John,
Isn't one of the functions of the hot stick to let you work "outside the zone?"
That's what the hot-stick is designed for.
Not only does it insulate you from dangerous high voltages, but it also keeps you back from any arc-flash that could occur.
The only metal part of the stick is the tip, the rest of it is Fibre-glass.
One question Paul, how long was the Hot-stick?.
There is a difference between a Hot-Stick and a shorter Switching Stick.
The other thing you have to think about though, is not so much the risk of an arc flash, but the risk of the Oil-Filled CB exploding, they have been known to do this before today, internal faults can go un-noticed until the operating mechanism is moved.
