Rubber for hot sticking?

[busman]

If you don't mind a curious question from an electrician, how do you select personal rubber (gloves/sleeves) for stick work. Our transformer blew in front of the house yesterday (34.5/19.9 wye) and the lineman had class 2 rubber. I asked him and he said it was OK because he was using sticks. Just wonder how you select it for this type of work, or does it not matter because it's just extra insurance?

Thanks in advance,

Mark

[Lineman8641]

At my company you need to use gloves for the voltage you are using the hotstick on. So in this case if it were 34kv single phase it would be 19.9, which would require us to use Class 3 gloves. I'm sure there will be a lot of different requirements for other companies, but that is what ours is. The class 2 glove I believe is rated for 17.5 with the newer OSHA rules. So if I get caught using a class 2 glove on a 34kv single phase PM, I will get time off.

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmm I never have figgered out why they hafta wear gloves with an insulated fierglass stick unless the company is too damn cheap to have em tested. I reckon its the brain child of some engr tryin to make a name fer himself.

[Pootnaigle]

Its not a rule here YET. They hafta wear em werkin onna pole or outta a bucket with a regular stick but not with an extendo. Damn dumb if ya ask me

[Highplains Drifter]

Why is everyone answering a narowback? Don’t you realize they are after our work and any knowledge shared this man will use against us. I remember one sub we where building and the ABB tech was scheduled to be there on a Tuesday to explain how to install the bushings in the breakers. Low and behold on that day every control panel or anything else the narowbacks had to do was right in the work area of the breakers. They wanted to listen to the man so they would have the knowledge to install the bushings and not need us for substation work. Well what we did was put every crane, digger truck and lifts in obstruction of their views and we left all equipment running so they could not hear. Another time on a Wind Farm all the narrowbacks wanted to be at the 3M class for certification of the inline splices and T bodies. They weren’t invited to that class. I am leery of this man’s motives , govern your selves accordingly.

[Highplains Drifter]

Why wouldn't we answer a legitimate question posed by a brother?? Electrician or not he is a brother.

I stand to be corrected here,but why would the man have a 3 phase tx in front of his house. I don't buy the voltages he quoted for a pad mt. tx. In an industrial park I can see txs with those voltages on the name plate. Second every pad mt I have ever been around the information and serial numbers are inside. Would you let any Tom, Dick and Harry stick their nose in that pot while you where trouble shooting or even while it is energized?

[busman]

I stand to be corrected here,but why would the man have a 3 phase tx in front of his house. I don't buy the voltages he quoted for a pad mt. tx. In an industrial park I can see txs with those voltages on the name plate. Second every pad mt I have ever been around the information and serial numbers are inside. Would you let any Tom, Dick and Harry stick their nose in that pot while you where trouble shooting or even while it is energized?

Wow. I don't think I ever said anything about padmount or transmission. I live near Washington, DC and our distribution is 34.5/19.9 mostly. It was an overhead transformer. The troubleman (serviceman around here) showed up and we diagnosed it together (I kept my distance). The best I could do was keep an eye on him with the phone since they work alone and watch for sparks as he closed in various configurations. He came back later with a construction pair and they replaced the transformer.

While trouble shooting he used a shotgun stick and a switch stick from an Altec bucket. He was probably about 5-6 feet from the primary at the closest.

I don't understand all this negativity towards electricians. We both went thru a 4 year apprenticeship and then went out to do some real learning. We're not after your jobs. 480V is as high as I want to go. I would have thought that it would be welcomed that a few of us try to understand how the power gets to us to better understand the entire system as a whole and help us both do our jobs better.

I guess I'm doing no service at all that I constantly study the overhead lines to try to understand them better and also call in the failures I see. In the last few months, I've spotted a split cross-arm with the insulator hanging from the conductor and a severely leaning pole.

Sorry if I'm out of line.

Mark

[busman]

And honestly, the more I think about it. I'm not asking for trade secrets. Just curious about the class of rubber. I could always just buy Class 4 and be super safe. I just don't get it, but I'm sure where you are, there is a real threat from electricians. Different area I guess.

I also should have been more clear. He only used the rubber in the bucket. He didn't when using the switch stick from the ground. I'm sure this is a cradle-to-cradle rule, but couldn't figure out how they pick the class.

FWIW, I do have a very good relationship with the linemen around here and we help each other out when we can.

And really, if I were fishing for information, do you think I would straight out declare myself to be an electrician?? I'm a licensed Master Electrician in the Commonwealth of Virginia and proud of it. Don't want to be anything else. Always trying to learn more.

Mark

[MI-Lineman]

There's got to be HELL of alot more to THAT Story, than just a broken down shotgun. A Quarter sized hole? Both Feet?

Cause of a Breakdown of a shotgun? What? Your union didn't test the shotgun? There's a HELL of alot more to THAT story... I'd call Bullshit...but we all know you're Bullshit anyway.

I know you two like to go at it but Swamp again you're showing your lack of knowledge about Unions! It's always up to the companies to test their tools not the Unions!! Yes it is ALSO up to the individual to make sure they do it and inform the Unions when they don't however that goes for non-Union also (except for the informin the Union part obviously!)! You are right I'm sure about there bein "more to the story" as he never mentioned the voltage and yes breakdown happens!

Sometimes you make it hard to keep out of it when you blindly spout off about Unions! I know it doesn't help the other way either, just wish a few of you would see that? I find myself chattin with my nephews on Face book more and more rather than read this meaningless bickerin (which has now spread to the Linework threads) by "grown adult men!" Wonder what in life's passin "you all" by while this is goin on?

[topgroove]

Well said Mike , the fighting amonst ourselves is getting out of hand. I'm guilty of it myself.