I hate these switches

Tainted

Tainted

Senior Member
Location
New York
Occupation
Engineer (PE)
Does anybody know how to properly open these Siemens Vacu-Break type switches without cutting off the power? I know it's possible because I've seen it done before.

I think we have to stick a screw driver below the lever, we tried it however the electrician and I were having trouble with this so we gave up and said we would worry about it later...

I am now coming back to the building to do the survey for a design... I need to access the compartment to see the fuse type and size...

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You have to insert a thin blade in on an angle and then try using a prying action to move the internal interlock tab against the spring. While doing so you can jiggle the handle and pull. You'll also need to depress the door lock on the upper left.
 
infinity said:
You have to insert a thin blade in on an angle and then try using a prying action to move the internal interlock tab against the spring. While doing so you can jiggle the handle and pull. You'll also need to depress the door lock on the upper left.
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I'll try again on Tuesday I think my screw driver was too thick that it may not have went all the way through
 
Tainted said:
I'll try again on Tuesday I think my screw driver was too thick that it may not have went all the way through
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WHY!….are you opening up anything?
You state to your customers that if they do not have an accurate one-line they can have an electrician selected and paid by them to provide field investigation to address all your questions.

If something happens AFTER you open that door…what will be your defense?
 
MyCleveland said:
WHY!….are you opening up anything?
You state to your customers that if they do not have an accurate one-line they can have an electrician selected and paid by them to provide field investigation to address all your questions.

If something happens AFTER you open that door…what will be your defense?
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As an engineer, I admit I open up panels and boxes sometimes when I shouldn't.

When I need to do a massive survey of the electrical room, I usually tell the owner to have an electrician meet me in the building to open stuff for me so that I can generate an existing oneline diagram
mtnelect said:
Shouldn't you be wearing arc fault protection ?
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I should, but I don't
 
MyCleveland said:
If something happens AFTER you open that door…what will be your defense?
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Several years ago, the firm I was, the majority of 'near misses' during data collection involved bypassing doors like this. I think the legal group felt the risk of outages was too high. I recall we wore 40 Cal/cm2 arc flash PPE when we had to do this activity in reasonable conditions.
 
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Tainted said:
As an engineer, I admit I open up panels and boxes sometimes when I shouldn't.

When I need to do a massive survey of the electrical room, I usually tell the owner to have an electrician meet me in the building to open stuff for me so that I can generate an existing oneline diagram

I should, but I don't
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I cannot type what I would like to. You are not my son, but your someone’s.

At least look into whether you would have any workers comp benefits if you become injured…I doubt you employer will stand behind you.
 
MyCleveland said:
I cannot type what I would like to. You are not my son, but your someone’s.

At least look into whether you would have any workers comp benefits if you become injured…I doubt you employer will stand behind you.
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I think I know exactly what you would say if I was your son...

I do have workers comp, but maybe it wouldn't work because they could argue that I am not a licensed electrician opening up the panels and that injuring was my fault.

The craziest thing I opened up was a old 3000A bus duct but I wouldn't open anything that is MV or HV. I am comfortable with only LV. The bus duct wasn't even protected, it was just straight up bus bars in a metal box
 
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This looks similar to the bus duct switches. Something I remember helping is to move the operating handle more to the ON position when using the "defeat" to open the cover. And for Pete's sake, mark the size fuse on the cover once you know what it is.
 
Tainted said:
I do have workers comp, but maybe it wouldn't work because they could argue that I am not a licensed electrician opening up the panels....
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The issue is not if you are an "electrician", it is if you are a "qualified person". What Electrical Safe Work Practices do you follow, what training certificates do you hold?
What will your client do if you cause an unplanned outage.

I know of one instance, where the worker's screw driver slipped past the interlock and entered the enclosure causing a minor, but visible, arcing event. Glad I was not involved with that paperwork.
 
jim dungar said:
The issue is not if you are an "electrician", it is if you are a "qualified person". What Electrical Safe Work Practices do you follow, what training certificates do you hold?
What will your client do if you cause an unplanned outage.

I know of one instance, where the worker's screw driver slipped past the interlock and entered the enclosure causing a minor, but visible, arcing event. Glad I was not involved with that paperwork.
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I have no training certificate for safety, but theory helps me. However there is no way that a PE license with a concentration in electrical systems would ever make someone qualified opening up anything. I am simply just a risk taker and make stupid but careful decisions.

If I cause any unplanned outages, I will admit fault and it's on me.
 
Tainted said:
I think I know exactly what you would say if I was your son...

I do have workers comp, but maybe it wouldn't work because they could argue that I am not a licensed electrician opening up the panels and that injuring was my fault.

The craziest thing I opened up was a old 3000A bus duct but I wouldn't open anything that is MV or HV. I am comfortable with only LV. The bus duct wasn't even protected, it was just straight up bus bars in a metal box
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Yet the arc flash/blast hazard is typically much greater on the LV side than on the MV or HV side.
 
infinity said:
You have to insert a thin blade in on an angle and then try using a prying action to move the internal interlock tab against the spring. While doing so you can jiggle the handle and pull. You'll also need to depress the door lock on the upper left.
Click to expand...
and while hopping on one foot? Gee
 
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