Live Cable Joints - One electrician in hospital

[ktech]

Hi,
Got an interesting job today after been called out to change a distribution board. All sounded ok till I got on site. As I arrived a fast response ambulance was present and a big one just leaving. Turns out the first electrician was in it after shorting across phases and getting a flash burn plus shock. This one will be interesting I thought.

Whilst speaking with the site manager he asked if I did 'live joints'. Without even thinking I said no. But after leaving started to thinking what was he talking about. Has anybody come across doing these? I have not had this request in the past and wouldn't attempt it but wondered how it's done and in what circumstances.

 

[DHES-LTD]

My mate works for Central Networks as a jointer and he does them all the time, mainly teeing a new supply cable in to an existing mains service cable, you can't isolate a whole street just to do a joint, but he does have all the specialist insulated tools and the gloves to do so. Its very intresting to see him put his gloves on and stip the cables live and pull them away from each other before jointing. Ive even seen him on phone while having 1 phase in each hand.

 

[ktech]

Bet the life insurance premiums are a bit steep!

 

[lockhes]

iv watched them doing this god knows how they do this id be NO SWEARING myself

 

[gorilla]

Seen it done myself and I have to admit it is something I would never think of doing working on live feeds over 240V. I'm happy to do some live work on stuff under 240V. It is one of the things I need to do for my college course is do some live work at 110V Phase to Phase. But would never try anything over 240 that is just for people who are slightly mad.

But thinking about it more than likely I will end up having to do live work on larger voltages if I am going into the engineering side of things.