Wires were left uncapped and exposed by coworker.You can troubleshoot live with metering (properly dressed) or by observing the equipment operation powered under load, but if you were doing any component repairs, changing ballast, photocells, sockets, that would be deenergized only work and you would have been making multiple trips back and forth to the power disconnecting device repeatedly all day.
You would have had to become very familiar with the circuit isolating device location and have been using it (properly).
It's possible that the prior accidential injury to the coworker may have been something the people higher up wanted tagged locked off, for their accident inspection report, before returning the system to normal. The parking lot light is not one of the critical equipment at the site (I would guess).
The miscommunication between you and the supervisor, should you lock off or should you continue with repairs and live power testing, could be but was not part of the OP.
Receiving an instruction to "turn off power", but leaving the power on and putting wirenuts on it, that's a problem (imo). Working the wirenuts live by the prior electrician may have been the root cause of his injury. Standard safety training advises to attendant to not rush in and fall victim to the same hazard as the coworker he attends to.
I changed it for you in your OP. I'm leaving it in place where others quoted your original post to avoid confusion.I'm trying to change electrocuted to shocked to be correct, sorry about that sir.
It's a major write up used before termination.Again what's a SOCA?
Funny where I work the company has no written safety policy (at least not one that anyone knows about) and live work is actually encouraged when feasible.Wearing voltage rated gloves without the leather protectors, and using a non contact tester will get you written up if you worked for us.
We have a pretty strict no live work policy, putting in breakers to a live buss, not even plug in, changing switches, lights and receptacles hot, will get you in front of the CEO that YOU have to convince, in not getting fired.Funny where I work the company has no written safety policy (at least not one that anyone knows about) and live work is actually encouraged when feasible.
That was the same as what we had. Hot work permits had to be signed by the buildings/facilities rep, our office manager, project manager, and the job superintendent.We have a pretty strict no live work policy, putting in breakers to a live buss, not even plug in, changing switches, lights and receptacles hot, will get you in front of the CEO that YOU have to convince, in not getting fired.
I seem to recall the OP defined it as capping the live wires and putting the cover plate back on. The OP stated the supervisor told him to turn off the power. By no means can he claim that what he posted that he did satisfied the directive he was given.I think that before someone can say that he violated any policy you need to define what securing a circuit means.
Yes he did say that but it also seems that maybe no one knew where the power could be disconnected. James is saying that his write up is for not securing power, "he wrote me up on a SOCA which is a major write up saying I didn't secure power", James thinks that he did "secure power" so what does that mean? The SOCA write up did not say he refused a direct order to shut the power off, if that was the issue then that's what the write up should have said.I seem to recall the OP defined it as capping the live wires and putting the cover plate back on. The OP stated the supervisor told him to turn off the power. By no means can he claim that what he posted that he did satisfied the directive he was given.
I agree with you 100%. IMO the conductors were safed and the only thing that maybe should have been done was to let the supervisor know this is what was done, if further means were needed everybody would have been on the same page.James, in light of the circumstances surrounding this incident, I do believe that you "secured the circuit" and "safed" it out by eliminating the exposed conductors. And if you need backing for your approach I can support that what you did was appropriate, and I'm a PE, a Master electrician, and an NFPA-Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional. Not everything in this profession fits into standard methods or procedures so we are forced to improvise, and given the extenuating circumstances I think what you did was appropriate. Good luck with the situation.