Live Line Work

[Budda]

In our Company have been discussing the use and non use of Spiral links sticks (pig tails) in series with your rag jack, if you are sleeving thought hot conductors.

The old "trick of the trade" was, to tape your conductor to the rag jack and that way you would not have a loose tail, however; buy doing so you are shorting out your Link sticks.

What is your work methods on this and is there a piece of kit out there thats holds/controls the hot condutor close to the Jack, but in the same sense islolates it.

And what are your thoughts on grounding your Truck, Mainline or groundrod.

[Stick-it]

We don't glove where I live. But as far as truck grounding goes, I have heard that there have been studies done with a dummy touching the truck and a volt meter. Every time they energized the grounded truck the dummy "died". When they bonded the truck to the system neutral the dummy made it every time. The neutral is the best ground you have so why not use it.

[Trampbag]

That’s OK if there is a system neutral. Much of California, for example, either has no neutral of it’s in an inconvenient location and treated as an energised conductor. Many areas, like parts of Texas, have a system neutral above the primary.

Even with grounded equipment tied into the system neutral there is no insurance of survivability because electricity takes all paths to ground. There is only two ways to protect against being injured in this situation:

1) use an equal potential zone.
2) isolate and insulate

Tying into the system neutral can lessen “trip” time, but doesn’t ensure the system will trip.

[44kv]

we have 2 grounds on are trucks we have to ground a short ground to the pole ground before the bucket leaves the cradle then the man in the bucket takes alonger ground up to the system neu. but if the primary is below the system neu. then we dont use the long one and if there is open wire secondary onthe pole we dont use the long one. the short one we use on the pole ground,anchor rod or ground rod driver is not long enough or we are in a parking lot and cant use the ground rod driver then the long one has to be put on the system neu. with a shotgun stick. never really understood this seems like to me the ground would do nothing but bring the charge right to you and then back to the neu, so it has to pass through you to get back to a good ground

[Orgnizdlbr]

In our Company have been discussing the use and non use of Spiral links sticks (pig tails) in series with your rag jack, if you are sleeving thought hot conductors.

The old "trick of the trade" was, to tape your conductor to the rag jack and that way you would not have a loose tail, however; buy doing so you are shorting out your Link sticks.

What is your work methods on this and is there a piece of kit out there thats holds/controls the hot condutor close to the Jack, but in the same sense islolates it.

And what are your thoughts on grounding your Truck, Mainline or groundrod.

Budda, I am missing something...what is the purpose of the link stick? If you're sleeving wire your rag puller is the same potential as the phase...why the need to isolate the puller? Only reason then to add a link stick is to gain length on the puller, longer tail to control, Ive been taping the tail to the puller for over 30 years.........

[Budda]

Orgnizdlbr: Agreed, I also have been taping the wire to the rag jack, The Utility we work for has a "hot line specialist" who wants to see 2 link sticks while sleeving conductor. I'm at this moment fighting this issue. The days of having procedures/policy is gone. I'm a advocate for work methods. The Lineman doing the job will decide what method he feels most comfortable with can safely complete this task.

[Trampbag]

Fat chance, Budda. I’ve worked areas and had methods forced on me that I know other ways are safer and faster but have to use the methods in their work procedures.

My understanding of using a pig tail or link stick is to enhance insulation. Some jurisdictions don’t trust the webbing on a hoist or want to increase the distance of insulation for some reason. A lot of it makes little sense except that, for some reason, a number of hands don’t like to use guards or rubber so we get more and more of these silly little rules that we cannot circumvent even if we know another method is just as safe or safer.

I guess the only thing to do is get used to it. I’m reaching the end of my time as a lineman and I have mixed feeling that range from “I can still do it” to “Thank goodness. I’m tired of the bullshit.”

[Orgnizdlbr]

Orgnizdlbr: Agreed, I also have been taping the wire to the rag jack, The Utility we work for has a "hot line specialist" who wants to see 2 link sticks while sleeving conductor. I'm at this moment fighting this issue. The days of having procedures/policy is gone. I'm a advocate for work methods. The Lineman doing the job will decide what method he feels most comfortable with can safely complete this task.

Say no more Budda, We are facing the same shit here....2 links sticks??/what for? Hot line specialist...has he ever done linework, I mean real linework???