# Electrical Safety



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I have worked in areas where this is the standard.

When completed properly it can be completed safely. 

Linemen work higher voltages while energized, utilizing the same methods I would utilize.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

This whole electrical safety thing is getting out of hand these days. It's all about discretion on what to work hot on and what to shut off. Some people are edgy and clutzy , others are still and smooth. Just because you may not have the ability to walk and chew gum or drive and talk on a cell phone doesn't mean that I don't and shouldn't be subject to "safety rules" meant for those that lack skills and motor functions.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Yes, it's dangerous, but what I can't eblieve they even aired on TV was the theft of power. All he had to do was wire his spiderbox into the old meter. What a HACK, and if they caught you doing that here, there would be reprocussions. I NEVER have to cut, or reconnect a drop. It just takes planning.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I NEVER have to cut, or reconnect a drop. It just takes planning.



Look out, now the Shockdoc will call you a *****. :laughing:


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Yes, it's dangerous, but what I can't eblieve they even aired on TV was the theft of power. All he had to do was wire his spiderbox into the old meter. What a HACK, and if they caught you doing that here, there would be reprocussions. I NEVER have to cut, or reconnect a drop. It just takes planning.


Every jurisdiction is different, ours for instance lets you run temp power to work with and even gives you the connectors to reconnect. Con Ed on the other hand is like what you described in the way of stealing power. Things here in this region of NY is rush,rush,rush, the utility company allows licensed electricians to perform final tie ins as long as it's not on thier poles.


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## Joe Tedesco (Mar 25, 2007)

*NSTAR Utility Company Rules*

NONE here


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## wcord (Jan 23, 2011)

At the very least, wear leather gloves!
We do something like this for all of our service changes. But our cord has a fuse in the line and a GFCI receptacle attached at the end. The other main difference is that we have big booster cable clamps for connecting to the line.
As far as I know, in our area, I have never heard of an EC getting into trouble for 'stealing' power while doing a service change.
When it comes to a service change, the rest of the trades can wait.


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## mightyjoe (Sep 20, 2010)

Joe Tedesco said:


> *Do you agree or disagree with this video?*


 I disagree and see many OSHA violations, but in the residential work this is common place, and how I learned it. I now carrry an OSHA 30 card and realize how difficult it is to perform this work following proper safety procedures. It is often times hard to manuver in the gear, but now many of our accounts require proper PPE. I feel more training and a realistic view of work procedure is required. Safety issues are slowly pushing employment from our country to those less stringent.


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## Rockyd (Apr 22, 2007)

This guy is part of the problem. Doing this, with public viewing...not good medicine. Would bet that the guy has never been on a job where people have been seriously injured/killed. 

In the same breath, I hate nanny stateism and believe that the job can be done safely with reasonable pre-cautions. People sitting at desks, without time in the field, tend to be knee-jerk reactionary. Somewhere in-between is reality. We need to get back to that point -Freedom comes with responsibility, please be smart in the field.


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## electricalwiz (Mar 12, 2011)

I do not see what the big deal, I do this all the time, our utility will not reconnect a service for you, the only exception is if it is a new service where there is not an existing triplex. The whole thing is a sham, osha is just one more money grubbing government service to take more of our money that they justify their existence with safety. We continue to sell our freedoms to the government for their so called safety. Our utility does not consider that stealing.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I work the same way as Shockdoc.. that is how it is done here on Long Island..

It doesn't make us right and you wrong or the other way around..

Time is money and having to involve the POCO for no good reason just takes money out of our pockets.. 

We are given the freedom to work like we do and I am totally comfortable with this arrangement.. :thumbsup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Yes, it's dangerous, but what I can't eblieve they even aired on TV was the theft of power. All he had to do was wire his spiderbox into the old meter. What a HACK, and if they caught you doing that here, there would be reprocussions. I NEVER have to cut, or reconnect a drop. It just takes planning.



We do it all the time here and the POCO is not coming out to do the cut over for you.


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## tommu56 (Nov 19, 2010)

Bare handed no way that is just stupid!!


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> We do it all the time here and the POCO is not coming out to do the cut over for you.


 

Oh BS, I bet half the guys who say their power company "won't do it" have actually never tried. If I ask the power company with enough notice, they will disconnect, and reconnect, any service I want them to. That includes CT service to be unhooked at padmounts at 11 PM, and reenergized by 5 AM, they'll do it. It just takes planning. Something you guys are sacrificing safety for convenience and speed and blame it on the power company. I call Bologna.


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

B4T said:


> I work the same way as Shockdoc.. that is how it is done here on Long Island..
> 
> It doesn't make us right and you wrong or the other way around..
> 
> ...


 
There are a few States that have no speed limit in some places. Does that give you thee okay to hammer a crotch rocket, sip a Pepsi and text at the same time?

Being comfortable about it is one thing, allowing it across the board is another. The biggest thing wrong with that video is it was broadcasted on public television:jester:

You could be planned and suited for that job in a perfect world, but there is a big problem here,.....we don't live in a perfect world.

I could cut and bug here, but all I have to do is place a simple call for a cut-out. That guy may have done those cut-ins all his career. I made plenty of bad judgements in my life and never hurt anyone else, but I *SURE* could of. Looking back, I did some really off the wall chit, even just in a car with passengers. I could of really destroyed a few families lives. At the time I didn't care, then I grew up and kick myself in the azz many times over and over again for the stupid chit I did.

Cutting in when it could of been planned otherwise is just ignorant to me. I'm sorry, my opinion isn't worth much at all, but I came to a point in life where I quit taking chit for granted................


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

76nemo said:


> There are a few States that have no speed limit in some places. Does that give you thee okay to hammer a crotch rocket, sip a Pepsi and text at the same time?
> 
> Being comfortable about it is one thing, allowing it across the board is another. The biggest thing wrong with that video is it was broadcasted on public television:jester:
> 
> ...


I once drove my car at 140mph because the speedometer went up to 160.. 

Now I would never go past 80mph.. too much can go wrong..

I cut in each tap like it is my first and think before I make a move..

I respect your opinion.. :thumbsup:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Oh BS, I bet half the guys who say their power company "won't do it" have actually never tried. If I ask the power company with enough notice, they will disconnect, and reconnect, any service I want them to. That includes CT service to be unhooked at padmounts at 11 PM, and reenergized by 5 AM, they'll do it. It just takes planning. Something you guys are sacrificing safety for convenience and speed and blame it on the power company. I call Bologna.


The poco will shut unerground services and office buildings for switch gear work..

For over head services on a residental house you are on your own the poco knows that we do it up here and untill somone gets killed doing it that will not change any time soon,,.

If they wanted it to be safe there would be a disconnect switch at each pole for each service drop..


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

Where I live it's not a big deal to have the POCO come out and cut/reconnect for you. You might wait 20 minutes on them. 

Out in the country you might have to wait a month. You have to cut and reconnect out there, thats just the way it is. They will give you the crimps if you go by their shop though.


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## Rockyd (Apr 22, 2007)

76nemo said:


> There are a few States that have no speed limit in some places. Does that give you thee okay to hammer a crotch rocket, sip a Pepsi and text at the same time?
> 
> Being comfortable about it is one thing, allowing it across the board is another. The biggest thing wrong with that video is it was broadcasted on public television:jester:
> 
> ...


Voice of experience is what I'm hearing:thumbsup:

People don't get how precious life is till things go bad...Seeing ugliness happen, and being at a distance, too far away to affect any outcome...seeing it just pushes a cold wave through a person.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> the poco knows that we do it up here .


 



The power company knows guys do it here too. My point is, I bet you don't even ask. I guarantee with a phone call it can be determed for you.


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## Wiredude (May 14, 2010)

Where we're at here in SW PA we deal with primarily 2 power companies, Allegheny Power, who do the disconnect/reconnect for you (and insist on doing so, except in case of an emergency disconnect), and Duquesne Light (who serves Allegheny Co, which includes the city of Pittsburgh). When dealing with Duquesne Light it is expected practice for the electrician to cut the old drop off, and "bug" back on themselves.
I used to work at a large supply house down in Pittsburgh, and nearly every resi service we sold, the electricians would ask for the 'parallel grove' mechanical clamps for hooking onto the drop.
I'm not saying it's safe, right, or anything else, but it is 'expected practice' with that utility.


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## Mike D (Sep 16, 2008)

http://www.electriciantalk.com/f12/reconnecting-live-electrical-service-22070/

Wasnt this already beat into the ground?


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

Mike D said:


> http://www.electriciantalk.com/f12/reconnecting-live-electrical-service-22070/Wasnt this already beat into the ground?


Yeah it was...


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Mike D said:


> http://www.electriciantalk.com/f12/reconnecting-live-electrical-service-22070/
> 
> Wasnt this already beat into the ground?


One of the outstanding things the members of ET can do is beat a thread into the ground and then breathe new life into it..:laughing:

The is no such thing as a "dead horse" around here.. :whistling2::laughing:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

mcclary's electrical said:


> The power company knows guys do it here too. My point is, I bet you don't even ask. I guarantee with a phone call it can be determed for you.



I can ask all i want and i will still get the same answer...no!:laughing:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> I can ask all i want and i will still get the same answer...no!:laughing:


 


BS.........


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> I can ask all i want and i will still get the same answer...no!:laughing:


That is absolute BS.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

I cut and reconnect live drops in the rain, bare handed, while standing on an aluminium ladder that has sunk a foot into the ground all the time. I can eat electricity and crap out neutrons.

Wasn't 1 thread about this video enough? This is absolute dildos.

~Matt


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## Fiki (Sep 28, 2010)

As an apprentice, I would not under any circumstances do that. Maybe when I get some in field training and become a journeyman I can feel more comfortable with it. As it stands now I do not consider myself competent enough to work on anything live without at least proper instruction. Last thing I want is a 6 month career cut short by death. When I feel like I am at that level, I think I would be okay with it. To me it seems more of an issue of experience and know how rather than actual safety concerns.


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## Easy Al (Feb 28, 2011)

I understand that is standard pracitice in some places but shouldn't he have some kind of ppe on? I also feel the same way im to new to the trade to pull off something like that unless i was properly trade.


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

I just want to know how he did it with those allen keys.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

crazyboy said:


> I just want to know how he did it with those allen keys.


What do you mean?


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

HackWork said:


> What do you mean?


In the quick glimpse I saw, it looked like he was using regular metallic folding allen keys to tighten the tap onto the live conductor. Perhaps I am seeing things?


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## AFOREMA1 (Nov 23, 2009)

crazyboy said:


> In the quick glimpse I saw, it looked like he was using regular metallic folding allen keys to tighten the tap onto the live conductor. Perhaps I am seeing things?


It was really not an issue as long as you do not short yourself in one of the other two connections. Although since it is live work he should have used insulated tools.

But lets face it he was wrong in many ways and not the best example. We do our own disconnect here especially on resi but I wear my gloves and hard hat and face shield on hook ups just to be safe and use my insulated stuff.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Joe has not been here in a while.. Last Activity: 04-19-2011 05:00 PM 

He does have a lot of knowledge about this trade.. :thumbsup:


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## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

Y'all scared him off


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

crazyboy said:


> In the quick glimpse I saw, it looked like he was using regular metallic folding allen keys to tighten the tap onto the live conductor. Perhaps I am seeing things?


I do the same thing in the few cases that I used Polaris taps. I use uninsulated channel locks to tighten split bolt connectors. I use an uninsulated screwdriver to tighten a romex connector when I know the PoCo is going to upgrade the line.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

HackWork said:


> I use uninsulated channel locks to tighten split bolt connectors.


Me too, but I wear my 500 volt rated gloves.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Peter D said:


> Me too, but I wear my 500 volt rated gloves.


Too cumbersome, IMO.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

HackWork said:


> Too cumbersome, IMO.


They're not that bad, actually. It's the 1000V and up that get awfully cumbersome. They do make your hands sweat like crazy, but otherwise, you still have a great deal of dexterity with them on.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

B4T said:


> Joe has not been here in a while.. Last Activity: 04-19-2011 05:00 PM
> 
> He does have a lot of knowledge about this trade.. :thumbsup:



And one thing he did while here was to delete the video. :whistling2:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Peter D said:


> They're not that bad, actually.


I agree, class 00 gloves are not that bad.

http://www.texsoinstruments.com/ppe-arc-flash/hand-safety-protection/class-00-500v-glove-kit


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## AFOREMA1 (Nov 23, 2009)

BBQ said:


> I agree, class 00 gloves are not that bad.
> 
> http://www.texsoinstruments.com/ppe-arc-flash/hand-safety-protection/class-00-500v-glove-kit


Hey what are you doing with my gloves.


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