Dangers of high voltage lines,

alongside San Mateo Bridge, they used helicopters to spray down the dust that settled on the high lines, saw a company movie of helicopter carrying a lineman up to work on those live wires

copter extended a pole and drew an arc to bring copter to line voltage, one impressive arc, then worker was lowered to stand on the energized line itself, guy said he could feel the voltage sensation but no ill effects, they had to stay away from the towers while doing this, think voltage was over 600k

Dump bodies on trucks are another one to use some discretion with too. Seen that happen before.

I deal with these darned high voltage lines at our place quite often. I forget the voltage on each line, need to ask a lineman, ( additional line coming through currently on wood poles, and upgrades, still ongoing work etc.) On the set hung from steel towers, I think they are over 70,000 volts ea. or over 100,000 ea. and the bottom pair hang real low in the middle of the span, I'd not even chance crossing under with anything bigger than my 850 ford. I had a Cat 420 hoe back there and I crossed close to the tower where the lines are high, the hoe was too high for my liking. I know the conductor size is at it's max. size, according to the linemen they would would have to re-insulate to upgrade this set hung from the towers, but there's enough power there to melt a truck I'm sure. Been here all my life and I've always been real careful around them. Parents showed me an newspaper photo when I was a kid, of a burned pair of sneakers, just the rubber soles left, said the boy climbed the tower and that's all that was left, aint ever forgot that one. One tower I can drive right under and through it, used to get a kick out of that as a kid, then I took over the brush hogging and used to mow around the tower. Another set had big ole guy wires, those I used to drive in between, and no I'd not want to latch onto one by any means. With all the work going on at this easement now, I stay well away, they have made a temp bypass to erect another steel tower 150'-0" high, to make the crossing on the large pond, across the state road to the other new tower. Local college, R.P.I. needs more juice so this dormant easement is getting beefed up.

In the summer they hang lower and cross part of a nice field, and directly over a small freshwater fed pond, which my dad pushed out with our old D7, with an overhead ridge beam type cable blade. Looking at where the pond is now and where those wires are, I cannot imagine running a crawler under there, especially like one with the headache rack, there is a D8 in the YT photo ads with that same set up. Maybe they've sagged more since the late 60's, I dunno.

In the summer when it gets hot and humid, or heavy dew, things seem to crackle at night, I stay the hell away from em, I've always dreaded crossing under with the D7, so again have to go by the tower to be safe.

I've also noticed that when on foot, whilst crossing under the pair that hang low, ( that could be a joke, better not go there LOL ! ) if I hold my rifle at say port arms, but higher, I can get a consistent blue spark to jump across to my finger and buzz away !

Anyone care to comment on that ? It would seem to me they are too low, and it must be a solid 1" diameter conductor, say 12-14 feet above grade, lower when its hot and could be 70,000 volts or more. The towers have a cable grid surrounding the base in the ground, according to the as built drawings shown to me by the right of way agent.

That blue spark on the trigger gaurd can't be good, have always wondered at what point will it arc off at you, and I certainly won't be checking for spark under there anymore.

It's good to hear this turned out without much more than a scare, and is also a good reminder about safety around power lines. Boy that was a close one, and fortunate that the power at that location was the way it was.

Had it happen to me once, was on a road job, undercutting a street, and the old junk excavator, an Insley 1000 that I was running had some worn out control linkages, while swinging under the secondary lines, the linkage for the boom broke and jammed somehow. The boom was headed into the secondary lines, I could not stop it, I jumped out before it hit, this shut the job down for the day. City worker lost control of a late 60's vintage heavy duty snowblower, on a steep hill, he jumped, it was headed for a pole with 3 transformers on it, broke the pole in half and the lines were laying across it, and this was 2 days ago. Now they're getting a new one.

Its hard to judge the clearances to lines and unsafe to measure with anything but a surveyor's transit or a known clean fiberglass pole made for the purpose used by a lineman wearing appropriate insulating gloves.

That fellow missing both legs and an arm sounds like my first case testifying in court, by the name of Hysell. Happened in Sioux City, probably about 1973.

Gerald J.

He said it was no problem to do it hot.
While connecting the lines at the weatherhead one hit the aluminum siding and aluminum ladder. Needless to say it knocked him on his @$$. Thank God he wasn't seriously hurt. Still finished to job live. But, left the meter out while connecting it to my new panel in the house.

10 years later we all laugh about this, but at the time I think he believed his was invinceable. And yes he is a journeyman electrician. Kinda scary, huh.

Rick
Rick

I only had problems with overhead lines once. They were 220 and the Father of the friend I was doing the work for works with hot lines on the job. What was real funny was I was pushing a tree, I was pushing away from the line, Had it loose but couldn't get it out. Buddy suggested that I push the other way. I pointed out the lines I had noticed. Buddy said THEY'LL MISS NO PROBLEM. Took him at his word and pushed the other way and watched the sparks fly. Fortunatly in my case also no one was hurt and the subject brings a laugh when we bring it up again.

I had called that one right originally and try to look up from now on.

This one applies to hauling old iron also guys. Remember the elevator on a Threshing machine may clear on the ground but if you add the 3 to 4 feet of a trailer deck you may be in trouble.

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE

jt

I was loading corn on semi trailer"s with a Kinze grain cart and a JD8960 4WD. The trucks/trailers were parked along the edge of the field near the power lines, just inside the poles where the wires had the most ground clearance. During the day I never came close, but as it became dark, the guys driving the trucks stayed more on the road than in the field edge. After I completed unloading on one trailer while pulling away I began folding the auger on the cart. I just happened to look back and to my shock I had snagged a power line. Getting it off the auger wasn"t as simple as backing out the way I came into it, not with the big articulating JD 8960. Luckily there was enough stretch (I had it pulled atleast 6 foot from where it should have been) in that power line that I didn"t do any damage to the line, the equipment or myself. Lesson learned. Be cognizant of where your at at all times.