Questions for the guys that Barehand

[jmorehouse24]

We are in the process of creating a barehand program and I am looking for any info that you guys would care to share. We are looking to do everything from changing dampners, to DE bells, to Helicopter spacer changes. Info such as the following would be great...



What is your companys safety record with barehanding
How long have you, or your company, been doing the work
How often is the retraining
How often do you do the work
How was your variance obtained
Any tricks you might know
Is the program taught in house, or does someone from outside put on a class
Do you have a preference in Farday suits
Preference in conductive boots
Is it journeyman only, or do Apps participate
What type of trucks do you use
Do you also do helicopter barehanding
Where are you located (East Coast, West Coast)
Any Pics, especially of rigging, or how you rig or tag ladders, jack sticks, booms, cradles etc. would be awesome

Thanks in advance for any info. I think this is great interesting work and I know there is a lot of knowledge on this forum.

[lewy]

We only work up to 44kv, so I can only tell you what we do on this voltage. Only journeyman & the work is very limited we only cut in or sleeve out switches. there is not the clearances to install deadends. If you are going to start barehanding you should hire a good trainer to come in house & do some jobs at your site. All of our barehand buckets are bonded from the manufacter for barehand work, not all bucket trucks have everything bonded at the buckets. All of our barehand trucks are also dielectrically tested every 6 months, & we always do a metered current leakage test prior to commencement of the job, also the bonding leads & clamps & grids are only used to keep the end of the boom at line potential & ther length should not be longer than the depth of your bucket. We have been doing this work before I started & I have been here over 20 years & we have had no problems. The work comes in spurts. The largest cover up we have is rated at 46 kv so we can not rely on it for brush contact on other energized conductors we must maintain our clearances. This is just covering some of the real basic stuff, the main things are to maintain your clearance & use proper jumpers that we install with sticks before we bond on & you have to have a dedicated observer who has no other duties. It is the best way to work live, but for us the work is very limited.

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmmm dont wear yer watch while yer werkin or it will quit werkin. Umm n yer cell fone mite not fare too well either.

[jmorehouse24]

We only work up to 44kv, so I can only tell you what we do on this voltage. Only journeyman & the work is very limited we only cut in or sleeve out switches. there is not the clearances to install deadends. If you are going to start barehanding you should hire a good trainer to come in house & do some jobs at your site. All of our barehand buckets are bonded from the manufacter for barehand work, not all bucket trucks have everything bonded at the buckets. All of our barehand trucks are also dielectrically tested every 6 months, & we always do a metered current leakage test prior to commencement of the job, also the bonding leads & clamps & grids are only used to keep the end of the boom at line potential & ther length should not be longer than the depth of your bucket. We have been doing this work before I started & I have been here over 20 years & we have had no problems. The work comes in spurts. The largest cover up we have is rated at 46 kv so we can not rely on it for brush contact on other energized conductors we must maintain our clearances. This is just covering some of the real basic stuff, the main things are to maintain your clearance & use proper jumpers that we install with sticks before we bond on & you have to have a dedicated observer who has no other duties. It is the best way to work live, but for us the work is very limited.

Thanks for the info. All great stuff.

[wtdoor67]

Call A. B. Chance.

PM that Barehander guy. I think he's a foreman or such on a barehand crew.

Worked on a barehand crew once. I thought it was kinda simple. I expect OSHA has probably goobered it up by now.

I've seen some people who thought it was kinda elite. I thought just rubber gloving distribution was tougher.

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Ummmmmm dont wear yer watch while yer werkin or it will quit werkin. Umm n yer cell fone mite not fare too well either.

Not too sure about a watch, but I've had my cell phone in my pocket for hours at a time many times with no problems.

Now I do know that you want to leave your credit cards in your lunch box.

[jmorehouse24]

Call A. B. Chance.

PM that Barehander guy. I think he's a foreman or such on a barehand crew.

Worked on a barehand crew once. I thought it was kinda simple. I expect OSHA has probably goobered it up by now.

I've seen some people who thought it was kinda elite. I thought just rubber gloving distribution was tougher.

Chance does put on a good class. I have been through a few of their 500 hotstick classes, and one of Ray Kepplers 500 barehand classes. Learned alot in all of them.

I am just looking to get as much info as i can, as we have a presentation to put on for the higher ups.

Thanks again for the help.

[wtdoor67]

Been to a bunch of stuff with that guy. Bet he's retired by now. Did he break out that Central American climbing gear and let you try climbing with it? Bet OSHA would love that stuff. He's been to a lot of countries with Chance. I remember he said in France they never let the hot line rope touch the ground. Said the groundman had a big can that he coiled it up in such a way that it never touched earth.

He can tell some good stories.

[jmorehouse24]

Been to a bunch of stuff with that guy. Bet he's retired by now. Did he break out that Central American climbing gear and let you try climbing with it? Bet OSHA would love that stuff. He's been to a lot of countries with Chance. I remember he said in France they never let the hot line rope touch the ground. Said the groundman had a big can that he coiled it up in such a way that it never touched earth.

He can tell some good stories.


Yeah, Ray can tell some good stories. I never saw any climbing gear, but I am sure it was interesting. When we hotsticked the 500, we used to coil our handline in and out of a rubbermaid trashcan. It actually worked pretty well.

The last class I had with Ray, he was retired and had his own company. That was a barehand class at NVEnergy in Las Vegas.

[Bipeflier]

You are right, Ray did retire about 4 years ago. He and I have worked together since he started with CHANCE in about 1973 or so. He was a Product Demonstrator and I work in HLT Product Engineering. Hope I can retire in a couple more years.

Ray traveled all over the world and has pulled his trailer more than a million miles (documented) for us.

He did some consulting work but the economy caught up with him I think.

He still lives here in Centralia and has built a "summer home" a few miles north of here near Mark Twain Lake. Spends most of his time doing wood work and fishing (lying?). I talked with him yesterday and we was cutting firewood. Must be nice.

We have two great demonstrators on the road now that are every bit as good, and we are looking for another.

Work Safe!!

[loodvig]

You are right, Ray did retire about 4 years ago. He and I have worked together since he started with CHANCE in about 1973 or so. He was a Product Demonstrator and I work in HLT Product Engineering. Hope I can retire in a couple more years.

Ray traveled all over the world and has pulled his trailer more than a million miles (documented) for us.

He did some consulting work but the economy caught up with him I think.

He still lives here in Centralia and has built a "summer home" a few miles north of here near Mark Twain Lake. Spends most of his time doing wood work and fishing (lying?). I talked with him yesterday and we was cutting firewood. Must be nice.

We have two great demonstrators on the road now that are every bit as good, and we are looking for another.

Work Safe!!

Does Ed Nelson, I think that was his name, still work for Chance? I'm going back maybe 25 or 30 years.

[BookII]

jmorehouse24, if you PM me I may be able to help with some of your questions. Who is the company that your employed with? And does your company already have a variance to barehand?

[CPOPE]

The Aussies but out a guideline you might want to grab
http://www.saiglobal.com/PDFTemp/Previews/OSH/as/misc/handbook/ENA_LLM_01-2006.pdf

Some more info and photodocumentation here,
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/pdfs/opdev/transmis/gup/naan/May2008/advice-corres/live-line-work.pdf

[old lineman]

Hydro Quebec has been barehanding 735,000 volt lines since the mid 1960's.
They have researched, developed and fine tuned the method ever since they developed the method. My suggestion is to discuss this with them and see if they have useful information.
They were pioneers in the technic.
The Old Lineman

[jmorehouse24]

Sorry fellas, been away for awhile. Thanks for all the info, it is good stuff. I will keep checking back, and work safe.

[jmorehouse24]

The Aussies but out a guideline you might want to grab
http://www.saiglobal.com/PDFTemp/Previews/OSH/as/misc/handbook/ENA_LLM_01-2006.pdf

Some more info and photodocumentation here,
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/pdfs/opdev/transmis/gup/naan/May2008/advice-corres/live-line-work.pdf

These are great links, exactly the kind of stuff I am looking for. Thanks CPOPE, I owe you a drink.

[Bipeflier]

Does Ed Nelson, I think that was his name, still work for Chance? I'm going back maybe 25 or 30 years.

Ed retired about 5 or 6 years ago. Last I heard, he had suffered a stroke, but wasn't doing too bad.

[loodvig]

Ed retired about 5 or 6 years ago. Last I heard, he had suffered a stroke, but wasn't doing too bad.

Thanks, Sorry to hear that about Ed.

[Edge]

Hydro Quebec has been barehanding 735,000 volt lines since the mid 1960's.
They have researched, developed and fine tuned the method ever since they developed the method. My suggestion is to discuss this with them and see if they have useful information.
They were pioneers in the technic.
The Old Lineman

I was trying to say out of this thread ... really I was... but after reading this and the article in PLmag WTF...


CPOPE you hit it... look that shit up...

ya see old safety man doesn't tell ya the reat of the story and instead of out right bashing his ass I'll let him give it a shot...

(BTW I worked with some of those cats so ya better shoot it straight)

Bill

[heelwinch]

I've done my share of 115 and I don't have anything good to say about it.

Most the young guys loved it, Can't say I shared there enthusiasm.


Damn shit eats you up, personally I don't think it's good for your body.