Installing single pole bolt on breakers live?

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iceworm said:
Highly recommend wearing safety glasses.
And dry shoes - especially on concrete floors

And I've bought a few screw holding drivers, phillips and flat

Even so, I've had a few screwdrivers with a notch blown out.
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And gloves!!!
 
I always gave them two prices: one for turning off the panel and getting it done. Another price for doing it live. I always made it worth my while for the the pucker factor.
 
When I was young, yes live.
Got older no thanks.
But long ago, I have done some hairy live industrial where I wouldn't be alive if I goofed. That was after asking why a shutdown to remove my dead azz from what would be left of the gear is ok, but not one to keep me from frying?
Reply was because the plant can't afford a shutdown and we know you can do it without any problems. Called wife gave names to sue, did jobs, went home after job for full pay; about all I could get out of them.
 
I can't tell you how many times in my past that I have worked in a live panel. There are a number of times that I have wondered what my funeral would be like because I couldn't believe I was actually working in that situation.

I can, however, tell you what 480V feels like, and I would like to see you avoid that particular knowledge. This is not something that should be on your bucket list.

So if you are going to violate OSHA and do this - then here is the template that I do not officially advocate you use.

1 hand only - put the other one behind your back.
Use a "gripping" or magnetic style driver for the bolt/screw.
Wear safety glasses or a faceshield (appropriately rated so as to not melt on your face in case of error).
Have a second standing by who is CPR trained.
Wear fire rated clothing (appropriately rated so as to not melt on your body in case of error).
Use of factory insulated tools preferred, at the very least wrap the shaft to the handle with electrical tape (half lap, double wrap).
Good quality rubber soles on a good quality workboot without any imperfections or damage will go a long way to preventing shock.
 
Unfortunately NFPA 70E will not permit this, unless it's more dangerous to turn the panel off, in which case you have to fill out an Energized Electrical Work Permit that gets signed by a half dozen people.
So as the previous post just mentioned, it's against OSHA regulations.

But face it, we're experienced electrical workers, and the risk associated with snapping in a breaker is slim to none.

But the thing to be aware of is the hazard associated with the panel, or the incident energy. If the panel is a 120/208V secondary of a 500 kVA transformer, the incident energy level will be high, on the order of 50 calories, such that an arc flash incident would be catastrophic. But if it's on the secondary of a 15 kVA poletop transformer in your development, there's really no arc flash issue. Also at 120 Volts, arc flash is not an issue, but the panel is 208V and that could easily be contacted. So before you get too bold with energized work be sure you know the incident energy level you're dealing with.

Shock is always an issue, and is much more prevalent than arc flash in terms of number of occurrences.

And yes I work on my home panel energized.

John M
 
mayanees said:
And yes I work on my home panel energized.
Click to expand...

My family says they would rather live without electricity than without me.
I have been turning my home panel off for the past 30 yrs (or at least since I got battery power tools).
 
Done it and got the tee-shirt many times. In my 50’s I had to sort out the aftermath of an arc flash incident which hospitalised a colleague. No more live working for the rest of the gang, live testing was allowed with equipment and precautions that met this standard.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg354.pdf

Being the kind hearted person I am, I fastened the offending breaker to the door of his tool cupboard :hug:
 
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