Limits of working off a pole

[grizzlybuck]

I'm with you Lewy, phases would have to be covered if you were that close to them, but unless you are laying hands on the primary, gloves and sleeves would be adequate, don't see the need for the Baker board unless you do not have cover goods that can be applied with hot sticks.

[i be tramping now]

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/elec..._distance.html

Tightening a ridge pin would put you within the 28" approach distance which would be in the "primary" area. If you have to have your gloves and sleeves on than you would also need to be on an insulated platform to do the work.

Maybe your foreman is letting you know to not turn in BS like a loose ridgepin ???

It's funny how good a system is when the people doing the inspection are also the ones that will be fixing the problem...... Work smart..

Every place you work has diffrent safety rules that apply for gloving off the pole,within reach,hot sticking,one and 2 man work,ect. Place you should be looking is in the safety book or talk to the steward. Here in Ca. its 2 men in primary at all times,no gloving anything above 4kv off pole,and if you are within reach you will cover with sticks and have 2 men up there to do it. Ive been from Maine to California and only workied in 1 Local that you would put a gut on it off the pole and tighten it up,,thats not the way a Union Lineman should be working,FOLLOW YOUR WORK RULES AND YOUR CONTRACT AND GO HOME SAFE EVERY NIGHT! Good Luck!

[wtdoor67]

Like someone said, check in your safety manual. If you have gloves that exceeded the phase to ground voltage, I have worked where it was legit to apply coverup with sticks on everything within reaching or falling distance then using gloves to tighten the bolts. Would expect a 3 man crew.

[Fiberglass Cowboy]

do not allow their people to glove more than 5 kv off the pole, some not even that. Some do not allow gloving any primary voltages off the pole. I would feel much safer at the end of an 8' hot stick, vs. covering up energized phases of 14.4 / 24.9 Kv GRD WYE off the pole in rubber gloves with rubber line hoses to tighten a damned nut. That's just STUPID. Tighten it with a stick, save yourself the time and energy, and the risk. It would be faster and safer. Also hard plastic covering is easy to install if needed ,it can be done with a shotgun stick. If your company doesn't have any,they should consider investing in some.

[Dorchester]

If THAT makes ya feel...."Safer'...shit, why bother even climbin and wastin all that engegy.
Just put a rachet on the end of an extendo...and do it from the ground!!
That's the way "Real" Linemen would do it.

I think we all know how you feel swampass, but most of us have rules in place that won't allow you to work primaries above 5 kv from the pole.
At my company we can glove 4k from the pole with sleeves on, but must work anything above 5k from an insultaed platform/bucket.

[Fiberglass Cowboy]

It's a wonder that someone who's willing to glove 24Kv off the pole ever lived to enjoy retirement,and now harassing linemen on a daily basis. No "BULLET-PROOFING" as you say,going on here. Just using what's called COMMON SENSE.

Someone once told me," There are dumb linemen,and there are old linemen, but there are no dumb-old linemen."

....... Though sometimes I wonder.......

[LINEHAND]

This has been all, really interesting......

Seeing the "bulletproofing of Linework", at it's finest.

Climb up there, gut the damn phases.....Gloves and Sleeves...Tighten the damn Ridgepin nut!!! DAMN!!!!

I can't believe Linework has degraded to shit like this.....

Friggin pittiful.

So you not only recomend a young man enter the trade non-union when you know its not in there best interest but now you recomend to a grunt to glove 14.4 from the pole when you set the limits for yourself at around 7620. . . . . . . . YOU ARE A PIECE OF WORK!!!

[RWD]

I worked a job one time where we pastic gutted the lines and the insulators, then replaced the v-braces (metal changed to wood) using gloves off the pole. Now please understand it was a 7200 delta system with no underbuilt. We thought then and I think today it was safe. Changed out a couple 100 sets in a few years during down time. They used it to keep us in shape for other hot work if the progect was not busy.

Worked off baker boards too but they are a pain unless you have been taught to intall them and work from them. Better than over reaching from the pole in any case.

RWD

[wtdoor67]

Knew of a guy who was burned one time when he touched the ridgeiron inadvertently off the pole. Seems there was a bad insulator that was leaking over. I think it was 14.4 KV, but might have been 7200. REC though.

Also knew a guy who was burned severely once when he touched a DA bolt at the end of a set of arms. Had bad dead end bells. Lost a hand and a foot, but he survived.

[old lineman]

Knew of a guy who was burned one time when he touched the ridgeiron inadvertently off the pole. Seems there was a bad insulator that was leaking over. I think it was 14.4 KV, but might have been 7200. REC though.

Also knew a guy who was burned severely once when he touched a DA bolt at the end of a set of arms. Had bad dead end bells. Lost a hand and a foot, but he survived.

Don't any of the linemen you work with wear rubber gloves in the primary area?
There's a message here somewhere.
The Old Lineman