing the utility to energize the service without the local AHJ's inspection in order to expidite service changes. The AHJ has to "post connect" inspect these service changes within a couple of days, which he did but I don't think he opened up the live front as the 10-32's were suspiciously goobered with large amounts of no-alox (hadn't thought of that one before).
This job was just "created" two years ago after the PUC audited our system. All of the other utilities that I know of use engineering type "NESC code specialists", that have no other electrical training, to perform these inspections. I kinda fell into the job when the economy tanked. Just been having a hard time taking off my electrician glasses.
