Almost fried!

[beastmaster]

Been doing a lot of non-tree jobs lately with the new company I started working for. They have a 60ft knuckle crane. Last week up in the foothills we were cleaning out a reservoir, It had been drained and some laborers were filling up these large bags with algae and we were going to lift them out. My boss was positioning the crane, extending the boom. He sent me to get a set of chains from a side compartment of the truck, he operates the crane by remote control and was off to the side of the cab. The outrigger was all the way out to the edge of the access rd. on the side I was going to get the chain from. Ok , now in a matter of only a few sec. Made several life saving choices, all by luck. I started to go under the outrigger, but was conserned the crane could shift, so I went around it. I started to grab the out rigger to support my self, but thought better of it because i worry my fingers could get pinched. As I went around I here a buzzing noise and fell bites above my boots. I thought I had been bitting by a rattlesnake, then i thought bees. I then look up and see the boom hitting these 14,000v wires above me and the first thought i have is their going to fall on me. All this happened in the blink of an eye. I hadn't stop running sence the snakebites. The out rigger on the otherside had started a small fire and melted the dirt to glass. The side I had been on had two 1 1/2in plastic pads under the out rigger. It was burned all the way throu. I never touched the truck but some how the power jumped to my laces and blow holes in my boot. I think it traveled throu some weeds? Were not some fly by night outfit and stress safety, but some how 4 of us all missed seeing those power lines. My boss start crying and hugging me. Kind of embarrassing. I know some one will say something negitive, but we are pros. I still don't know how we missed seeing that wire. I keep rethinking it. If i had did something different or been a little faster or slower you all be reading about me in the accident forums.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Been doing a lot of non-tree jobs lately with the new company I started working for. They have a 60ft knuckle crane. Last week up in the foothills we were cleaning out a reservoir, It had been drained and some laborers were filling up these large bags with algae and we were going to lift them out. My boss was positioning the crane, extending the boom. He sent me to get a set of chains from a side compartment of the truck, he operates the crane by remote control and was off to the side of the cab. The outrigger was all the way out to the edge of the access rd. on the side I was going to get the chain from. Ok , now in a matter of only a few sec. Made several life saving choices, all by luck. I started to go under the outrigger, but was conserned the crane could shift, so I went around it. I started to grab the out rigger to support my self, but thought better of it because i worry my fingers could get pinched. As I went around I here a buzzing noise and fell bites above my boots. I thought I had been bitting by a rattlesnake, then i thought bees. I then look up and see the boom hitting these 14,000v wires above me and the first thought i have is their going to fall on me. All this happened in the blink of an eye. I hadn't stop running sence the snakebites. The out rigger on the otherside had started a small fire and melted the dirt to glass. The side I had been on had two 1 1/2in plastic pads under the out rigger. It was burned all the way throu. I never touched the truck but some how the power jumped to my laces and blow holes in my boot. I think it traveled throu some weeds? Were not some fly by night outfit and stress safety, but some how 4 of us all missed seeing those power lines. My boss start crying and hugging me. Kind of embarrassing. I know some one will say something negitive, but we are pros. I still don't know how we missed seeing that wire. I keep rethinking it. If i had did something different or been a little faster or slower you all be reading about me in the accident forums.

Man. Wow. I bet your beer tasted REAL good that night.

 

[stihlhere]

your eather living rite or need to be!!!!!!!!!! Hay im an electrician and have been trained in several diff accident scenarios if you ever find your self in this position again(downed power line, or something in your vicinity touching welling and the ground close to you) YOU NEED TO put your feet together and bunny hop away! I know it sounds stupid but imagine a dartboard the bullseye being the voltage point of contact and every ring being a drop in voltage (14000v,13000v......)you get the picture. If you step from a 14000v area to a 13000v area you get hit with the dif which would be 1000v up one leg and down the other and you die. not trying to be a Knowitall just thought you should know running is one of the worst things you can do. GOD BLESS and stay safe.

 

[Blakesmaster]

your eather living rite or need to be!!!!!!!!!! Hay im an electrician and have been trained in several diff accident scenarios if you ever find your self in this position again(downed power line, or something in your vicinity touching welling and the ground close to you) YOU NEED TO put your feet together and bunny hop away! I know it sounds stupid but imagine a dartboard the bullseye being the voltage point of contact and every ring being a drop in voltage (14000v,13000v......)you get the picture. If you step from a 14000v area to a 13000v area you get hit with the dif which would be 1000v up one leg and down the other and you die. not trying to be a Knowitall just thought you should know running is one of the worst things you can do. GOD BLESS and stay safe.

Interesting. I was always told to keep your feet together but shuffle/slide your way along the ground, keeping your feet in contact with the ground at all times.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Interesting. I was always told to keep your feet together but shuffle/slide your way along the ground, keeping your feet in contact with the ground at all times.

I think both techniques achieve the same purpose which is to prevent your feet from being in different voltage potential areas at the same time. However, I think shuffling is better because there is less chance of you stumbling and falling.

 

[Hddnis]

Wow! Just wow! Very glad you are ok. Sounds like your boss really cares about his people;iIt might seem embarrassing that he was hugging you, but being a boss myself I can tell you right now I have more respect for him because he did.



Mr. HE

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

your eather living rite or need to be!!!!!!!!!! Hay im an electrician and have been trained in several diff accident scenarios if you ever find your self in this position again(downed power line, or something in your vicinity touching welling and the ground close to you) YOU NEED TO put your feet together and bunny hop away! I know it sounds stupid but imagine a dartboard the bullseye being the voltage point of contact and every ring being a drop in voltage (14000v,13000v......)you get the picture. If you step from a 14000v area to a 13000v area you get hit with the dif which would be 1000v up one leg and down the other and you die. not trying to be a Knowitall just thought you should know running is one of the worst things you can do. GOD BLESS and stay safe.

You aren't being a knowitall, stihlhere, you are just being right on the money!


That dartboard bullseye is a good illustration of this. It's called a "standing wave", and it can be lethal.


I never heard the shuffling thing. I'm skeptical of that being the best tactic.

EDIT: Just read the stuff I linked (below) and found that shuffling is also recommended as an alternative to hopping. But you must keep your feet together!


Here's some more info on the issue:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showpost.php?p=398278&postcount=17



Glad you're okay, beastmaster.

How's the weather out there in Rancho Cucamongus?

 

[randyg]

Step current?

your eather living rite or need to be!!!!!!!!!! Hay im an electrician and have been trained in several diff accident scenarios if you ever find your self in this position again(downed power line, or something in your vicinity touching welling and the ground close to you) YOU NEED TO put your feet together and bunny hop away! I know it sounds stupid but imagine a dartboard the bullseye being the voltage point of contact and every ring being a drop in voltage (14000v,13000v......)you get the picture. If you step from a 14000v area to a 13000v area you get hit with the dif which would be 1000v up one leg and down the other and you die. not trying to be a Knowitall just thought you should know running is one of the worst things you can do. GOD BLESS and stay safe.

I think I heard this principal referred to as "step current"? Maybe I've got that confused with step up and step down transformers. I also heard it's possible to work a "hot" tree by hopping with feet together and making one last big hop free of the ground and landing on the tree and hanging on and then being able to climb up without being zapped? Is this ever done? In my younger days I may have been foolish enough to try it, not any more. Anyone else heard of this "procedure"?

 

[Sunrise Guy]

You are talking about "step potential," here, the difference in the voltage between your two feet, dependent on where you have them placed. If they're together, you do have a better chance of not getting zapped, as voltage flows from higher to lower potential. Hopping versus shuffling out of harm's way? I suppose whatever gets you out in a safe manner.

 

[utilityman]

Glad to hear you are OK beastmaster. What you are referring to is step potential and the bulls eye explanation discussed is a good way of explaining it. I am a professional lineman and the most important part of any job is a tailboard to discuss the potential hazards of the job at hand before any work begins. I can tell you that whenever we set up a digger or crane truck next to energized wires a mechanical ground of 4/0 copper is bonded to the frame of the truck and a driven ground rod, or system neutral. This provides a direct path to ground should accidental contact happen. The operator of the truck is also trained to remain on the machine no matter what, because he would then be at the same potential as the temporaraly energized vehical.
As far as randyg with the jumping to an energized tree.....You may get away with it, but is taking a chance like that worth your life? Call the electric company and let them deal with it. They have the proper tools and training!

 

[wigglesworth]

Glad your ok. 14K killed my granddad. You sir, came close.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

As far as randyg with the jumping to an energized tree.....You may get away with it, but is taking a chance like that worth your life? Call the electric company and let them deal with it. They have the proper tools and training!

:agree2::agree2::agree2::agree2:

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Also glad to hear that you are ok. Thirty years around planes taught me just how fragile life really is.

Not sure about the "hot" tree thing. I would think the voltage would vary along the length of the tree. Higher near the line and lower closer to the roots. With your feet on the trunk and your hands higher up........ seems about the same as having one foot closer to the "bullseye" than the other.
Rick

 

[turnkey4099]

Man. Wow. I bet your beer tasted REAL good that night.

I would have had to drink it through a staw! The shaking would have slopped it all out.

Harry K

 

[stihlhere]

dont do it I would think that you would experience the same thing with voltage drop from the top of the tree to the bottom. you see every thing has resistance to flow of electricity and from hands to feet on the tree i would expect that there could be a potential diff. and it only takes a fraction of an amp to kill you and you could be hit by thousands. even your car battery would kill you (and can ) if your skin did not insulate you from the low voltage. never heard of the shuffle thing but as long as your not walking it probably dosn't matter. on the other hand never hurts to be sure.

 

[outofmytree]

Glad to hear everyone lived through that one.

I would have needed new underwear. Crying with relief sounds much better than pissing in your pants.

For the record, line clearance cert courses here recommend the shuffle over the hop to reduce tha chance of falling but either is better than trying to run.

Be safe all.

 

[stihlhere]

if any one ever comes to moultrie georgia for the sunbelt ag expo georgia power allways has a large area rented complete with highvoltage wires and gi joe size farmers being fried it is very informative and memorable.

 

[lego1970]

First off, glad the OP is ok. A close call that luckily turned into a lesson for all of us without anybody getting hurt.

Second, never heard of hopping away or differential voltage thing you guys you were talking about. That's good stuff to know.

Third, working on a energized tree. If you know the tree is hot, don't trust the bark to insulate the tree, or try hopping on it or whatever. It's best to have the electric company shut down the line or insulate the line, whichever. If your doing a tree that becomes energized you need to lean back in your lanyard or if possible completely hang from your rope. Don't touch the tree with your hands if possible. If your hell bent on finishing the job, try to set the rope on a limb above the energized part, don't wear gaffs and stay completely on the rope. I've been indirectly zapped a few times in trees and about the only thing that works good is to be above the limb that's on the energized line. So like if your taking out a limb thats over the line, you wanna be working above it useing a dry wood or fiberglass pruner pole or pole saw to do the work. That way if you mess up and the limb lays on the line you won't be in the energized path to ground, however as other mentioned the tree will be hot and there will be potential diffrences, so no place is 100% safe. Use a pole as much as possible and don't rely on the plastic handle of the chainsaw. I've been in a couple situations where I've had to use the chainsaw and you'll see sparks jumping from the energized limb to the chainsaw and sometimes little sparks will jump to you and when your that close and being shocked it's a hell of a gamble. Most the times it just tingles but someday it could really arc off bad.