Handling Neutrals without Rubber Gloves

[Hatteras]

The utility where I work is leaning towards allowing the lineman to handle a neutral without rubber gloves. The rule is if the neutral is on the crossarm, then class 2 gloves and sleeves are required. But if the neutral is on a rack in the secondary position, they are saying that it is ok to untie without rubber gloves. The reasoning is since CATV and phone are bonded to the neutral, the pole ground is stapled to the pole and the public touches it every day then it is ok. I was taught (a long time ago) that the neutral is part of an energized circuit and has the potential to have an elevated voltage on it and to treat it as an energized conductor. I believe and was taught that handling a neutral without rubber gloves is not a good idea. Am I wrong? What is your opinion? Thanks.

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmm a neutral can kill ya just as dead.there are just too many scenerios where gloves would be a must.Getting in series with a neutral will hurt you also and this practice will certainly result in that sooner or later.My advice is do as you were trained to do and wear the gloves regardless if its a rule or not.

[bren guzzi]

I agree with poot. Always treated a neutral the same as a phase. " I was trained that way to "

[lewy]

I agree with Poot you never want to get in series with a neutral, for us if there are any energized conductor on the pole we have to wear our rubbers even if you were only touching the neutral, but if everything is grounded we can wear leathers.

[kooman]

bad bad idea, with the current flow that we have today it is just stupid not to treat every neutral the same as you would an energized phase, allways glove. Asfar as the grounds tied in with the neutral, yes they are but there is a hell of a difference betwene a neutral and a ground, any return current is going to flow down the path of least resistance and that is the neutral back to the source.

[rcdallas]

Think about this. Do you wear your primary gloves when stapling a pole ground? Do you wear your primary gloves when hooking up a truck ground? Now that your truck is grounded to the neutral-do you wear rubber gloves and utilize a rubber blanket when getting onto the truck EVEN when the bucket is cradled?

Are you one that don't agree with a rubber glove ground to ground rule when climbing poles UNTIL you get within reaching and/or falling distance of energized conductors?

When installing a transformer and there is absolutely no potential of primary contact do you wear your rubber gloves when installing/removing a case ground?

You've grounded a 3 phase line to a system neutral...do you then take off your rubber gloves and work out of your leathers?

Let's talk secondary class 0 gloves--your company allows you to have them. Your making up a service at a weatherhead, do you wear primary gloves when making up the neutral and then put on your class 0 when working the hot legs?

Your doing feeder maintenance-down guy is a little loose. Do you wear your primary gloves putting on your bull grip/hoist?

Do you wear primary gloves at all times when checking voltage at a house meter base?

Do you wear primary gloves when off the clock inside your home for things such as a landline telephone-operating your television...do you wear a rubber suit when you take a shower? Are you wearing rubber gloves operating your home computer?

Every thing I've listed so far is connected to a neutral in some shape or form.

The general public is in absolute danger.

Point being there is a time for gloves and there is also a time where you have to draw a line. Where is that line? And why are you putting a line there? It's all connected.

[hotwiretamer]

The company I work for doesn't require rubber gloving of the neutral. Rubber gloves go on when within the MAD, or when on the primary.

[kooman]

Think about this. Do you wear your primary gloves when stapling a pole ground? Do you wear your primary gloves when hooking up a truck ground? Now that your truck is grounded to the neutral-do you wear rubber gloves and utilize a rubber blanket when getting onto the truck EVEN when the bucket is cradled?

Are you one that don't agree with a rubber glove ground to ground rule when climbing poles UNTIL you get within reaching and/or falling distance of energized conductors?

When installing a transformer and there is absolutely no potential of primary contact do you wear your rubber gloves when installing/removing a case ground?

You've grounded a 3 phase line to a system neutral...do you then take off your rubber gloves and work out of your leathers?

Let's talk secondary class 0 gloves--your company allows you to have them. Your making up a service at a weatherhead, do you wear primary gloves when making up the neutral and then put on your class 0 when working the hot legs?

Your doing feeder maintenance-down guy is a little loose. Do you wear your primary gloves putting on your bull grip/hoist?

Do you wear primary gloves at all times when checking voltage at a house meter base?

Do you wear primary gloves when off the clock inside your home for things such as a landline telephone-operating your television...do you wear a rubber suit when you take a shower? Are you wearing rubber gloves operating your home computer?

Every thing I've listed so far is connected to a neutral in some shape or form.

The general public is in absolute danger.

Point being there is a time for gloves and there is also a time where you have to draw a line. Where is that line?

just because something is connected to a system neutral wire doesnt mean that it acts like a neutral, the path of least resistance, under normal conditions is still going to be on the neutral wire back to the source, not the down ground or the cable messenger. put your amp meter on the neutral and then put it on the down ground and see what it reads.

[rcdallas]

just because something is connected to a system neutral wire doesnt mean that it acts like a neutral, the path of least resistance, under normal conditions is still going to be on the neutral wire back to the source, not the down ground or the cable messenger. put your amp meter on the neutral and then put it on the down ground and see what it reads.

Don't matter if it's 30 amps or a 1/3 of an amp. Your in series your dead. The "potential" is there. You don't know it, but you might have a neutral down on in a pasture. Like I said where do you draw the line?

[kooman]

Don't matter if it's 30 amps or a 1/3 of an amp. Your in series your dead. The "potential" is there. You don't know it, but you might have a neutral down on in a pasture. Like I said where do you draw the line?

i agree with that.