Voltage Indicator and Proving Unit

David Prosser · Jul 12, 2019

Moley said:
I work at powerstations all over the UK. During outages some of the SAPS are very overworked and on occasions can miss something. As the permits always say, 'check for dead using an approved method before starting work'. it always makes sense!

I'm not questioning you checking for dead but I would certainly question someone issuing a permit that ambiguous. What if the permit was issued to someone non electrical. Surely a P.T.W is to say something is isolated and safe to work on ?

Bobster · Jul 12, 2019

DAvid Prosser said:
I'm not questioning you checking for dead but I would certainly question someone issuing a permit that ambiguous. What if the permit was issued to someone non electrical. Surely a P.T.W is to say something is isolated and safe to work on ?

I've had something similar happen to me whilst working in the quarries. @ruston will have definitely worked on the same.

The face machines (NAVIs) were powered by 3.3KV on a long trailing lead.

Every so often along these leads there was a fixed pit with copper bars inside, to extend or reduce as necessary. On on of the PM jobs, I took the metal lid off one of these pits to reveal the bars. Permit said dead and isolated. I threw a spanner across the bars (not sure why I did it that day). Enormous flash later, those bars were still live, nothing left of the 21mm spanner.

If I'd have made a mess lifting the lid, dropped it, not thrown the spanner 100% I would not be alive today. Since then, I never fully trust permits, until I have seen evidence myself.

David Prosser · Jul 12, 2019

Rob said:
I've had something similar happen to me whilst working in the quarries. @ruston will have definitely worked on the same.

The face machines (NAVIs) were powered by 3.3KV on a long trailing lead.

Every so often along these leads there was a fixed pit with copper bars inside, to extend or reduce as necessary. On on of the PM jobs, I took the metal lid off one of these pits to reveal the bars. Permit said dead and isolated. I threw a spanner across the bars (not sure why I did it that day). Enormous flash later, those bars were still live, nothing left of the 21mm spanner.

If I'd have made a mess lifting the lid, dropped it, not thrown the spanner 100% I would not be alive today. Since then, I never fully trust permits, until I have seen evidence myself.

When I issue a permit I go through the isolation procedure with whomever I'm issuing it to, the final part of this will be to touch the conductors myself. If your not willing to touch them why expect someone else to.

David Prosser · Jul 12, 2019

Should add to that though Rob I went to work in a quarry once (through an agency)only lasted two days as I felt my life expectancy had dramatically decreased due to the very obvious lack of any safety measures. About four months later three blokes were killed there. Not through an electrical fault but through a bucket falling on them due to lack of proper maintenance on the bucket and the fact that people should not of been working under moving buckets.

Bobster · Jul 12, 2019

DAvid Prosser said:
Should add to that though Rob I went to work in a quarry once (through an agency)only lasted two days as I felt my life expectancy had dramatically decreased due to the very obvious lack of any safety measures. About four months later three blokes were killed there. Not through an electrical fault but through a bucket falling on them due to lack of proper maintenance on the bucket and the fact that people should of been working under moving buckets.

At the time of me working in quarries, I think statistically it was the most dangerous place to work, with respect to fatal injuries. More so than the army etc..

Still, I did a good 14 or 15 years there.

There was a few fatalities whilst I was on site there, none electrical related. Unfortunately I witnessed 1 first hand, poor b"astard had retired, an come back in just to help on a shut down.

ruston · Jul 12, 2019

We had a lot of fatal accidents too, but as you say non of them electrically related .
I was involved in a fatality too, a banksman crushed by D8 dozer on a machine I was on.
These were the size of the largest machines buckets.
This is a on a walking dragline in excess of 3000 tons.
This is a stock picture from an adjacent site from ours .
Ace of Spades or, Chevington Lady.
They all had names lol.