"Dielectric".......Bucket Trucks

[brendonv]

Dielectric "not able to conduct electricity".

What does this allow in terms of bucket trucks. I'm not asking because I want to lay a bucket truck on wires, I'm just curious in terms of.

Can you lay the boom on uncoated wires? The man on the ground is safe if said bucket truck touches wires...?

Just curious.

 

[cory]

Good question. With my ALC, I never let the boom touch uncoated wires, didn't want to find out what would happen. With coated wires on a side street, I would avoid touching them but have touched them briefly a few times,nothing happened. I always try to avoid touching all wires as a general rule.

 

[NeTree]

Dialectric tests run up to 65kV through the boom insulators for a specific amount of time.

So in theory, yes, you could lay the boom on the wires and be safe; but in reality, it would be stupid and illegal.

 

[SkwerI]

I try to maintain clearance from bare wires and in a perfect world it would be safe, but some times I do touch bare wires with the fiberglass portion of the upper boom. I do make it very clear to everyone on the ground whenever I'm working near high voltage lines that absolutely no one is to touch the truck when my boom is close to the wires. I make sure every person on the jobsite is very clear on that every single time and so far I haven't electrocuted anybody yet.

I also have the dielectric bucket liner so I'm safe as long as I ignore all the people who suggest I do something stupid like drill drain holes in the bottom of the bucket, or cut the liner and shove my saw down between the liner and bucket.

 

[brendonv]

Cool.

I've watched a hacker lay his boom over two uncoated wires at the same time. Scared the shit out of me seeing that.

I stay away from wires myself.

 

[NeTree]

Good question. With my ALC, I never let the boom touch uncoated wires, didn't want to find out what would happen. With coated wires on a side street, I would avoid touching them but have touched them briefly a few times,nothing happened. I always try to avoid touching all wires as a general rule.

Keeping in mind there's "coated" and there's "insulated". The former is just a thin layer of weatherproofing to make the wire last longer; it may still conduct even through this layer. The latter is much thicker, and is designed to prevent the flow of electricity in wires from one another or ground, such as in hendricks or triplex.

 

[NeTree]

I do make it very clear to everyone on the ground whenever I'm working near high voltage lines that absolutely no one is to touch the truck when my boom is close to the wires.

I do the very same.

 

[brendonv]

I need ehap training. There's a class in April. Consider me signed up.

 

[cory]

I do the very same.

Me 3

 

[cory]

I should sign up too. Do you like my technical description of lower voltage wires:"wires on a side street?":what:

 

[SkwerI]

Excellent move, Brendon. I gained training through former employers many years ago and it's easy to remember the basics but forget where I learned them. Formal electrical training will be something that will give you a knowledge base that you'll carry through your career.

 

[NeTree]

Cory, I knew you meant primary vs secondary.

 

[Tucker943]

I HATE electricity. I have never been formally educated on the one and outs of working around wires. Hence the fact that I made contact with a primary years ago when working for a line clearance company. You'd think they'd have given me more then a 3 minute crash course on working around wires. I need to look into learning more.

 

[NeTree]

I love electricity. But hey, it makes me lots of money!

 

[Tucker943]

In the right hands, its gold.

 

[sotc]

Brendon, your "typical" residential wires are around 13kv and your boom should be tested at over 60kv so technically your answer is yes. If your boom is wet or dirty (not likely in your case) it can conduct electricity. There is special hydraulic fluid to use, don't replace broken hoses with steel braid or you can bypass the insulators. Supposedly if you are not going to maintain your boom in a die electric manner then your supposed to notify the manufacturer who will then make a record of it (in case you sell it or it is involved in an electrical snafu) and they will then send you "non insulated" stickers to put on the boom

 

[woodworkingboy]

a 3 minute crash course on working around wires.

Reminds me of the person that first taught me how to use a tablesaw. He turned it on and then pointed at the spinning blade, then yelled into my ear over the noise, "Don't touch that". Then he walked away. Good advice!

 

[SkwerI]

I will check with my Altec guy but I believe the only reason to use dielectric fluid is if you're going to run hydraulic stick saws. They use hydraulic fluid as bar lube and therefore you create an open hydraulic system with exposure to power lines.

If you remove the tool ports at the bucket (as I did) and do not have an open system then I don't see how your hydraulic system can be exposed to power in normal use.

 

[SkwerI]

Reminds me of the person that first taught me how to use a tablesaw. He turned it on and then pointed at the spinning blade, then yelled into my ear over the noise, "Don't touch that". Then he walked away. Good advice!

LMFAO! Good one, Jay.

 

[sotc]

Metal blocks along the boom that hoses are threaded into. I don't know the die electric characteristics of standard hydraulic fluids but I think of it as a chain, the more conductive parts you add in the better the odds of creating a conductive boom. You may get away with a change here and a change there but you may not also. Having employees I try to be "by the book", it is not easy but I try

 

[SkwerI]

Good point, Willie. As an employer you have to look at the liability angle much closer.

 

[sotc]

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry christmas!

 

[Tucker943]

Reminds me of the person that first taught me how to use a tablesaw. He turned it on and then pointed at the spinning blade, then yelled into my ear over the noise, "Don't touch that". Then he walked away. Good advice!

It's funny but at the same time its scary.

 

[Husabud]

I need ehap training. There's a class in April. Consider me signed up.

There is a class in Kingston,Ri on Feb 21 check TCIA. It is free.

 

[tophopper]

For those interested in EHAP training.......

Now is your chance. It is being offered free all over the country this year between now and August. Jump on that it usually cost in the neighborhood of 200 buck per.


http://www.tcia.org/training/ehap.htm