Working Live

Working hot can mean different things to different people. What OSHA does not generally allow is having employees exposed to a potentially lethal dose of electricity or an arc blast. You can work on stuff that is hot if you are not exposed to a lethal dose of electricity or arc blast. For instance, you can turn a light switch on. Its hot, but the act of turning it on does not expose you to the risk of electrocution. or arc blast What you can't do is take the cover plate off with the power still on because that exposes you to the risk of electrocution.
 
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depending on layout why don’t you budget time to allow let’s say 1/4 of the lights to be shut off and install a jumber. With Mc or something- if the layouts easy to get to- won’t take but an 1-2 to do that. Be faster than doing hot since I don’t have to be cautious- and atleast some lights are on
 
What everybody else has said about OSHA and safety. you will SAVE time by turning everything off. In a large area, you likely will even save time and $$ by renting a lift vs. using a ladder. In a warehouse or such, I'd bid a similar job assuming a lift or at least a forklift with work platform.

As an estimator, the OP should gain some real life experience.

I have worked one or 2 items literally hundreds of times AT MY OWN HOUSE AND SHOPS (and at immediate relatives houses). Even with SIX DECADES of experience working 120 and 240V circuits 'hot', I would never even consider doing more than one or 2 items hot on the ground, let alone on a ladder. Just the extra time spent being careful working hot is MUCH LONGER for the couple dozen fixtures than turning stuff off.

Note: in the hundreds of times have gotten slight tingles a few times, and once an arc flash that pitted my safety glasses working a 100A feeder hot.
Alwayslearningelec said:
Have a large area with about 30 fixture that are being replaced exactly "in kind"(same spot). They are 120/208v. Can you replace these live without turning off power? If so how would you do that without get hit? Thanks
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