Electrical Power

Originally posted by Dobber
This a pic of an untrained worker after an accident. Look his name up if you like, there is lots to see if you feel like reading. his name was Lewis Wheelan, just started a summer job with a friend of his fathers who owns the contracted company. Took a hit from a fallen conductor, lost his right arm and part of both legs, due to all the scar tissue his body couldnt keep it self cool without air conditioning. When the 2003 black out happened he lost the air conditioning, causing him to slowly overheat untill he passed out and never woke up.

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Yeah, burn this image in really good, lest it happen again!

Originally posted by Crofter
I posted this a while back regarding the same incident.

Liability for ensuring Sub Contractors Work Safely

A local utility company was fined $250,000. for failing to ensure that a subcontractor was providing adequate training and following safe work practices. An 18 year old on his second day on the summer job was electocuted when a tree was felled across power lines bringing them down on him. He lost both legs, one arm plus fingers from the remaining hand. He died a year later. The person running the saw for the Neat Site brushing company is on trial for unsafe cutting practices. Tree lean or wind bound the saw and he called two co-workers to push the tree. (no ropes and cutting within 6 feet of other persons) As they pushed he cut some more and I suppose cut the hinge completely off and the tree came over backward taking the lines down on top of the brush dragger. The company was originally hired just to brush but were later given the nod to take down hazard trees.
So I guess just making sure that your sub. has insurance doesn't get you off the hook if $hit hits the fan.

Frank

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Then this pic JP posted of another victim, but same message......

It may be lousy to say but that poor soul in the picture probably would have been better off dying at the scene instead of going through the suffering that he went through. What a shame a young man in the prime of his life is decimated because of ignorance. That picture is definitely burned in my brain. Some say how fast so and so can do this and that- but I just tell them my 1st concern is for me and anyone around me is to be able to go home and be able to take our own boots off. God rest that poor kids soul and ease his family's pain.

A few years ago an illeagal worker (Hungarian) touched an energized bucket truck.

Small burn on hand, another on foot. He was dead in a flash.

Seems tha operator had a habit of bumping transmission lines and he ahad worn off the weather coating with the lower section of the boom.

Kind of ironic that the poor guy was maimed and almost killed due to electrical power, and then killed due to a lack of it during the big blackout of 2003. Makes you kind of wonder if anyone was looking after him during the blackout-it was a steamy night in Toronto and a lot of ill people had to find emergency coolness, or they moved into their cars for relief. If I had gone through that I'd be smoking dope too re T-shirt.

Some of the safety comments/tips from those who know, respect high power whether that be in tons of wood, or electricity; having worked with both. From Power Lines Thread in Pro-Climber's Forum :

Originally posted by Tom Dunlap :
"A clean, dry rope is not conductive?".<-You'll never get a rope manufacturer to vouch for that!! Over the years of helping at EHAP training I've asked every journeyman lineman if he would ever use a rope or throwline to move a wire. They have all looked at me with "What-are-you-stupid?" eyes. None of them would ever do it so I won't either. This is the best Suspension Trauma (a companion risk to electrical shock) article that I've ever read. This one gives some ideas for rescuer and patient to consider. An arbo buddy who does tower work sent this to me: http://www.mikeholt.com/mojonewsarc...ety-Harness-Kill-You~20040119.htm -Tom

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Originally posted by Crofter :Something I found interesting at a safety course put on by Ontario Hydro was the fact that electrical lines can move up and down 5 or 10 feet over a short period of time due to load changes on the line. The difference in temperature due to load can change the tension that much. Where you had enough clearance in the morning could put you dangerously close later in the day. Over a certain voltage requires a continuous spotter. -Frank

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Originally posted by netree :
That's why lines strung in the summer are deliberately left with some slack, so the line can contract in cold weather without breaking from too much tension. The electrical resistance of the line converts power into heat. This is why energizing a line is called "heating it up" in linemans' slang. How much the line will lengthen/shorten with varying load depends on alot of factors, such as length of span, conductor material, conductor diameter, ambient temperature and the actual load applied.

Lines will tend to lengthen with: Higher ambient temps, Aluminum conductors, High electrical loads, Smaller diameter lines (which have a higher resistance)...and shorten when the reverse is true.

Ropes should NEVER be relied upon to insulate you from electricty. NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!...Dealing with power lines requires special tools, and specialized techniques and training to do it safely. It is a task best left to those qualified to do it. PERIOD.
>It only takes one hundredth of an ampere at less that 1 volt to stop your heart. Keeping that in mind, remember that materials such as wood and rope aren't necessarily INSULATORS, but more usually RESISTORS... cutting the flow of electricity down, but not eliminating it. I can't stress enough how important the right tools and training are required to work around power lines.
>I just think it's far safer to treat anything not specifically marked as being dialectric as a possible conductor......While I have it in mind, alot of guys are under the impression that the black coating on some primary lines is insulation............-->It's not!!! It's only a weatherproofing, and is neither intended as an insulator, or to be relied upon as such. -Erik

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Originally posted by the forum moderator- John Paul Sanborn :
Allways tie in so you will swing away...To reinfocre a point from John Ball's lecture on injuries and fatalities. Many that had electrical contact had a rescue of the initial victim, and recovery of the crew member who atempted rescue..

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Originally posted by topnotchtree :
I have witnessed an arching demonstration put on by the utility co and the union where the guy drew current through a kite string. He also stuck his hand in a rubber glove and rubbed it all over a conductor, then removed his hand and shoved a raw hot dog in a finger of the glove. Then he poked a hole in the glove finger with a sewing needle. Then touched the conductor with the glove. The hot dog was burnt to a crisp. The voltage was 4800. Line clearance guys do some crazy things, but most of us know what we can get away with safely. First of all we know how to ID the lines and get a pretty good idea of the voltage we are working with. I read somewhere in this thread where someone suggested using a handsaw to remove a hanger from a wire. Although the wood handle on the saw may not conduct, the screws on the handle that hold the blade in will get ya.....As a general rule, the bigger the insulators the more power.

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Originally posted by MidwestTree : If you have any questions about powerlines it is useful to attend a class. The power companies give these all the time. Alot to local (volunteer) fire depts. They usually are good programs and you might learn just one thing that could save your life. Even guys that work around them all the time should step back and rethink what they are doing.

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Originally posted by ORclimber :It is best to assume you will (get shocked/killed). There are many variables involved....Electricity follows the easiest path to ground. If going through the branch and climber is the easiest path to ground....zap! - Eric

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Originally posted by Dobber :There are procedures in place to trimming near energized conductors, If you are not familiar with them then you should not be in the tree.

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The drawing collection in the attatchment is from the US Dept. of Labor Corp's Urban Foresty Manual, by ACRT. A very good manual for all tree work IMLHO; i think i have missed recomending it when we were talking recomended reading. This is one of the collections of info from this book in the Parent Thread of these Quotes and More

I did look him up. That is simply terrifying. I do line clearance and I just want it to go safe, every day.SAFETY!
I brought his story to work along with the photo and some of the guys looked at me like I was nuts, to think they would want to here or see that. I just said be safe and fully aware! And if that isn't understood! How about BEWARE!!
What a story.
We work around much more powerful lines as well.
Thank You for sharing this, I feel much more aware even then just days ago. Pictures paint a thousand words.

i don't remeber the story when i snagged this, it was an electrical accident, but i don't think tree related. Just found it in the archives of backup disks trying to rebuild drive data.

How timely that this thread should resurface. A Chief Line Mechanic for Niagara Mohawk experienced a near electrocution this past Friday just outside Utica,NY. The resultant fall may have saved his life, if you can believe that, the impact often restarts the heart.

What apparently happened is that he was climbing a 70' steel tower strung with 13.2kv lines, when he got closer than the safe approach distance, was shocked, and he fell to the ground. Noone besides the lineman himself knows exactly how high he was at the time because his groundman had turned around to get something out of the truck when the climber was at about 30' and did not turn around again until he heard an odd noise which was apparently the line mechanic hitting the ground.

The lineman`s recollection of the whole event is sketchy but he apparently believes that he was no closer than 13' to the energized conductors when 10' is the approach clearance appropriate for the PPE that he had on. Apparently he was not wearing rubber gloves as he was climbing, burns to both hands which also proves the shock, and it is currently being theorized that high humidity that day and his heavy perspiration were contributing factors.

Russ

I also worked with an older gent who reputedly fell somewhere in the vicinity of 90' and lived after he was shocked on a tower. This happened way before I met him and he was obviously no longer doing line work. He was lucky enough to be working for a big enough company who could take the former lineman and use him as a clerk in the warehouse. He expressed extreme gratitude to have survived with nothing more than the loss of both arms below the elbow, but imagine his embarrassment to have to tell this story to so many new people just before he asked them if they would kindly unzip his pants so he could take a leak.

Russ

High humidity

High humidity, a light breeze, and pollen in the air and it gives the electricity the ability to reach out and touch you when you think you are clear. I'm surprised he can remember anything, a good knock on the body (head) and you don't remember anything in the last few moments when everything went wrong.
I hope he makes a good recovery, that's a heck of a fall to take and live, let alone the shock he took.
Nick, this is why it's important to do the EHAP!

I have been told if you stood under a tower line, or a high power transmission line, with a flourescant light bulb on a humid day it will light up. Never tried it though.

I've done three seasons of line clearing (80% bucket-20% climbing) and I hate to admit it but it is easy to get too confident. Coating on the line isn't an insulator but you would be surprised how nervous I am going over a bare three phase as opposed to a coated. Those pictures are pretty friggin' scary. A guy should be made to look at them prior to all work in the proximity of lines.

Here's a photo I took of the boys working on a seventy? foot pole. I'm assuming they are not allowed to climb out of the bucket so I imagine this guy spiked her up. It's easy to smirk at how simple that would be for most on this site but when you add high voltage it warrants some respect.

He's a mile from them lines!

And any utility company that thinks it's safer to spike up a pole than take a ride up in a bucket ain't thinking too bright! I mean, if it's there already, USE IT!

Alot of lineman I work with would be too lazy to strap the spikes on, let alone climb a pole with them! If their bucket wouldnt reach the pole they would go get a bigger bucket!

From: Theory & Practice of Removing Climber from Electric Line with Clean, Dry Rope Thread

Originally posted by Tom Dunlap
GUYS!!! I'm taking the caps off but listen up, I'M SHOUTING!!!

Stop this talk about "clean, dry ropes"!!!

They don't exist except in someone's imagination.

First, that NAA video was made in 1989!!! Has anything changed since then? Lots...

Here are some questions to ask. If you get a satisfactory answer, go ahead and use this fabled "clean, dry rope"

Talk with a journeyman lineman. Not an electrician. These are the guys who build and maintain the system. I've asked MANY over the ten plus years that I've been involved in EHAP training. When I've asked any of them if that is a good idea to break contact. To a MAN, they look at me like I started to grow another head on my shoulder. They all think it is foolish, stupid and very risky. Not to be done!

Ask any rope manufacturer if they would package you a "clean, dry rope" for you to use as a "rescue rope." Get them to put their name and reputation that the rope can be used to break contact. I'll bet dollars to donuts that no rope manufacturer will take on that liability.

Ask any of the instructors if they would show you THE rope to use to move the charged line. Then, have them toss if over the line to show that this is a valid procedure.

The last few times that I've taught the EHAP program I use the AR video is a novel way. Tim Walsh shared this tip with me. Have everyone watch the video to make a list of the number of practices that are questionable. There are about ten easy ones. If you watch close, or as many times as I have, you'll pick up about another five or six. They're pretty subtle.

The video is great in one regard though. You get to see Don Blair with hair

There is a rope manufacturer that has a rope that is dielectric. I've talked with the rep about the rope. He's reluctant to promote the rope for this use. The specs on the rope are impressive but they aren't going to open themselves up to the liability.

Promoting this procedure is reckless of anyone. I truly believe that in the terrible case of a rescuer using this and getting killed, an easy case could be made against the teacher that they were negligent.

sure, the tree industry says it's OK. BUT, what is our claimed area of expertise. Trees or electricity? We get pretty protective of the trees when the electricians come near them. Shouldn't we respect their skills and knowledge and stay away from their domain?

OK, I'm done for now. I'll quiet down. I want to hear the answers to my questions. I've put my name on my opinion. Are any of the instructors willing to come here and do the same?

Tom

PS For what it's worth, I've contracted with TCIA to do EHAP trainings. Before we made the agreement I spent time talking about my beliefs. They don't have any problems.

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MasterBlaster said:

He's a mile from them lines!

And any utility company that thinks it's safer to spike up a pole than take a ride up in a bucket ain't thinking too bright! I mean, if it's there already, USE IT!

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I own a tree company, but my full time job is at a utility company. I'm just getting in to the Electric Line Apprenticeship. All new line apprentices climb for the first 2-3 years of their apprenticeship. You don't see the inside of a bucket until you're a Step 4 Line Apprentice (the final before Journeyman.) The reason is that there are still locations we can't get trucks or flex-tracks to... some poles still have to be climbed. Also, all linemen need to be able to rescue a fellow lineman up on the pole. For these reasons it's important that all linemen be proficient in climbing.
On the laziness... it's true some linemen are lazy, but sometimes getting a taller bucket makes sense.