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View Full Version : Another Boo Boo for National Grid contractor Hawkeye



topgroove
09-11-2006, 09:42 AM
Last week a crew from hawkeye was doing work for National Grid in Western NY. They apparantly began doing switching in the field without notifying regional control. During the switching process they tried to tie two feeders that were being fed by different ratio banks 30 degree's out of phase. They created a rather large outage by the resulting OOPS! A National Grid crew was dispatched to investigate the outage and came accross the hawkeye crew. When the hawkeye crew saw the National Grid crew arrive they all jumped in thier trucks and drove away. The National Grid crew had to try and figure out what they had done and correct the situation resulting in a rather prolonged outage.
Instead of upper management driving around inspecting its in house crews and writing them up for not having side shields, maybe there effort would be better served if they would pay a closer eye on the contractors they allow on there property. Esspecially when ratio banks are involved. Hawkeye seams to have a big problem whenever ratio banks are in the equation. Just a few months ago they burned up an intire subdivision trying to install a ratio bank.

KingRat
09-11-2006, 08:51 PM
Last week a crew from hawkeye was doing work for National Grid in Western NY. They apparantly began doing switching in the field without notifying regional control. During the switching process they tried to tie two feeders that were being fed by different ratio banks 30 degree's out of phase. They created a rather large outage by the resulting OOPS! A National Grid crew was dispatched to investigate the outage and came accross the hawkeye crew. When the hawkeye crew saw the National Grid crew arrive they all jumped in thier trucks and drove away. The National Grid crew had to try and figure out what they had done and correct the situation resulting in a rather prolonged outage.
Instead of upper management driving around inspecting its in house crews and writing them up for not having side shields, maybe there effort would be better served if they would pay a closer eye on the contractors they allow on there property. Esspecially when ratio banks are involved. Hawkeye seams to have a big problem whenever ratio banks are in the equation. Just a few months ago they burned up an intire subdivision trying to install a ratio bank.Now what would you contribute that incident to, poor judgement- lack of concentration, because it was definitely not lack of TRAINING . sounds like they scattered like rats :D

scammy
09-12-2006, 12:16 AM
I would be upset at the crew that left the scene,no brother should leave another brother ,,hanging,,,,,scammy

loodvig
09-12-2006, 06:33 AM
All crews working on the Grid system should have a FCC (field contractor co-ordinator) who is in charge and holds all tags. If there was a switching error the FCC takes the fall. The Grid's switching/tagging system is one of the safest in the country! If it's followed! I also agree that the crew at fault should have stayed put.
I got some outage calls one day and it turned out that Thiro was changing out Chance cutouts. Thier FCC had not called in the schedualed outages. You can't blame the Thiro guys for that.

F-Man
09-15-2006, 03:43 PM
Hey top im curious as when you say switching were they switching main line disconects either fused or solid ? I thought all outside contractors were forbidden to due any switching on grid property I know in our area our t-men does there switching and tagging not them !!

In recent past ive responded to a few outage calls in the past only to find hawkeye working there and after pulling teeth from there crew leader find out that they only got the primary across a grounded bracket or dropped a phase by mistake as if it was no big deal !!! go figure

We have also found them doing ab chance cutout replacements and fusing 4160 at 13.8 another needless outage call when the fuse trips on load !!

Stinger
09-15-2006, 04:00 PM
Hey Guys, Keep It Up, Your More Informative Than Our Own Safety Dept. Both Incidents News To Me. Christ, I Thought They Would At Least Tell Us This Stuff So We Can Tighten Up With A Lessons Learned Report.

topgroove
09-15-2006, 04:18 PM
Here at Grid its a big embaresment for the company whenever the contractors screw up, so getting information on it is next to imposssible. They know whatever leaks out gets posted all over the net. From what little I know Hawkeye had no switching order or pemissssion to do any switching. They thought they could tie two feedders together so they could do some work. unfortunatly the feeders were 30 degrees out of phase .

Stinger
09-16-2006, 10:40 AM
I Know We Are Not Allowed To Do Any Switching Period Unless We Have An Fcc With Us And He Has The Switching Order And Tags In His Name. What Bothers Me The Most About This Is Why They Did Not Use Phashing Sticks Before They Did Any Switching, That Is Basic Line Work Especially If You Are Not Familiar With The System Feeds. Thats Why I Perfer The Locals To Any Switching, Its Their Back Yard And They Know The System A Whole Lot Better Than We Do.

old horseman
09-16-2006, 02:24 PM
The Hawkeye crew Had talked with FCC about the switching they thought they had the go ahead. They did phase it with sticks there was about a 400v differance. Depending on the voltage, load, length of circuit and weather or not the substation tranformers are wired the same this is an acceptable differance. They did not drive off because a grid crew showed up they were called to go meet the FCC. They were reprmanded because they did not have proper tags in hand. 1 feeder was fed from a 115 line and the other was fed from a 34.5 line. The substation tranformer had different wiring configuration and were 30 degrees out phase.
Hawkeye in the east has installed over 100 ratio cans and banks without a problem. The incident concerning the subdivision wasn't a bank but single ratio can stepping 13.8 down to 4800. Durring the conversion the lineman in the air was about to open the loop but had to boom down to answer a question from the birddog. He thought he had cut the loop went back up to finish the job and never doubled checked his work. The foreman, and the birddog looked up and didn't catch the loop still tied. The switches were closed and 4800 and 13.8 came togather. The lineman felt like shit and took full responsibilty for the incident. He never made an excuse he didn't blame the birddog the forman or anybody he told them it was his fault. He got 3 days off and lost his working foreman position. Nobody tried to hide it or cover it up. All you Grid hands would you have the GONADS to stand up and say my fault or would you try to make up some sort of lame excuse. The lineman who did this is one of the safest and smartest men I know. I would work with him any day. But for the grace of God that could've been me or you. Before you start Bashing 1249 hands look in the mirror and be honest, tell me you've never made a mistake. Be safe cover up and if a'int gounded it a'int dead

F-Man
09-16-2006, 03:50 PM
Horse i have a problem with your first sentence were you said they think they had the go ahead ! when it comes to anytype of switching there is no i think its ok you either get an order or you dont period ! If your not sure just ask no one has been fired for asking a simple question !

If the system operator or fcc made the fuck up they should be removed from any type of switching or tagging period ! If the contractor fucked up well then im sorry but the working crew should be removed !

were was there job breif ,did it include the fcc, did the fcc make the call to system operator while with the crews at hand , did the crew have the switching order in hand when executed ! HMM NOW I WONDER IF WE WILL EVER KNOW !

loodvig
09-16-2006, 04:31 PM
Horseman
I thank you for the explanation and it's much clearer now to me. But I do have to side with F-Man on this, sorry. You just don't know how strict the Grid's switching rules are.
Yes a mistake was made and I'm sure the man is a great lineman. But as 'Grid hands', as you call us, we'd be in deep do-do if we pulled this one! We'd be off the tagging list, we'd have a letter in our file, we would have to re-test on our tagging rules, or worse! I know of 2 people who are on one year's probation right now for switching errors! One more screw up and they are gone!
I guess what we are saying is what's good for us should be good for contractors too.

KingRat
09-16-2006, 07:02 PM
hey topgroove, why cant you ever get a story right? Thanks also for the explanation- that sounds more like it. We have worked on grid property for over 20 yrs. and never had a problem with switching, and it was always done by the local that we were working in.Good Qualified fcc in the field make the job safer and a lot more fun, at least for us contractors..Mistakes are not tolerated anymore in this business. yeah we all have made them, at least no one was hurt, which is most important.

old horseman
09-16-2006, 09:11 PM
I wasn't making excuses for the crew! topgroove I wasn't throwing shit at you either!!! I just wanted to clear the matter up to the best of my knowledge. I talked with the hands involved on storm last week and thats the story as I heard it. P.S. Any news on the Mass lineman who got burned this spring? Him and his family and coworkers are still in my thoughts prayers If you know him or hear from tell him I wish him the best!!

KingRat
09-17-2006, 05:42 PM
I wasn't making excuses for the crew! topgroove I wasn't throwing shit at you either!!! I just wanted to clear the matter up to the best of my knowledge. I talked with the hands involved on storm last week and thats the story as I heard it. P.S. Any news on the Mass lineman who got burned this spring? Him and his family and coworkers are still in my thoughts prayers If you know him or hear from tell him I wish him the best!!Don't print something if it isnt fact-

topgroove
09-17-2006, 10:09 PM
WHAT eXACTLY WAS NOT FACT. THE CREW THOUGHT IT WAS OK TO DO SWITCHING. ThAT IS not good enough. without a switching order approved from regional control nobody is authorized to do any switching. That's how people get killed. everything I posted was fact.
They did not have any switching order.Regional control had no idea what they were doing.

KingRat
09-18-2006, 06:40 AM
How about the part where they saw the grid crew approaching and jumped in there truck and skiddadled- is that even a word?

topgroove
09-18-2006, 07:56 AM
How about the part where they saw the grid crew approaching and jumped in there truck and skiddadled- is that even a word?That was exactly what happened. That was fact Jack! The Grid crew that showed up watched the Hawleye crews jump in there trucks and drive away. Without any comunication. The Grid crew was left to figure things out themselves. AS old horseman says they were off to meet the FCC that may be so but you'ld think the FCC would want to meet them at the sceene of the crime and help the grid crew with the restoration. It turned into a rather lengthy outage.
So before you accuse me of not getting the facts straight You better get your OWN FACTS STRAIGHT SCAB!