Service drop power line - Pay Attention!

[treehumper]

What do you think line clearance arborists do? I'm confused where the disconnect is here. People climb around energized lines for the utility company everyday. Their biology is the same as everyone else's. Their equipment the same and way of doing tree work the same

The difference is they have been trained and certified to do that work. Their biology isn't different but their training is.

 

[CutHighnLetFly]

The difference is they have been trained and certified to do that work. Their biology isn't different but their training is.

Plenty of residential arborists have access to the same training programs No? I worked somewhere that sent us all to do EHAP, then send us out to do resi jobs. Not saying at all that's the only training but plenty of us are expected to produce in acceptable distance from wires

 

[Merle Nelson]

I will read through the rest of this thread later so forgive me if I'm repeating info. EHAP class I attended told of even guy cables and phone lines having at times been grounded out to enough power to kill you.

At the end of class staying in bed every day was looking like the only safe place. Inspecting house drops may be better but......

 

[Tom Dunlap]

At my current job I was expected to remove a tree that was in contact with a street light wire. The wire was woven through the canopy

I refused the work until the wire was dropped

That got me bad standing with my supervisors.

Pffft...is what I said. Better than hearing zzzzzap!

The job was done by another unknown climber

 

[southsoundtree]

I'd like to ask that boss to get their family for a race car ride with no seatbelts or helmets. The race car comes to mind, but not the best expression.

I've remembered hearing this expression http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Spirit Of The Stairway when I was 18, in college. Having a good reply on hand for life's situations is worthwhile.


I try to tell customer, if they keep after with the "can't you just...", to imagine the innocuous-looking primaries as a blarring, 3000 HP diesel engine, attached to whirling blades of death. Kills you just as dead, maybe less fire.

 

[treehumper]

Plenty of residential arborists have access to the same training programs No? I worked somewhere that sent us all to do EHAP, then send us out to do resi jobs. Not saying at all that's the only training but plenty of us are expected to produce in acceptable distance from wires

EHAP= electrical hazard AWARENESS Program. As Merle said, it leaves you feeling like the safest place is in bed! I did ACRT's line clearance certification (LCC) training and EHAP. It explains some but not all of the realities of working near energized conductors. I also did a 6 semester program toward a diploma as an Electrical Engineering Technologist. Having access and truly understanding the implications of the information are two very different things. Applying the learning, respecting the dangers and acknowledging that there is very little outward indication of the danger leads the proper approach to working in proximity to energized conductors, regardless of the voltage.

As Tom did, we need to push back when the expectation is to ignore the fundamentals of the EHAP or LCC training. Sean's analogy is great as it becomes a very easy visualization of the hazard.

 

[Raven]

Thread reviving because I'm putting together a safety program and just re-reading all the info I can.

According to several of my local utility workers (linemen not line clearance tree workers), who have shown up to drop service lines for me: the LV service lines are considered just like a heavy duty extension cord - assuming the weatherproofing is intact ( a dangerous assumption?)

One guy even suggested I hook the line with a rope or fiberglass pole tool to pull it away from my drop zone because he wasn't authorized to drop the neighbor's line (sales f*** up). I felt like these techs were giving practically sound advice but also legally dangerous should an incident occur - kind of like telling someone they can drive the racecar without seatbelt - sure everythings OK, until it isn't.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Practical yes, sanctioned as safe no.

In an Electrical Hazards class I attended they had everything able to electrocute you including so many feet of bare ground if a live line was laying on it. The instructor definitely had examples of house drops AND phone lines that had a short energizing them shocking people.

After class you wanted to go home, sleep in your car and touch nothing - ever.

 

[New2trees]

Makes you wonder if these guys are just contractors and if so whether they are really licensed electricians or just kids sent out to do the job.

First variable would be is the drop "triplex" (three strand twisted cable) or the original individual 3 conductor drop. If its triplex its pretty safe due to the tough insulation jacketing required to keep the conductors from shorting out....however if its the original 3 conductor stuff from say 50-60 yrs ago then the insulation is likely to be decorative at best.

However all that aside his idea of hooking and pulling it aside is laughable. Assuming you have a fiberglass pole with a hook their is still not much slack in most short runs so your ability to move the cable would be small and the first time you pull on one and break the bracket off the side of the neighbors house...along with a court case your local reputation might suffer

Just my 2 cents,
PS Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

 

[New2trees]

Practical yes, sanctioned as safe no.

In an Electrical Hazards class I attended they had everything able to electrocute you including so many feet of bare ground if a live line was laying on it. The instructor definitely had examples of house drops AND phone lines that had a short energizing them shocking people.

After class you wanted to go home, sleep in your car and touch nothing - ever.

Was doing some network cabling years ago in a commercial building in DC which was a 277/480 3 phase building. While working on a ladder I popped a tile and stuck my head and shoulders up into the ceiling to take a look around... I had one hand on a guy wire to a florescent fixture and as I rested my forearm on the ceiling grid I was hit by 277 volts and fortunately dropped from the ladder (as opposed to getting hung up) because some moron had removed an old light and simply wrapped tape around the end of the wire and it had come in contact with the ceiling grid. It was about a 15 foot fall but I was young and luckily neither the shock or fall did much damage.

 

[Merle Nelson]

.....that's the kind of story. Should never happen. Who would think it could happen? Yet it happened.

Glad you're okay New.