ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
Increasing demand factors in residential
by gfretwell - 03/28/24 12:43 AM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
Cordless Tools: The Obvious Question
by renosteinke - 03/14/24 08:05 PM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 255 guests, and 16 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
#149701 01/23/04 08:01 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Guy's, I was sent this e-mail by a female lawyer explaining this accident and she want's help with representation in Court.
Obviously I cannot attend court in the US, but, what do you think of the circumstances of this accident?.
Quote
Hello,
My name is XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, I am a paralegal for the law firm of XXXXXXXXXXX in
Lafayette, Louisiana. We have a client who was riding atop a large oilfield
skid that was being transported on a local road. He was assisting in moving the
approaching wires so that the equipment could go under them. They did not have
a push stick and he was not wearing gloves. He touched a fiber optic cable that
belonged to Cox Cable Company and electricity shot through his hand and out of
his knee. It has not been determined as to whether or not the fiber optic cable
became energized of if an energized electric line touched the skid and
electrocuting him in that manner. I need an electrical expert that can prepare
a report one way or the other and testify in court as to what happened

Guys, I'm not too sure what to think of this.
Your input would be gratefully recieved!!. [Linked Image]

Arc Flash PPE Clothing, LOTO & Insulated Tools
#149702 01/23/04 08:04 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Oh and by the way I have emailled her back and told her that I come from New Zealand and that I would be happy to help on Technical matters only.
I already told her that this accident sounds dodgy. [Linked Image]

#149703 01/23/04 08:45 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
It's sounds very dodgy indeed. A guy was actually sitting on top of the apparatus and with his bare hands lifting cables to enable it to pass underneath??!!! [Linked Image]

It sounds as though the load was way too high for the roads in question.

#149704 01/23/04 08:47 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Paul,
What I cannot fathom is the reference to the fibre-optic cable?. [Linked Image]
Because as we all know, fibre-optic cable should not conduct Electricity at any voltage.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 01-23-2004).]

#149705 01/23/04 09:15 AM
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 183
N
Member
I guess the fiber either had a metal outer cladding or a metal messenger. It sounds like it either was grounded and he was hot, or it was hot itself. In either case, anyone touching wiring without proper PPE or determining it is dead (and grounding it) is nuts.

#149706 01/23/04 09:21 AM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
n1ist,
You're darn right bud!.
Quote
In either case, anyone touching wiring without proper PPE or determining it is dead (and grounding it) is nuts.
I never thought of the Messenger angle, are these usually bare in the US?.

#149707 01/23/04 01:55 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Maybe he just thought it was a fiber optic cable and it was actually an energized power cable?

#149708 01/23/04 05:16 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,716
R
Member
Paul, I was thinking on the same lines. This is mighty high voltage to be anywhere near a Fiber Optic cable.

There would be a separation of "feet" between the fiber and a conductor that could impose this voltage.

Roger

#149709 01/23/04 09:47 PM
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Even if the cable was live or whatever.
I really can't help but think that there is a real Safety violation here.
For a start, (using NZ laws), you would not be allowed to ride a moving vehicle in a position like this, wires or no wires!.
Secondly, to move a vehicle under wires like this sounds pretty stupid, considering that most PoCo's will sleeve or de-energise lines if asked, often for free, in the interests of safety and to prevent damage to thier lines.
Thirdly, it's quite apparent that this company has very little in the way of Safety procedures and practically no training for Electrical hazards.
Lastly,
Telescopic Fibreglass Hot Sticks could have been used to raise the lines above the vehicle,from the ground, but no, we want to do it the cheap and nasty way!.
Seems to me that there is also a distinct lack of communication between the firm and thier employees, who the hell would get up on a metal boom and do this sort of thing, gloves or no gloves?. [Linked Image]
{Message edited to add missing part of a sentence}

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 01-23-2004).]

#149710 01/24/04 07:04 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
P
Member
Roger,
The reason that occurred to me is that I've come across many people who cannot tell the difference between 240/415V lines and 11kV lines, or even between power lines and telephone wires. With that in mind, I can easily see somebody being unable to tell fiber optic from power lines, and bearing in mind the actions of this guy, I think it's safe to say he knows very little about electrical matters in general.

Trumpy,
Unless there is some other evidence as to what happened, or even a photo of the "offending" cable, I don't see there's much you can do to help. Without seeing the actual set-up we can only guess as to what happened.

Quote
We have a client who was riding atop a large oilfield skid.....{cut}.... if an energized electric line touched the skid and
electrocuting him in that manner.

I'm not sure, but the first part of this seems to imply that the guy survived. If that's the case, the legal team needs to get its terminology straightened out before taking it to court anyway; electrocuted means "killed by electricity."

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5