Reppy,

It seems the industry our side of the pond is ahead for once, eye protection for many companies has been mandatory for years and faceshields have come into play in the last few.

Even the...

A lot more chance of going home alive and as Bren's already said it's illegal to work it hot over here unless there are special circumstances and saving time isn't one of them.

If it needs to go off, then it does.

Most larger areas have link boxes on the LV to allow some loads to be supported by other substations. Bear in mind that in a city or industrial/business...

That explains quite a bit.

To add to Bren's last post. UK regulations now require pretty much anything on a domestic dwelling to be protected by an RCD (GFI ??) inside the dwelling.

So we...

Not a prob at all Bren,

I wouldn't be putting myself in the firing line either.

There are times to blag it (generally when your own ar$e is on the line) and times to play the game.

When it...

Can one of you guys across the pond explain to us over here in the "we work it dead Isle" what protection you have between the LV main and the customer's "panel" ??

In the UK we have fusing before...

It's about 700m from memory when I was discussing it a few weeks ago with a project engineer.

Individual services are a maximum of 42 metres in Eastern UK (from the main)

All at 240/400 volts. ...

The batteries are always flat in mine so I still look at the trees. If they aren't bending then if I'm in a bucket then as I go up I get a feel for it, if I'm climbing on a steel structure it's...

Reppy,

Have a look at Ebay, item no. 27139878490 (hope it's ok to post that on here)

Somewhat cheaper than a defib and possibly as likely to save a life - ok, maybe not but worth £10


Stu

Bren,

I can't calculate it either but we've got a little anemometer that measures it.

Generally if the trees are moving then I'm staying in the deck unless it's life and death.

Our company...

Our "belts" in the UK tend to have four days rings but there are two on the hips for positioning then one front and one back for fall arrest.

Bren will no doubt remember true belts but since I've...

Bren,

If it makes you feel better, one of my customers lost £250000 worth of steam engine off the side of a low loader.

Slid down the road and missed an lv pole by inches.

That was one hell...

First time ever I managed to be on site whilst a pole was being set "live line". Really good to watch the process and the number of guys involved as spotters. The one I saw was "planted" in the...

I spent Friday and Saturday night in my tent helping look after 23 cubs, missed all the football but from what I've heard I don't think I missed much.

Perfect spot as hardly any mobile coverage...

Happy birthday Bren,

On the plus side it's not raining !

Stu

It remained live until the network was remotely switched (and then obviously wasn't earthed) until the guys from UK power networks made it to site.

The driver walked away !

Stu

Reppy,
We have the electricity at work act which in one of its parts makes it effectively illegal to work live unless there is no sensible way of doing it dead. (the real words are slightly...

I spent the back end of last week with a team landing a 400kva padmount and cabling 350m to a radar. Middle of a very flat airfield with chalk and mud everywhere.

Wet was an understatement.

...

Have a great break Bren, don't worry about this side of the water... we'll manage to keep the lights on somehow without you.

Obviously the fuse didn't want to fit in the holder if Dave is using...

I've read this morning it was about 600000 off reppy, with quite a few still off. The rural 11kv networks which are overhead have taken quite a bashing I believe.

The worse we had was October 1987...

I'm away but from what I have seen and heard, Essex and the South East took a hard hit.

There's still several thousand off supply, with over 200000 off at the height of the storms I understand.
...

It's probably planned that way because the management are thinking you'll be keen to get it cracked and back home...

Stu

you weren't busy you could of slipped over to Essex and swapped a pole out for me on a farm.

Hole was perfect, pole was good but access was appalling. We couldn't get close enough with anything...

The Health and Safety at work act was 1974 I think Bren, might have taken a few years to get over the Irish Sea :)

We've also got the electricity at work act over here in the UK which pretty much...

I'm about 20 miles north east of the Essex one. Pass it quite often on my travels.

Bren, they are currently restringing the line from Rayleigh grid down towards thurrock to supply the new port at...