Saw someone blow the DNOs Fuse today

[newtothis]

Today I witnessed my first electrical BANG !
When someone actually blew the DNOs fuse.

Just so no-one else does it, it was caused by joining L+N at the RCD with the busbar.

 

[Simonslimline]

Crikey. How did they manage to do that and not realise?

 

[Paul.M]

it was caused by joining L+N at the RCD with the busbar.

Oh please tell us more. Pictures would be great :willy_nilly:

 

[newtothis]

Gawd knows, luckily it was an empty property .

 

[newtothis]

I'll get pics on Monday

 

[newtothis]

I'm working as a electricians mate - I work with a bloke who been put on light duties by his firm.
Maybe it's something to do with his Meds. I can't say more than that cos it wouldn't be fair.
It's the last time I ever stand close to any thing he's wiring.

 

[Paul.M]

I can't say more than that cos it wouldn't be fair.

I like your style and integrity, a good skill to have in the workplace.

 

[newtothis]

I like your style and integrity, a good skill to have in the workplace.

Thanks Paul, I've only mentioned it the forum cos the trainees is private :thinking: and it was a big event for me.
I think it taught me valuable lesson. The rcd housing was scorched at the front, the busbar is a bit mullered around the U shaped bits that go up to the screws. I got paid for doing nowt for 3 hours while we waited for the Lecky company I was sent to the van when they arrived so I didn't hear what was said.

 

[trev]

On a rewire a few years ago, me and a mate decided to nip out for a tab before we did the CU change and the last few odds and sods before testing. One of the clowns on our squad who we were trying to get rid of decided to disconnect the tails and touch them together so he could have a skive. He actually admitted it to us.
It went with quite a bang.
The only saving grace was that it was the excuse we needed to get rid of him, what he didn't realise was that my mate Mark had a bag full of bullets so he didn't get his skive anyway.

 

[Knobhead]

We had a motor test bed that could run a 200HP motor with no load. Once repaired all motors would be run for an hour to be sure the bearings, etc were OK.

This was about my third year and as some of the older guys will remember we did “phase tests” for the EITB. So I’m given a 150HP motor to overhaul. I’d changed the bearings and I’d done all the tests and so full of confidence I connected it to the test bed.
A motor that size you either stayed back after work or ran it at lunch time when the workshops were shut down and the load low. I’d got a date that night so lunch time it had to be.

Everyone vanished to the canteen and I pressed the start button. There was an almighty flash and bang. It went dark at that point for some reason. I hadn’t blown the 250A fuses, I’d knocked the 11KV breaker out.
The way to the substation was through the canteen where the AP (authorised person) was having his lunch along with75 hungry fitters. I got earache from him, the fitters didn’t bother me it was Ester the fiery Irish cook that terrified me! The b**ch hit me with a soup ladle.

Putting the rotor back in I’d caught the stator winding and damaged the coils. It didn’t show in dead testing, the start up current found it.

I was late showing for my date. I think she forgave me, we were married for 20 years.

 

[Plonker 3]

Seen a couple of bullets blown in the past first when I was a apprentice, second was done by a apprentice.

First one although a bit long winded for reasons that you will see later. We had to pull a 3 phase sub-main in from a DNO distribution cupboard, was over 95 meters long involved digging up section of a service road and going through another unit too. We pulled the SWA in only to be told afterwars that we didn't have permission to go through the other unit, they were quite annoyed that we had gont that way even though director of our company said that was our agreed route. So re-routed cable. (You can probably see where this is going now)

Anyway day came to terminate both ends of SWA, there was a 6x6 (I think) trunking to terminate into the into the meter. There wasnt much room in the DNO cupboard to move and the trunking was notched at various points where cables came through to the meter for the other units.

Gland fitted to trunking me and other bloke I Was working with are wrestling the cable into the trunking only for it to rip the trunking off the wall and a almighty fire work display of canles being damaged by the trunking. I jumped back and had a little realisation what had happened. Bloke I was woking with stands there and pushes trunking back to the wall only for it too happen again.

So I was then told to go and find out which if any units had lost power, it was the unit we had annoyed a few days earlier that had lost 2 phases, took over a hour for DNO to come out and replace the fuse.

Second one, doing some work in a shop in Cork Southern Ireland, manager ofmthe shop wasnt happy we were working in a trading store. Completed the works, left the apprentice to put the DB cover back on I nipped to the toilet while he did this. Light in toilet goes off so I go to investigate.

In putting cover back on board cover screws had been changed for self tappers and he had nicked into a cable while screwing it back. Again another angry manager as this happened on a friday lunch time during the sales season lol.

 

[newtothis]

It was a 60A fuse he showed me it and it was unmarked ( no scorching or signs it had blown) - I guess you're calling them bullets cos they're roughly the same size as a shotgun cartridge ?
I haven't been sacked by the agency, so I guess he's managed to square it away without blaming me.
What a dangerous game this is; when simple human error comes into play !