Best practices for grounding when reconductoring

[Spudly]

What are some "Best Practices" for grounding when stringing in cables while reconductoring. Right now we use a running ground at the cable trailer and then ground the dollies at about every third or fourth pole. Is this an excepted practice?

[old lineman]

What are some "Best Practices" for grounding when stringing in cables while reconductoring. Right now we use a running ground at the cable trailer and then ground the dollies at about every third or fourth pole. Is this an excepted practice?



The tension machine (payout) should be placed on a mat. A good product for that is corn crib mesh. The local TSC store will have it.
The mat should be big enough to walk around the machine and to splice when the reel of conductor runs out. Probably 10 feet longer than the machine itself.
Usually the corn crib mesh is 6 feet wide so you will probably need three sheets of it so one can be slid over the other to make sure it's wide enough so that workers can walk around without getting involved with the machine.
Around the perimeter you should erect a plastic fence. Leave and area just wide enough to walk through for entering the equipotential zone. As you walk from the earth onto the metallic mat you should lay a coverup blanket down so that you won't be in a STEP POTENTIAL situation.
Everything (mats, conductor, tension machine must be bonded together and a lead goes to the system neutral. Most machines have a collector bar that will accomadate several grounding clamps. Three clamps from the mats, one from the running ground and one leading to the system neutral.
Hope this helps.
The old Lineman
Normally 2/O is sufficient size.
Ground the tail protruding through the reel , install a running ground, ground the first traveller and every 3rd. structure along the run.
Ground the puller to the system neutral also.
If your pulling in new conductor utilizing the old conductor the setup is the same at both ends.
The pulling sock should be secured to the conductor using a band-it tool.
Don't apply tape to the swivel end as it could interfere with the Chinese finger action that grips the conductor.

[Spudly]

We use spreader arms and fan out the hot phases. The problem is when the reconductered line has hot taps attached to it. We ground the dollies on either side. I'm not sure if I like this idea. Yeh, sure it may protect the public, but what about me? Is it better to just use a running ground while pulling the conductors in and then just remove the grounds and treat it as energized when tying in?

[old lineman]

We use spreader arms and fan out the hot phases. The problem is when the reconductered line has hot taps attached to it. We ground the dollies on either side. I'm not sure if I like this idea. Yeh, sure it may protect the public, but what about me? Is it better to just use a running ground while pulling the conductors in and then just remove the grounds and treat it as energized when tying in?


No, no, no, isolating and treating as alive is a death trap.
People are NEVER as careful when handling a supposedly dead conductor.
They just don't have the same respect for it and get sloppy.
In fact I personnaly believe that as you go down the line a set of grounds should remain in place until the circuit is finally energized. That way as the project progresses the crew can always drive by the grounded location and visually confirm that another crew hasn't come in during their absence and energized the run.
I actually was present when a crew got caught because no grounds were left on.
Another crew was sent out to energize a new traffic signal and they requested permission to tap onto the new construction.
Since the stringing was done, control said OK. They energized one phase.
The original crew worked another project for a week or so, went back and began making up the taps to a station. I said your not wearing your rubber gloves, they said we don't have to because the line has never been energized.
I said what about induction? An engineer at the site demanded that they come down and put them on. They went back up and were cutting off a conductor tail with ratchet cutters when the handle hit the supposedly dead phase and there was a ball of fire.
Time lapsed after putting on the rubber gloves, about 1 minute.
I believe it's like to old saying, "either your with me or your agin me".
There's no in between.
The Old Lineman

[Spudly]

Thanks guys, I can take this information back to the fellas

[OLE' SORE KNEES]

As a company rule first and last poles have running grounds,pulling rig and tensioner/wire end, both rigs at each end are grounded to neutral or good set of ground rods....anyone near equipment which should be according to "them" barricaded(both ends) and according to "them" has to wear rubbers if inside the barricades....wire is pulled in, grounded /with equiopotential bracket (up pole) then short-circuited as you go..........until energized..........you can just ground without equiopotential but you have to wear rubbers..........I hate rubbers so I opt to equio it, why ground it if you still have wear rubbbers.Just my opinion though

[old lineman]

As a company rule first and last poles have running grounds,pulling rig and tensioner/wire end, both rigs at each end are grounded to neutral or good set of ground rods....anyone near equipment which should be according to "them" barricaded(both ends) and according to "them" has to wear rubbers if inside the barricades....wire is pulled in, grounded /with equiopotential bracket (up pole) then short-circuited as you go..........until energized..........you can just ground without equiopotential but you have to wear rubbers..........I hate rubbers so I opt to equio it, why ground it if you still have wear rubbbers.Just my opinion though


I'm with you knees. Why would you go to the trouble of grounding and neglect to set up and EPZ. Simple grounding isn't adequate protection.
Once everything is setup in an EPZ there is no need for rubber gloves because as I mentioned earlier "no potential difference no possibily of an electrical shock".
Wearing rubber cannot keep a worker from brushing against some portion of the equipment.
If they think you need rubber gloves in an EPZ, then I guess they'll expect to see a boom operator on a platform or sitting on top of the machine at the controls wearing them also.
We got some nut bars out, haven't we?
The Old Lineman

[scammy]

all the grounding you can get is good ,,,,,,make sure you were your rubber gloves and tie a handline to it too,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,be carefull...scammy