Pole Saw for use around wires?

[clearance]

I have twenty years
of training and experience around conductors that does not, I repeat not
give me or anyone else the right to grab a wire that has not been isolated proper according to osha specs! It also does not give some one the right
to scare the public what if the lady had a heart attack? I am sorry you
can not see the severity of horseplay, but around energized lines there is not room for it, and that was very unprofessional in my professional opinion!

I thought it was freakin hilarious, whatever. We don't have OSHA up here, on another thread here though (Safely falling or something), there is a link to OSHA, were they show you how to fall trees, etc. There are drawings on thier site taken from a publication by our OSHA equivelent, the very same drawings, hmmm. But not the ones that show you how to really fall trees, funny. Here, in order for certified guys to work around downded or "killed" high voltage (above 750 volts) powerlines there are very strict rules and procedures, its all good.

 

[ropensaddle]

I thought it was freakin hilarious, whatever. We don't have OSHA up here, on another thread here though (Safely falling or something), there is a link to OSHA, were they show you how to fall trees, etc. There are drawings on thier site taken from a publication by our OSHA equivelent, the very same drawings, hmmm. But not the ones that show you how to really fall trees, funny. Here, in order for certified guys to work around downded or "killed" high voltage (above 750 volts) powerlines there are very strict rules and procedures, its all good.

Define your version of killed isolated is the term that
brings safety to me? This is my last post on this subject as I can not seem to make you see what the real deal is, and only hope the line doesn't get you or your buddy while horse playing or worse a bystander!

 

[clearance]

Define your version of killed isolated is the term that
brings safety to me? This is my last post on this subject as I can not seem to make you see what the real deal is, and only hope the line doesn't get you or your buddy while horse playing or worse a bystander!

The official version of an isolated and grounded line. A line that has been confirmed de-energized by the utility and has been grounded on either side of the work by running a ground from the primary or primaries to the neutral. And then only utility arborists can work around it after signing onto the linemans authorization form. Thanks for the spanking, I know very well what the real deal is, sorry I am not falling to my knees groveling. "my last post on the subject" Who do you think you are, Edison or Tesla?

 

[ropensaddle]

The official version of an isolated and grounded line. A line that has been confirmed de-energized by the utility and has been grounded on either side of the work by running a ground from the primary or primaries to the neutral. And then only utility arborists can work around it after signing onto the linemans authorization form. Thanks for the spanking, I know very well what the real deal is, sorry I am not falling to my knees groveling. "my last post on the subject" Who do you think you are, Edison or Tesla?

Well for a long time I thought that was proper isolation also, but to be properly isolated you need to run a jumper from the neutral to ground rod as well as the steps you mentioned earlier! I did not want to come off wrong but the act you mentioned hits me wrong, as I have supervised men for fifteen years around high voltage with no injury's other than scratches. I am just a very experienced line clearance professional who takes safety serious!

 

[clearance]

The neutral is run into the ground at some, if not many points along the length of the circuit is it not? So the lineman is supposed to bash a ground rod in on either side in your system? Primary to neutral is what I was taught, it is what is done here by linemen, I amm pretty sure they know what to do. Anyways, you seem like a knowledgable chap, look up Worksafe B.C., and then look up section 19 of the act, this is about electrical safety.

 

[clearance]

http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part19.asp Here it is.

 

[clearance]

An you know what Rope &, looking at it myself, it seems you are right about low voltage work (triplex). Never looked at that before, only about treework related to high voltage, imagine that.

 

[Highclimber OR]

Power is not my friend, I let the Power Company do their job, we all should.

 

[ropensaddle]

The neutral is run into the ground at some, if not many points along the length of the circuit is it not? So the lineman is supposed to bash a ground rod in on either side in your system? Primary to neutral is what I was taught, it is what is done here by linemen, I amm pretty sure they know what to do. Anyways, you seem like a knowledgable chap, look up Worksafe B.C., and then look up section 19 of the act, this is about electrical safety.

This was mentioned on a safety meeting I sat in on where
they had a small version of a three phase hooked up to a toy train transformer hooked up to a light bulb that lit the old way and did not with the neutral grounded by jumper! The regs here want a ground jumper run to the rod and from the demonstration I saw so do I! I will try to find out why it happens as I have forgotten that, but have not forgot the way it is supposed to be isolated. Linemen are supposed to keep you safe but I have seen them unhook pigtail ground to pot and call it isolated! I refused to work under unsafe conditions and reported this and it was taken care of I check any line I or someone under my supervision works on from experience it is the only way to know it is safe!!!!!! p.s. I think the reason of the added jumper was due to inductive pickup but I will make sure so you will know!
Their is already a rod at the pole to hook jumper to!

 

[BostonBull]

while that is correct utilities have a spray on rubber and rubber blankets
that will offer protection

Spray on rubber? We are not talking about pick-up truck bed liners! :bang:

And yes we all know that cover up can be placed on ANY line to make it safe.....thats not what we are talking about.

 

[BostonBull]

Any fixture
or apparatus should be considered energized and that includes guy wires
as they can become energized as well as the lines you have mentioned
I witnessed a cable tv wire heat up from a car that broke a pole a quarter
mile away It had 7200 volts briefly but that would have killed anyone contacting it at the time. 1/10th of one volt in 12 volts dc can kill a human

DC? DC.....:bang:

I know of only 2 DC systems that are still operational in the NE. They are both privately owned, used for specific old machines, come out of their own substations, and are less than 500' runs.

I find it hard to eblieve you have ever trimmed around DC. Whole differnt set of rules with that animal!

 

[BostonBull]

Well for a long time I thought that was proper isolation also, but to be properly isolated you need to run a jumper from the neutral to ground rod as well as the steps you mentioned earlier! I did not want to come off wrong but the act you mentioned hits me wrong, as I have supervised men for fifteen years around high voltage with no injury's other than scratches. I am just a very experienced line clearance professional who takes safety serious!

No you DO NOT!!! This is Utility specific. I have worked it both ways....on the other side of the tree. I am VERY comfy in either situation. The neutral grounds out just as well as the ground rod.

You have obviously been brain washed by the utility you spent the most time at. I have worked every state on the East Coast. EVRYWHERE is diferent. They are all right, but different. to say one method is the absolute best is a travesty!

 

[BostonBull]

This was mentioned on a safety meeting I sat in on where
they had a small version of a three phase hooked up to a toy train transformer hooked up to a light bulb that lit the old way and did not with the neutral grounded by jumper! The regs here want a ground jumper run to the rod and from the demonstration I saw so do I! I will try to find out why it happens as I have forgotten that, but have not forgot the way it is supposed to be isolated. Linemen are supposed to keep you safe but I have seen them unhook pigtail ground to pot and call it isolated! I refused to work under unsafe conditions and reported this and it was taken care of I check any line I or someone under my supervision works on from experience it is the only way to know it is safe!!!!!! p.s. I think the reason of the added jumper was due to inductive pickup but I will make sure so you will know!
Their is already a rod at the pole to hook jumper to!

What voltage was this?

Are you sure this wasnt an ol Delta system?

 

[BostonBull]

Dont forget...........

Secondaries are more dangerous to work around. They are not fused/trippable like primaries. They keep burning until the transformer goe up or the primary cutout blows. Which can be quite some time.

 

[OTG BOSTON]

On time this guy I worked with who is a utility guy, the real deal not ISA bunk, was working near a secondaries (triplex) on a res. job. The customer lady was mouthing off, "you'd better not touch that wire, it will kill you, blah,blah,blah...." Buddy said "no it won't" and grabbed it. Then he screamed and yelled out "ahhhhhhhh, ahhhh, I can't let go, ahhhhhh!!!" The lady freaked, the guys were just howling. Anyways, if you are not sure, not trained, stay away.

I think I know that guy, his name is Sparky right?

Seriously, this is a good discussion, keep it up.

 

[diltree]

An you know what Rope &, looking at it myself, it seems you are right about low voltage work (triplex). Never looked at that before, only about treework related to high voltage, imagine that.

Imagine That!

 

[Rftreeman]

that is not insulation on those wires, it is a weather barrier too protect the wire, keep thinking it's insulation and this is what your locals might see someday "MAN DIES WHILE TRIMMING TREE LIMBS AROUND POWER LINES" when grounding primaries, jumpers are run from the primary (hot) line to the neutral, the wire that runs from the neutral to the spike in the ground is for grounding those jumpers and or the truck that the people that are grounding that line are using but most of the time it is not needed for the grounding of primaries too work, the neutral is grounded at all of the poles, it is also proper for the line too grounded on both ends of the work and between any transformers that way if there is a generator running there will not be any back feed from it to the area that you are working.

as far as grabbing lines go, unless you are a trained lineman with proper ppe then you are not too grab any line hot or not and if a lineman ask you too do it (i have been asked before and refused too do so) then he should be terminated. we where told if we where ever caught touching any line (this means cable & phone or guy wires) or breaking minimum approach distance we would be fired then and there, I saw several guys get fired for breaking this rule. when I was a Gf I told my guys I would fire them before I would send them home in a body bag.

 

[clearance]

You guys ever bash hangers off the primary with a tested trimsaw or tested pole pruner?

 

[Mtnman4ever]

If I have to work with a tree or trees that are near wires or can fall on them easlily , I call the power company and tell them I would like th lies taken down if possible if not I ask them to send out a crew to work with me . It adds to the cost but . It also keeps you alive thre only caveat ,
The Power comany is not always n time or even has the right date .

I have done emergency work around wires in a storm . myrated automatically doulbles . and i make dam,n sure the linesare dead befroe Icaut a thing I have told a cop No wayam i c going in ther untill they are sure those lines are dead I do not care if the treafgficbacks up trun em around or detour them . both ways . I can up once i know they are dead . he got the powerservive ther ASAP as it is the main road into a town and the wi threason they werevfussing about the wires is that they where the line to the police station ! i wasstuned no back up genrorator? even a small deisel one !
Now they have one I cut the trees so it could be placed wherev it is kind of ironic

botto line avoid wires andcall the power company evcen ifyou are triming near your home

 

[Rftreeman]

You guys ever bash hangers off the primary with a tested trimsaw or tested pole pruner?

I have used non conductive hydraulic pole saws and pruners for getting limbs off of primary wires, I trimmed power lines for 18 years, I have had many situations where I had too trim a tree that was pretty much on fire when i got too it, this was with a bucket truck, if it had too be climbed the pigtail was pulled and line grounded.