Truck Grounding

[MI-Lineman]

Only our diggers when using them in the primary including when attached to pulling equipment! Anything attached to the truck has to be "bonded" to it! Plus when pulling wire we barricade the cart or tugger and the truck.

Never heard of a trouble truck needing to be grounded? I believe DTE grounds their buckets on their 13.2?

[Pootnaigle]

static construction would purdy much make that impossible. I just used a long stick to refuse a pot. What possible good would grounding the truck do? Pike does some silly stuff like the ruber booties, and the rubber gloves when using a stick from the ground. I once watched em place so many grounds on a 3 pot step down bank that they couldnt get to to bad pot to change it out.

[old lineman]

Only our diggers when using them in the primary including when attached to pulling equipment! Anything attached to the truck has to be "bonded" to it! Plus when pulling wire we barricade the cart or tugger and the truck.

Never heard of a trouble truck needing to be grounded? I believe DTE grounds their buckets on their 13.2?


Why not disconnect the pintle and pull your truck ahead a short space then install web sling between the two and move ahead again to tighten it up.
If you don't trust the web fabric insert an epoxy strain deadend insulator with the web sling.
This way there is no need to barricade the truck. Lots of time saved through elimination of the hazard. Elimination is always the first choice.
The Old Lineman

[old lineman]

Grounding trucks is a common practice, however, no one wants to have the thinking and decision making process taken away.
Blanket grounding of every truck is dumbing down. Linemen hate that!
Thats akin to wearing safety glasses in the office.
Aerial devices with lower boom inserts and small trouble trucks don't need to be grounded.
The exception is an aerial device where the lower boom insert is shunted out for current leakage testing during high voltage work and bare handing.
The Old Lineman

[lewy]

Our provincial rule book calls for all trucks to be grounded when in the air, with the exception of bucket trucks having a lower insert, or as the old lineman said for doing a current leakage test, which for us is barehanding or anything over 15 kv phase to phase. After the leakage test you would remove the lower insert shunt & then for rubber glove work you would not need the truck ground.
I also think if you are working on a grounded line & you stick a RBD into the air it should be grounded.
I remember a video we had in first year line school of a Hydro One lineman who lost his hands from touching the side of a grounded RBD at the same time as the operator bumped the pole causing the phase to land on the boom.
As far as using a truck as an anchor for tension stringing we also us a link stick between the truck & the puller.

[Hambone]

I never had to ground my bucket truck to the system neutral until i came to work for pike for the first time back in 1991. We did not have to put it on with a shot-gun just with your rubber gloves. Well i hung the truck ground on the yellow hook of my tool board and and went up to cover the neutral and forgot about the ground hanging on the hook and went up to cover primary and started hearing sounds like the primary was getting together but it was not real loud and a was looking around and then looked down in front of my bucket and seen the truck ground laying against the primary but was'nt really raising any hell. So i backed off the primary with the bucket and threw the f-ing cable down to the ground and never took it up with me again, whether pike liked it or not. It caught the grass on fire around the out-riggers and never screwed the truck up and to this day i am so thankful that no-one was touching the truck but everyone had over-shoes on and i still wonder if the over-shoes would have saved some-ones life.

[MI-Lineman]

Why not disconnect the pintle and pull your truck ahead a short space then install web sling between the two and move ahead again to tighten it up.
If you don't trust the web fabric insert an epoxy strain deadend insulator with the web sling.
This way there is no need to barricade the truck. Lots of time saved through elimination of the hazard. Elimination is always the first choice.
The Old Lineman

Yeah I hear ya! Why not train line hands to "properly" climb poles and eliminate the "Wood Pole Fall Restraint?" Company policy that's why! Nothin more than pencil pushers makin our rules. Just replyin "company policy" to Swamps thread!

Good ideas though! Just wouldn't pass here?:rolleyes:

[Daddyof2]

One company around here was so bad at placing the truck ground on the primary that they came up with the policy of sending up the ground on the handline and installing it with a shotgun. Again, lets just by-pass proper training and cull the ones who cant cut it and just come up with another rule so any idiot can do the work.

[Hambone]

Where you from hambone? you ain't that X-marine that tangled with this old man that dropped you like a hot rock on that OK 345 are you??

no i am not him but i am realizing that there are alot of other people out there with the same nickname.

[lewy]

When you do ground your truck do you completely unwind the ground? There is a video out there that shows what happens when you do not, pretty violent.

[kooman]

When you do ground your truck do you completely unwind the ground? There is a video out there that shows what happens when you do not, pretty violent.

yes we allways unwind all the way, no coils on the ground either. I have seen the videos that you are talking about, pretty scary stuff.:eek:

[whiskeygetters]

We use 2/0 copper grounds on all of our trucks, even service buckets ( trouble trucks). They are required anytime we go up. Except when working in an non-energized zone, and when using a stick for switching. Other than that you are required to have it connected to the primary neutral.

[Highplains Drifter]

I'd roll up on a Trouble call, and before I would go up and refuse the transformer, whip out my shotgun, attach, my 2/0 ground lead from my truck to the primary neutral. Never a Pole ground.

What's ya'lls requirements?



So explain to me and I am assuming because you never stated what system you where doing this to. It must have been a common neutral wye system that the neutral is grounded at every pole for you to rely on using the “Primary Neutral” . When I hear Primary Neutral I know that the system is only grounded at certain points such a down feed into an underground development. So I wound not consider the neutral a good ground when it is a primary neutral. Now it being a common neutral what is the difference of placing the ground on the neutral or a pole ground? Also would you explain where you would ground your truck on this single phase xer pole?

2865







Or this three phase xer pole?
2864



I don't know if you can see but the pots are csp and we all know the trick of lacing a P-line through the eye of the lever.....and when you pull down on your rope you close the csp in....so it is in the up position in the photo.

[lewy]

For us we are mostly in the city so all of our neutrals are tied into all of the stations, but out in the rural when it comes to grounding they would also like us to run a lead to a ground probe as well.
They also prefer us to ground to the system neutral compared to down grounds because most times the system neutral is 3/0aa or 336acsr compared to #4 or 1/0 which would be better able to handle the fault current.
Almost all of our neutrals are below the phases, but some of the real old stuff is still on arms.
As far as the picture you are showing I have never seen anything like that before, but it looks like a real pain to install or replace if had to you change the transformer.
Is there a down ground at the bottom that you could attach your truck ground to as I am sure that pole is well grounded?

[Highplains Drifter]

I have never worked those steel distribution poles, I do know the secondary leads run down the center of the pole and feed the customers U.G. My self I will not ground a truck I am working high voltage in. I rely on the two fiberglass inserts to protect the people on the ground. I believe in a qualified observer on the ground and your boom will never get into any thing hot. Other wise they can barricade the truck and isolate it. I am not going to have someone on the ground send me a grounded ground to install, talk about handling dynamite. The ironic thing is now the bookies have all these stupid rules and they are getting folks so shaken they are afraid if they miss up it is their job. So the other factor is showing up, accidents are down but fatalities are up, so it looks like to me all these rules are not stopping anything. I do know if you go by all the rules production is way down, so do what you have too, but I am still going to do what I want and knows what works.

[doug]

Yes we are supposed to ground or barricade,except on #6 hd cu.We just barricade.

[MI-Lineman]

So explain to me and I am assuming because you never stated what system you where doing this to. It must have been a common neutral wye system that the neutral is grounded at every pole for you to rely on using the “Primary Neutral” . When I hear Primary Neutral I know that the system is only grounded at certain points such a down feed into an underground development. So I wound not consider the neutral a good ground when it is a primary neutral. Now it being a common neutral what is the difference of placing the ground on the neutral or a pole ground? Also would you explain where you would ground your truck on this single phase xer pole?

2865




Or this three phase xer pole?
2864



I don't know if you can see but the pots are csp and we all know the trick of lacing a P-line through the eye of the lever.....and when you pull down on your rope you close the csp in....so it is in the up position in the photo.

:eek:GISH! We had "upside down locations" but it's the secondary above the transformer NOT the transformer above the primary!!:rolleyes:

[Trbl639]

We were required to ground or barricade anytime the boom could contact energized conductors..if a bucket had a lower boom insert, it was not required to ground or barricade........about the only time my truck was ever grounded was when working inside a sub.........of course all pulling equipment/4 rope trlr/puller/tensioner all had to be grounded........

[lewy]

I have never worked those steel distribution poles, I do know the secondary leads run down the center of the pole and feed the customers U.G. My self I will not ground a truck I am working high voltage in. I rely on the two fiberglass inserts to protect the people on the ground. I believe in a qualified observer on the ground and your boom will never get into any thing hot. Other wise they can barricade the truck and isolate it. I am not going to have someone on the ground send me a grounded ground to install, talk about handling dynamite. The ironic thing is now the bookies have all these stupid rules and they are getting folks so shaken they are afraid if they miss up it is their job. So the other factor is showing up, accidents are down but fatalities are up, so it looks like to me all these rules are not stopping anything. I do know if you go by all the rules production is way down, so do what you have too, but I am still going to do what I want and knows what works.
Our rules only call for it when we do not have a lower inset as well, but I am guilty when working perpendicular to the line & there is no chance of getting my knuckle or lower boom into the line of not always grounding the truck. As far as the primary or system neutral not being a good ground, in the city they are tied into the stations so you would have a direct path in the event of a fault. In the country it is possible that your neutral could be broke somewhere, that is why anytime we are relying on the system neutral in the country we also have to use a down ground.

[Highplains Drifter]

I'd still...have to screw down a groundrod...and...attach my truck to it.[/B]...before I would work on....whatever the fu$k that thing is.:D


That statement tells me how long you have been out of it.:rolleyes::rolleyes: Are you going to wait three days for USAs (Underground Service Area) to work that pole? The days of just installing a ground where and when you please are over. The transformer has lifting eyes just like any other pole mounted pot. So you have no neutral and can not wait for the locates, what are you going to do and you'll be breaking a rule that you might get fired on.

[Highplains Drifter]

SO driftboy....
Still waitin for ya to tell us WHAT the fu$k This is. Seriously. Never seen nothin like that in my life.

What is it? Somethin to do with Phase array Radar or something? Looks like it might "beam up".:D

I still think it's Photoshop.

It is a steel pole line with overhead transformers to feed residential costumers underground.

[barehander]

Those are real. I'll have to get some pics from my area of the same type Transformer. They come out of the 70's when Carter was Pres. I'm sure that you remember Rosiland Carter's "Beautify America".........That's where residential underground came to be, get rid of those ugly poles. And this stupid TX. Even most people can't tell what it is, and yes, the service is inside the pole. A real pain to work on. They are SP's, I'll get a pic of the switch.

[lewy]

Those are real. I'll have to get some pics from my area of the same type Transformer. They come out of the 70's when Carter was Pres. I'm sure that you remember Rosiland Carter's "Beautify America".........That's where residential underground came to be, get rid of those ugly poles. And this stupid TX. Even most people can't tell what it is, and yes, the service is inside the pole. A real pain to work on. They are SP's, I'll get a pic of the switch.

It reminds me of something they tried for a little while back in the 70s around here, they were called pole trans. Someone had the brilliant idea of sticking a transformer inside of a normal looking street light pole along with all of the u.g. cable. 1 side had the switches & the other side had the house services connections. To say the least it was tight. Fortunately never had the privilege of ever actually working on one live, but did take some out of service.

[barehander]

Those are real. I'll have to get some pics from my area of the same type Transformer. They come out of the 70's when Carter was Pres. I'm sure that you remember Rosiland Carter's "Beautify America".........That's where residential underground came to be, get rid of those ugly poles. And this stupid TX. Even most people can't tell what it is, and yes, the service is inside the pole. A real pain to work on. They are SP's, I'll get a pic of the switch.

Had the wrong President, it was LBJ's wife, Lady Bird....

[MI-Lineman]

Had the wrong President, it was LBJ's wife, Lady Bird....

Yep! The same one who's wife came up with the "Lady bird" poles!:rolleyes: Oh, and angle arms! The pole's hard as a rock cause of the paint and X and Z are too tight to weasel up through to get to Y cause of the shorter arms!:o

Another fine example of people who don't do the work interfering!;)

[wtdoor67]

Whin I's wurkin fer Pike we jist set 3 of them suckers in a cluster and made a bank out of em. Right Greg? Gollee!

[heelwinch]

Whin I's wurkin fer Pike we jist set 3 of them suckers in a cluster and made a bank out of em. Right Greg? Gollee!

Why is it when you are trying to sound stupid and insult someone, you always speak in your brother Pootinangle's language??

[wtdoor67]

Ah trie to kep mah speling wher Greg kin unnerstan it. At whut point dew you hev to chime in on a thred fur it to count?

Poontangle's vernacular is easy to understand. He is a scholar in my book.

Try to get over your awe of the pole transformer etc. Greg, concentrate on Transmission hands. They are marvelous. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

Get on back to the politics forum, you're outta your league in linework.

[Highplains Drifter]

Try to get over your awe of the pole transformer etc. Greg, concentrate on Transmission hands. They are marvelous. Ha, ha, ha, ha.

Get on back to the politics forum, you're outta your league in linework.

I am glad someone else sees this too!!!:rolleyes:

[Highplains Drifter]

The title of this thread is Trk grding, I posted a photo of a style of construction and asked how you would grd your trk. You had an online orgasm about this style of construction. Each and every day each one of us sees something that is different and that is just part of a normal day of line-work, but to someone like you that had limited exposure to this trade it seems like anything unusual is a big deal. It is not. For example the other day I had to get the IR readings on a 350kVA Pad Mount Txer. It was on the roof of a office complex. Yes the first time I have seen this, but not worth bringing it up here for you to make a spectacle out of an ordinary thing in line work. Maybe Door should have also gave you the option to participate with the Apprentices and Wantabes .

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmmmmmm frum whut Ive seed he mite fall a tad short on that too.A reglar lineman type guy wud jus look at stuff, try n unnerstand it n then keep his dumb mouf shut. ummmmm Oh n fer them whut dont like my vernacular ummmmm dont be reedin it .It iz whut it iz n if'n you kin do it more better then go fer it. sides itz kinda aimed at folks like SR that makes lottsa posts yet sez nuffin.

[heelwinch]

Ummmmmmmmm frum whut Ive seed he mite fall a tad short on that too.A reglar lineman type guy wud jus look at stuff, try n unnerstand it n then keep his dumb mouf shut. ummmmm Oh n fer them whut dont like my vernacular ummmmm dont be reedin it .It iz whut it iz n if'n you kin do it more better then go fer it. sides itz kinda aimed at folks like SR that makes lottsa posts yet sez nuffin.

It'sn realy no big dealz as I has werkd wid many adumfukks that couldn' talks... and others thenz beinz anoyin as shit it wuz all part of the job.

Most didn't last through the week

[Pootnaigle]

Most didn't last through the week



Ummmm theres lottsa reasons fer a feller leavin the job early n I spect moren one of em left kause they dint care fer werkin wif an asshole like yerself.A good lineman could purdy much werk enywhere back then n lord knows a pole buddy like you wud be reason enuff to go lookin.

[heelwinch]

Most didn't last through the week



Ummmm theres lottsa reasons fer a feller leavin the job early n I spect moren one of em left kause they dint care fer werkin wif an asshole like yerself.A good lineman could purdy much werk enywhere back then n lord knows a pole buddy like you wud be reason enuff to go lookin.

You're probably right. Glad I never met ya. Pretty much had the same crew with me my whole career....
One would leave and we'd weed out 4 or 5 grunts to find one that fit in.

Worked pretty good for me, I pretty much picked my jobs and still worked year round.

[Highplains Drifter]

I ain't brilliant


Don't you have a terribly empty feeling - in your skull?:rolleyes:

[Highplains Drifter]

Nope. I'm just a regular guy.



If ignorance is bliss, you must be the happiest person alive!!!

[Highplains Drifter]

Yup.:D
Especially now that you democRATS got your dicks stomped in the dirt by the American people in November.:cool:


I have never said my political party on this forum, I bet your mother has a loud bark!