Phase to phase or phase to ground?

[hotwiretamer]

Our system included 34.5/19.9 and all we had was class 3 gloves.Had to wear them damn things to work on a streetlight circuit,.2300 delta, 2400/4160,7620/13.2 or the stuff they were designed for. No class 2's even though the most common voltage was 13.2/7620.Every thing we used was rated for the absolute highest voltage we would encounter.The troublemen were furnished class 0 gloves to work secondary.

Thank goodness when the company emplemented the rubber glove rule for secondary voltages we were able to talk them into issuing EVERYBODY Class 0's!!

[Orgnizdlbr]

Yeah I'm not askin if anyone works phase to phase, if ya do I don't wanna see it or be around you when you're doin it, but I'm askin if your glovin rule from a pole for instance is the phase to ground or phase to phase voltage? I never realized some areas consider the phase to phase voltage for their maximum voltage to glove?

Phase to Phase, 12.470 = 15kv on our CBA, we stick everything over 15.....

[rob8210]

Does anybody remember electrical theory? Electricity is generated in a cycle starting at zero , going to a positive peak then back to zero then down to a negative peak. Take your basic 120v. This is called an RMS voltage ( average). The cycle starts at zero goes to a positive peak of 167v then back to zero and then to a negative peak of 167v. Its the same on primary voltages too. That means for 5kv it would peak out at 7kv. This happens two times per cycle . We run 60 cycle systems which means your peak happens 120 times per second. I have had fellas ask me to let them rubber glove 16kv/27.6kv with class 2 gloves. Their thinking is the gloves are tested at 20kv. When you figure out the peak voltage in the cycle it is 22400v . That would be above the gloves test voltage. Just some food for thought. Where I am , it depends on who you are working for. The big utilities say no more rubber gloving primary voltage off the pole. Safety association rules say its ok to rubber glove up to 5kv phase to phase off the pole. 5kv to 15kv can be gloved from an insulated diving board, or a bucket. Above 15kv bucket truck only. Everything is figured in phase to phase voltage

[lewy]

For us the max phase to phase for class 2 is 17kv, class 3 (which we do not have) is 26.5kv and class 4 is 36kv,

[climbsomemore]

MI Lineman is sorta refering to his companies practice of stating systems as the phase to ground voltage. Ask the folks at CE what a circuit voltage is most will quote the phase to ground voltage instead of the phase to phase voltage most of us would like to know. I started in a company where we called voltages by the phase to phase number... and was just a little put out when I realised they(CE) wanted me to do "4kV" work on a multi phase system that offered 8 kV at the pole top.

The 4.8/8.3 Kv system is the most glaring problem.... when you tell an out- of town hand the circuit is "4.8" k V" most folks would think that is some bastardised "4kV" (2400 to ground system) ... when in fact, the 4.8 is within 200 volts of what most experts agree is the maximum that should be worked from a grounded surface (off the pole or earth).

When I left, CE operated at least 10 voltages in 66 counties of Lower Michigan on distribution. If you go into their specs... there are about 7 wye and 5 delta voltages they stock transformers for (IIRC) The majority was 4.8/8.3.Y.. but you could get in areas that were 12K delta, 7200/12240 Y... 14.4 Delta and 14.4/24Kv. CE rubber gloves all of it without lined buckets.

Swampy... in Ohio... First Energy has a limited amount of work that can be done gloveing off the pole on 7kv-ish circuits. They have some extra policies and rules etc. But they are the execption to the norm.

[MI-Lineman]

Right on! That's what I'm referin to! Figured you'ld see it and jump in! Thanks! I just find it weird that some would glove 7.6k off a pole after what you said about 4.8/8320k!

[reppy007]

ive done it,i think our policy or rule was nothing above 4000 volts,and never two phases at the same time,but to be honest i dont want to see some of the guys doing it,being in hooks is one thing,rubber gloving and transfering primary is another,all lineman dont work the same,and its not worth an injury,work safe