Voltage Detector For Proving Dead

There is still a small probability of applying earth to the live end due to human error;

Sounds like a candidate for Darwin's Award, one that their head stone will proclaim for eternity.

LOL!!!

That was a comment that I have HAD TO use in the past with such posts too!!

Well put!

The sensor which I found to work best emits low "grunts" and spittle when conducting overhead line voltage to earth, and is known as a "Yogendra Detector".

Seriously, though...it is almost impossible to stop unqualified personnel or inattentive personnel from getting killed and/or causing damage to the people and property around them.

The no-contact devices you are perhaps familiar with are only as good as the skill level of the operator.

To remove the human error part of any equation...remove the human.

Just to follow on from RAM.

I spent most of my life in electrical engineering, I'm pretty ingenious when it comes to safety. The operatives were a damn site more ingenious than I.

Me, "there's no way can they do that", they did!

With set procedures the situation shouldn't arise. BUT, you can't engineer out stupidity.

One thing that's bugging me. Why are there no fault rated earth switches?

Tony,

Because they are not intended to be closed onto a live circuit. That's what all the key interlocks are for, to ensure that no one can operate the switch until there is no possibility of it becoming energized; i.e., every breaker/disconnect that touches that section of bus is open/racked out.

After all that, the switch must remain closed to:

1. Drain any residual charge from a long section of cable,

2. Drain any induced voltages from mutual coupling with nearby circuits,

3. ensure that some bozo bypassing a lockout tag won't energize it,

4. guard against a live circuit making inadvertent contact with the section.

When I was a coop student I was out with an underground crew and watched them use a hydraulic "spear" through the cable they were going to work on. I asked them why they were ruining a perfectly good section of cable, their response was "...this way we know that the circuit is dead so we won't be if someone else screws up..."

Btw- the closed grounding switches are rated for the maximum available short circuit current at that point in the system, otherwise they can become a pretty spectacular fuse element if a live transmission line were to somehow drop onto it.

Safety first, last, and always.

Alan

Connect a voltage transformer primary to the hot end of the stick and connect the other end of the voltage transformer to ground.

Put a bright light bulb on the secondary side of the voltage transformer.

If the high voltage lead on the stick arcs a bit when it gets near the line and the bulb lights up the odds are pretty good that the line is still hot.

If it's that simple why couldn't they use this setup to interlock the earth switch? So there's no possibility of activating the earth switch when the line is still live.

Firstly, I would hope that any point that MIGHT be at a high voltage is easily identifiable visually, even if its only a special colour of paint on a non contact are.

Then, as has been pointed out already by others, a method of testing first needs to be instituted.

Then, if an error has been made, a swift method of removing the wrong connection must (best automatically) be instituted....

BUT, as many have already said, you cannot fix STUPID!!!!

My personal take is to use correct switchgear, correctly installed with all safety requirements as well....using any form of indication on such voltages can be very misleading and give easily wrong indications.....

Your "hand and foot" method is simply too dangerous and unsafe.....reminiscent of fourth (fifth??) world countries where human life has little or no value!!

You do not give a location either, why not?

I looked online and found many companies making 66KV fault indicators, for example:-

6 - 66KV Fault Indicators

Use google nd the search argument "indicator for 66kv lines" for example.

It all boils down to how highly you value human life!!!

Of course there is a device for this. It has been commonly used for the past 20 years by linesmen. If you are only now asking about this device, you should really consider being in an alternate profession as real linesmen hate competing with FW's. If you think there is a small probability of connecting to a live line after all procedures in a switch-yard, OHL have been complied with and all safety equipment checked, verified usable and safe to use, calibrated, the control room procedures complied with the, the groundsman watching your every move, then you should NOT be on any line work, cable work or in a sub station as you are the unsafe person who will be killed or get another killed.

The best advice is if you think there is a small chance the connection is going on to t live conductor, then you gut is right and you immediately back off and recheck everything from the start. And make 100% sure.

Even if you have to do this more than twice. If in doubt, don do it!!!!! Golden rule No1. Don't forget it!!!!

In the US, there have been countless attempts to improve on line tests before work in done. There is probably not any better tests until some procedure comes from new technology yet to be invented

I can't believe the calibre of people on this forum. Proximity meters, CATU, look it up and buy a few of them, for your own sake and staying alive. How can you work on any OHL and not know to use a proxi meter before applying an earth. You scare me and many other OHL builders.

Munster is correct, but he missed, 'when new technology arrives you wont have a job and you wont be needed. It will all be done by computer and mechanical/electrical devices'.

Proper isolation, tagging and padlocking, communication procedures, earthing of the dead lines under maintenance, safety mats over exposed lines in proximity to the workers and proper safety gear and training are generally enough to prevent dead lines becoming live and injuring workers.

Nothing is idiot proof, and if the line becomes live a worker is going to be dead before any voltage detector alarm has a chance to operate.

"Nothing is idiot proof, and if the line becomes live a worker is going to be dead before any voltage detector alarm has a chance to operate."

Isn't that the truth