Limits of working off a pole

[rcdallas]

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[lewy]

I have read. It's apparent that according to linework in 2008 as from what I would gather, you'd go along the lines of something like baby work that covering up is for idiots. Looks to me like someone on suicide mission would just go up there and tighten the damn nut wearing just their rubber gloves.

I've seen some bad asses that go out there and go in between the neutral and primary with their bucket with no guts on the line. It's a matter of time.

My point is I don't have any of the hard cover up that can be applied from the pole, if we do it must be locked up in some secret box.

I haven't seen all aspects of linework, nor have I been in the trade for 20 years...dammit I just came here to ask a honest question.

http://www.hubbellpowersystems.com/p...ine_tools.html
Your company might order it.

[grizzlybuck]

Dallas, talk to someone about getting some hard cover-up, they can be applied with shotgun sticks, and are a hell of a lot easier to apply than having to set up the bakerboard. I've been on a job having to climb up through a 13.2 energized dist circuit to replace a horizontal post on a de-energized 69kv line, covered the three phase with hard cover and up you go. The same applies to changing a pot off a pole with little clearance, or cutout, or tighting pole top pin (ridge pin) bolts. OSHA and company policies require cover-up when within minimum approach, so I would think your company would want you following safety rules and getting work done in a timely manner, so they might just buy some hard cover for you.

[Trbl639]

Dallas, talk to someone about getting some hard cover-up, they can be applied with shotgun sticks, and are a hell of a lot easier to apply than having to set up the bakerboard. I've been on a job having to climb up through a 13.2 energized dist circuit to replace a horizontal post on a de-energized 69kv line, covered the three phase with hard cover and up you go. The same applies to changing a pot off a pole with little clearance, or cutout, or tighting pole top pin (ridge pin) bolts. OSHA and company policies require cover-up when within minimum approach, so I would think your company would want you following safety rules and getting work done in a timely manner, so they might just buy some hard cover for you.

Yep!!!

Spent one summer replacing arrestors on OR construction....OR is Outage Resistant......center phase on a ridge pin...crossarm 6 ft down with the 2 other phases.........started out hanging a board, covering the bottom phases...moving the board up, covering the middle phase, covering up..replacing the LA, Hell we just took a piece of aluminum tie wire from the La to the tail of the tie wire on the phase and laptited it on...with gloves, on 7.6/13.2............won't do that now if my life depended on it...saw a new La blow one day.........

Then we got hard cover...stick it on with a suckem-up climb up. replace the LA. use the suckem-up to put the jumper on and hit the ground!!!

Same with tightening bolts...slide some hard cover on it, stick your gloves on and tighten the bolt...slip the hard cover off and hit the ground......

We can only Hands-on Secondary, below 600V of the Pole.........on Primary, off the pole, we gotta use a board!!!!!

I got my start in the Military too...am a 2nd generation lineman too...enlisted in the Air Force, in 70 to keep from gettin Drafted and going to the Nam...They decided they wanted me to be an Electrical Powerline Specialist (542X1)...oh yeah and I still went to the Nam and Thailand, and Alaska, and some other exotic places, and some other hell holes too!!! was in just over 7 yrs, 3 of those, teaching this shit 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week...I got out and went to work for a Co-op, did some side work with some small Mom & Pop contractors in the oil field while I was in the Air force and workiing for the Co-op, then in 80 I got on with the old Arkansas Power & Light (now Entergy ), hired me as a 4th yr...and I got in the Union...topped out in 81........hell as an apprentice I was smarter than some of the journeymen I worked with...but I also worked and learned from some of the Best Old School lineman in the trade too!!!!! Took a Service/Trouble truck in 88...in 2 days I'll have been on it 20 years! We've got some servicemen that ain't been in the trade for 6 years!!!!!

So I've got a few more months until I'll have 38 years in the trade, and I've still got all my fingers and toes and all my other pieces, although some of them are pretty worn out, shoulders/back/knees, losing my grip strength..all because of hard work, following the rules, and working Safe, and not taking Chances/shortcuts.............and yes, I use the F*$k-squeeze, cause the company I work for says I have to...don't like it, but I still gotta use it!! Of course in a few more months, am gonna retire and rest a while and do some Trampin for extra jingle...ad the fact that if I quit cold turkey, I won't last long!! I'll go back to Free climbing until OSHA makes it Mandatory, which ain't gonna be long, but it don't make me less of a lineman...hell guys, times are changing......I've got my Dad's (Retired in 85, with 39 rs) old brooks strait hooks, the 'T pads' Have what looks like sheep skin/wool for padding, and mine are Velcro..his hooks are steel, mine are aluminum dbl offset, and they're making them out of titainium now.....I can remember when our double bucket was 2 hot boards we even got battery/gas drills and battery squeeze tools now what happened to the wiggle bit??

Either way...don't care who you are, and where ya work or who ya work for.........the BEST TOOL any of us have, Is that thing that sits on top of our shoulders....use it for something besides a HAT RACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the only STUPID question in this trade.........is the ONE YA DON"T ASK!!!!!

Ok..I'll get off my soap box..........