Anyone Work on live D.B

[Steve93]

Does anyone work live? As lately been working a fair bit ofarmoured and circuits into various boards at different jobs but everytime I do it i think to myself ‘f***them if they can’t live without power for 20 mins’ it’s more like factories and commercial places. What does everyone else do? Just crack on get it done? Or arrange a time to come back and power down?

 

[willy fixit]

To Stay alive don't work live!
Use your head and test for dead!

 

[Jim Cartledge]

I served as an apprentice between 1974 and 1978. In those days it was 'normal practice' to work on live Distribution Boards (LV). Some even had exposed bus-bars which the fuse carriers were fixed to
Not sure these days whether I would even consider it.

 

[Nigel]

Working live is an eceryday occurance for an electrician.

However if we are talking about DBs specifically then you need to way up the risks.

PPE is only the last resort to protect you so if you can avoid it then do. If you can’t you will need to bring in control measures until the risk is at a sufficient level to carry out the task.

 

[satori]

There are industries and situations [...] where shutting down sections are "forbidden", yet when they go off [...] the world does not end.

(paraphrasing)The point i am making is these reasons are monetary, and if you agree to work live, then this risk is taken to benefit someone else, financially.

I think these two points are worth remembering.

EAWR (a reminder)
Regulation 14 Work on or near live conductors
No person shall be engaged in any work activity on or so near any live conductor
(other than one suitably covered with insulating material so as to prevent danger)
that danger may arise unless –
(a) it is unreasonable in all the circumstances for it to be dead; and
(b) it is reasonable in all the circumstances for him to be at work on or near
it while it is live; and
(c) suitable precautions (including where necessary the provision of suitable
protective equipment) are taken to prevent injury

Regulation 29 Defence
In any proceedings for an offence consisting of a contravention of [regulations 4(4),
5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16,]* it shall be a defence for any person to prove
that he took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the
commission of that offence.

Are you confident you could prove you took all reasonable steps?