No electrode

[telak engineer]

I have a situation were a technician went to a customer location to complete premise work to a existing telephone service. Upon inspection of the NID he found that there was no bond to the electric utility electrode and in fact when the customer inspected there service disconnect it was found that there is no ground at all.
Both the electric and telephone are aerial services.
My company requires that the bond be in place with the electric utility by whatever means in accordance to 800.40.
Our current practices allow the technician to place a bond to the electrical service mast which I have been informed was a excepted practice in the past when there is no electric electrode in place. I have been told that if their is a problem the path to ground would be at the nearest service pole.
I disagree with this my take on the situations is if their is not a electric service electrode in place have the technician walk away and do not commence with work until the customer has an electrician place a electrode.
What is exceptible in this situation?

 

[eprice]

Re: No electrode

It seems to me that bonding to the service mast when there is no electrical system grounding means would not be compliant with 800.40. I certainly wouldn't recommend that approach. Your idea of walking away is a good one. Perhaps after warning the customer of the shortcomings of his electrical service installation, and with proper documentation for CYA, you could make the installation in accordance with 800.40(B)(2).

(Edit to correct section reference typo)

[ October 01, 2004, 12:54 PM: Message edited by: eprice ]