Manhole Fire Burns PECO Worker

[CPOPE]

Very Lucky Guy!

EAST FALLS - October 10, 2007 - An underground electrical fire in the East Falls section of Philadelphia has landed a PECO worker in the hospital.
The fire broke out while the worker was doing repairs in a manhole about 1:30 Wednesday morning on the City Avenue ramp to Lincoln Drive.
An electrical arc streaked across the tightly confined area, burning the worker.
Medics treated the 40 year-old man at the scene for minor burns, then drove him to Temple Univeristy Hospital for evaluation.
He's expected to make a complete recovery

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=5691684

[CHICAGO HAND.]

PLEASE KEEP US POSTED, WE HAVE BEEN ARGUING SOME SERIOUS CONFINED SPACE SAFETY PROCEDURES WITH THE COMPANY FOR OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE.
WE HAVE DOCUMENTED MANY ISSUES THAT NEED ATTENTION AND IF IN ANY WAY I CAN HELP THIS MAN OR HIS FAMILY PLEASE DONT HESITATE TO E MAIL ME.
CHICAGOHAND@YAHOO.COM

IT GOT BAD LAST YEAR WHEN A CREW WAS DISPATCHED DURING THE HEAT OF JULY TO A MAN HOLE EXPLOSION.
THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO GET IN THE HOLE AND START FIGURING OUT WHAT WENT WRONG WHEN AT THE SAME TIME UNKNOWN TO THEM, A TROUBLEMAN WAS DISPATCHED TO A DOWNFEED POLE( SOLID BLADES ) THAT WAS ONE END OF THE CABLE THAT BLEW IN THE HOLE.
HE WAS TOLD TO HIPOT THE CABLE WHICH HIPOTED BAD THEN WAS INSTRUCTED FROM DISPATCH WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE BAD READING TO THROW IT IN ANYWAY. AFTER ALOT OF HEATED DISCUSSION WHICH WAS RECORDED ABOUT NOT WANTING TO RECLOSE SWITCHES HE DID AS THE OTHER CREW WAS PARKED RIGHT BY THE CLOSED HOLE WAITING FOR MAPS AND OXEGEN METER.
THIS INCIDENT WAS BASICALLY IGNORED BY MANAGEMENT AUT WE WILL NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT.
IT IS BROUGHT UP AT EVERY SAFETY MEETING.
THIS PLACE HAS A HABIT OF CLOSING FEEDERS BACK IN ESPECIALLY NOW WITH SCADA AND HAVE DONE CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE WHEN THE FAULT IS WITHIN THE CONFINED SPACE.TWO MONTHS AGO THEY DID THAT AND TOOK OUT CLOSE TO 5 OTHER FEEDERS IN THE HOLE.
AGAIN LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY HELP.

[Orgnizdlbr]

Here in Jersey, we had a brother killed in a manhole when the fused oil cutout he operated exploded. The subsequent investigation revealed that the cut-out failed, most of the oil cut-outs have been removed from the system, the ones that remain are not operated while energized.

The resulting fire from the explosion was so bad that flames were shooting 30 feet out of the manhole, the man in the hole didnt have a chance.

[Bull Dog]

We had a fatility like this at my company. The majority of those bombs were taken out of the system. Those that are left are operated with a remote operating rig with a throw line either standing on the ground if its on a pole or outside the manhole fifty feet away from the cover. These type of switches have killed more than one good man! My sympathies are with his family.

[CHICAGO HAND.]

I Am Not Comfortable Switching In Confined Spaces Even Elbows.
There Is No Place To Run.
Even Some Of The Closets With Transformers In High Rises Give Me The Creeps.
I Would Love To Have The Engineer Standing Next To Me And See How Many Jobs He Draws Up After Switching With Me.
There Is Alot Of Issues On The Topic Of Dangers In Confined Space.

[LINETRASH]

Here in Jersey, we had a brother killed in a manhole when the fused oil cutout he operated exploded. The subsequent investigation revealed that the cut-out failed, most of the oil cut-outs have been removed from the system, the ones that remain are not operated while energized.

The resulting fire from the explosion was so bad that flames were shooting 30 feet out of the manhole, the man in the hole didnt have a chance.

We had the same happen here in , I think, '97. 2 splicers were in a sidewalk vault when the OFC exploded I think when the disapatcher punched the feeder in.

Messed 'em up pretty bad, and we have had all these dangerous devices removed from the system.

[CHICAGO HAND.]

We had the same happen here in , I think, '97. 2 splicers were in a sidewalk vault when the OFC exploded I think when the disapatcher punched the feeder in.

Messed 'em up pretty bad, and we have had all these dangerous devices removed from the system.

Which dangerous devices did you remove from the system, the dispatchers who have never done the work that are being directed to reliven a faulted feeder with scada from there cubicle 40 miles away?
Or the first line supervisors who was just hired from Best Buy?
Or his boss who was hired from the gas company, after all they dont have to know the work they just have to manage the work force?
Stay away from Chicago the people managing this place are dangerous.
I can only hope for the sake of us all that "these" dangerous devicees are removed from the system quickly.

[Bull Dog]

You right Mr. con ed man about switching in confined vault. I went round and round with my sup on this issue. Finally he gave in and found another way to do it. We all went home to mommy safely. Got to get them to understand thats the main thing. These people usually can be reasoned with and most of the time understand. What I don't do is call them out in front of all the guys. I try to call them on the cell phone just him and me and usually they see the wisdom. If its a dumb ass that is so unflexable as that then I tell them I'm not doing it but that is very rare. Most of the time they give in if its explained why you want to do it that way. It may be different there but it has to change. No one wants to see accidents happen that causes a death or worse you live all burned to hell.

[Koga]

burned switching in a cramped space with no room to get out on the end of the stick , hell couldnt even get the stick at the right angle, I will never , never again do it . Yes I was in a hurry and had left my gloves on the bin of the truck, I did have my fire shirt hard hat and eye protection on thank God.
But I can promise you I will never ever put my self or any co worker in a position like that again.

Chicago, are you a union shop ? Document time, places and who makes these calls and all the witnesses. But above all cover your asses so you can go home.

And it also brings up another point that I tried to make in an earlier discussion. Dispatchers who aint got a clue about how thier actions effect the man in the field. As I said in a earlier post the majority of our dispathcers sitting at the controls are former linemen and fully understand the seriousnous of closing in something without knowing exactly what ,where, and who its going to effect. It don't happen here.

Koga

[CHICAGO HAND.]

Ya We Are Union But So Far We Have Gotten No Support With This Issue From The Local.
We Have Been Left To Fend For Ourselves So We Have Documented Everything And Have Our Issue In The Safety Councils Minutes And The Lawyers Phone Number Is Always Close At Hand.if One Of My Coworkers Gets Hurt Due To Managements Neglegence Then I Go To There Wife And Hand Her Everything I Have About This Issue.


Thanks For Nothing Local 15.

[CPOPE]

Chicago Hand you seem to be fighting with your local as much as Management. Not a good situation.

Just a suggestion, Rather than being combative, Stick to the rules that must be followed.

You should have the right to request Non Reclose Assurance and tag the equipment so does not automatically close back in or is manually closed without your permission,

National Electric Safety Code States:
442. Switching control procedures

F. Restoration of service after automatic trip
1. When circuits or equipment upon which tags have been placed open automatically, the circuits or equipment shall be left open until reclosing has been authorized.
2. When circuits open automatically, local operating rules shall determine in what manner and how many times they may be closed with safety.

E. Tagging electric supply circuits associated with work activities
1. Equipment or circuits that are to be treated as de-energized and grounded per Rule 444D shall have suitable tags attached to all points where such equipment or circuits can be energized.
2. When the automatic reclosing feature of a reclosing device is disabled during the course of work on energized equipment or circuits, a tag shall be placed at the reclosing device location.

[CHICAGO HAND.]

I am not fighting with the local, we are asking the local for support so we are not fighting these battles ALONE.
It is no fun leading the charge and to look behind you and see your local just standing there looking at something else.
The unions should be out front demanding the companies to adhere to certain safety standards or the union workers walk until the company comes around.

[500 KVA]

To begin with no company should do something like that because they should be held criminally liable for any injury or death caused by this policy.

The number one rule is to protect yourselves!

You cannot have a clearance on any piece of equipment unless it is de-energized, a visible break in the line, tested to be de-energized and GROUNDED.

Either that, or ALWAYS consider it to be energized.

Why would you work on it under any other belief?

Switching in a vault. That is just Russian Roulette with 5 chambers containing a bullit. That should be stopped immediately! You cannot prove to me that it is safe even if you had 300 truck loads of data to prove your case.

JUST SAY NO!!!!

That union needs to be re staffed with people who care about their brothers and sisters, and not in bed with the company. There are some pieces of shit within the ranks.

[US & CA Tramp]

To begin with no company should do something like that because they should be held criminally liable for any injury or death caused by this policy.

The number one rule is to protect yourselves!

You cannot have a clearance on any piece of equipment unless it is de-energized, a visible break in the line, tested to be de-energized and GROUNDED.

Either that, or ALWAYS consider it to be energized.

Why would you work on it under any other belief?

Switching in a vault. That is just Russian Roulette with 5 chambers containing a bullit. That should be stopped immediately! You cannot prove to me that it is safe even if you had 300 truck loads of data to prove your case.

JUST SAY NO!!!!

That union needs to be re staffed with people who care about their brothers and sisters, and not in bed with the company. There are some pieces of shit within the ranks.


AMEN 500!
There was a fatality in Mass a few years back just like this one and the company was taken to task by OSHA because of their practice. I hope the family contacts Rusty White for their sake.

[Bull Dog]

I say amen and amen to the last two post. Reflect my thoughts exactly. Two wise men and no doubt good linemen. Funny how u can tell the good ones from the bad by there attitude. Im thinking its a matter of experience what do you all think.

[Lnhnd13]

Chicago, our dispatchers and operators are non-exempt. This has come in pretty handy more times than not. Has organizing your dispatchers ever been considered? Sure they are instucting us what to do but in the end its always our call.

[billfoster67]

Polk and Steinle and Southern Cal Edison, whent crazy get rid of those old 4kv lead term cutouts- there was no manufacturer for the fuses any more. And they were in the process of getting rid of those old lead term big ass 5 position bus-tie-open switches. They put all vacuum in. They are really nice, the switch was fused-the transformer was fused, and you could open and close it out of the hole- if you put it in the right location.

They need to get rid of those old lead cutout, where you put the old piece of dowel road to open, and pour oil in those leaky sob's. I can say SCE did something right there.

don't know for sure but I think they had to because a woman and kids were killed or injured when a vault exploded while she was loading her minivan at a mall. Where she parked was right where the vault was. Thats all rumor and secondhand.

But I know the vaults at SCE are a lot safer now. And they have really good safety procedures in place. You heat gun everything- and it really tells you if you have a problem.