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Reminds me of 2 situations i got into when i was younger. knew better both times.. but couldn't get outtta the work.. 1st was i was helping a friends family add a breaker box to an older ( much older ) house that had a fuse panel and get this.. NO service disconnect! Old panel was so old when yuo slammed the doors circuits would go on and off.. and there would be arcing and smoke from the fuse box now and then. When my friend showed me this, i called another electrical buddy of mine. We went over with a salvaged breaker box and set up to wiring it up. (family was poor.. )so couldn't afford an electrician.. and house was in good shape but old.. looks like some of it may have been converted fromthe old 'tubes in the wall' type non insulated wireing, to more 'modern' ' 2 prong plugs with no grounding lug. in any case.. we pulled the service line and then added the box, and then added a pull out disconnect. Did it by candle and lantern and big rubber gloves borowed from a lineman.. took a big risk.. but I didn't worry about their house burning down after that. 2nd time was more recent.. say.. about 10ys ago.. I was working for this entertainment company doing sound and lighting for concerts. Another company had hardwired in some big followspotlamps right into a breaker panel, and then their sparky left when the rest of their company did cleanup. The rental guy showed up to pick up the 2 spotlamps and found them still wired in to the panel and live... and wouldn't touch them. It was after the show and i had been an A-1 that night, and got a call from my boss asking me to see if i could do anything about it. Not many people left on the set except for stage hands, security and a few A-2 /gaffers/grips.. etc. I grabbed one of the new guys, my tool bag, and said.. lets go look at that panel. once we got there and looke dit over, i felt better.. it was only a 240 setup.. not a 480 panel. No room to work in there, so i se my tools out, and then looked around and found a broom, and handed it to the a-2, and said here, hold this, and my cell phone and keep ane eye on me. I started popping breakers off the bus, and then the young guy finally asked me.. 'Uh... I'm not sre what i'm suposed to do with this wooden broom?' I said.. 'If I get electrocuted, knock me away from the panel, and then call 911.. the kid turned white.. Anyway.. nothing to the rest of the story.. I pulled the breakers and undid the power lines from them and pulled them out of the electrical room and let the rental guy do the rest... That kid quit shortly after that.. I think I scared him a little! Soundguy
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