WARNING...WARNING...WARNING

[murdock]

ALL ELECTRICIANS OUT THERE I KNOW THIS SOUNDS STUPID BUT YOU NEED TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL...BEWARE OF WORKING ON INSTALLATIONS YOU THINK ARE SWITCHED OFF.

i have just had a bad experience i went to site switched off a plug circuit...tested the circuit and it was off so i removed the plug...a couple minutes later there was a load bang and the e/l unit tripped...the place i was working was having the daily load shedding...i arrived at 9.55 and at 10.10 the power came back on while i was working on the circuit...the plug circuit which i had switched off was not the correct one...i should have tested first to see if the power was on then switched off the correct circuit...i was lucky it was just a plug circuit which was on earth leakage...

i know this sounds silly all electricians and especially their staff who might not be as switched on as you are need to be more vigilant and on their toes with this load shedding...dont just assume the power is off
CARRY OUT THE CORRECT ISOLATING PROCEEDURES AND BEWARE OF GENERATES WHICH COULD START UP OR THE POWER COULD COME BACK ON WHILE YOU ARE WORKING ON THE SYSTEM ...PEOPLE ARE NOT FITTING THE CORRECT LABELS ON THE DBs INDICTING THE PRESENCE OF A GENERATOR...THERE ARE LOTS OF UNSKILLED PEOPLE INSTALLING DOING GENERATOR INSTALLATIONS AND OF COURSE THE FOOLS PLUGGING THE GENERATOR INTO THE SOCKET OUTLET.

THE OTHER PROBLEM IS PEOPLE ARE CONNECTING GENERATOR AFTER THE DB MAIN SWITCH WHICH MEANS EVEN IF YOU SWITCH OFF THE MAIN SWITCH THERE COULD STILL BE 230/400 VOLTS FEEDING INTO THE INSTALLATION.

[Dave A]

Time to add some cabling with clamps or crocodile clips on both ends to the tool box, I think. Whenever you're working on a circuit which is supposed to be dead, just bridge everything out as close as possible to your work. Just in case...

A PITA, but there is no price on safety.

[murdock]

and end up dead from arc burns like the electrician in the article i have just finished reading...it is amasing how safety flies out the window when times get tough.

[Dave A]

I wouldn't know from personal experience, but the goal would be to trip the protective circuit breakers etc through the bridge, rather than the alternative.

[murdock]

ecmweb

it would be a good idea for all electricians to read this article.

[Dave A]

A great (if somewhat tragic) read, Murdock. Thanks for giving the link.

A question, though.
Are you seeing electricians earthing the lines when they are working on LV domestic installations?

Here is the scenario that troubles me most.
You isolate the entire (domestic) installation at the main breaker.
You happily start working.
The owner fires up his generator which he has jacked into the installation with a suicide plug.

[murdock]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oyohKmeNpE

they have blocked this video so you have to sign up to prove you are over 18

if you are an electrician or have electrical assists or employ electricians you need to watch this video...to see what you could be setting yourself up for... if you dont supply or wear the protective safety gear required to carry out work on electrical installation hv or Lv...this accident happened to donnie while using a phase rotation meter which was faulty on a LV supply.

you need to be over 18 and if you have a heart it will move you...if anyone in your family works on electricity this is the reality of their job...and for those of you with the suicide cords and using unskilled people... think about what you could be doing to all of us electricians having to work on electrical installations every day of our lives.

[Electrick]

I'm not gonna watch the video. Iv'e seen that stuff right in front of me.

An old electrician , [ I feel like a son to him ] , the one who tought me everything I know , gave me this piece of good advice.

Never asume the line is dead. Treat all wires as if they are still live ,
even if you switched them off yourself.

Don't send someone to switch the power off. Switch it off yourslf.

Put a sign on : Electrician at work. Don't swith on !!