OnlQQker
Esteemed
- Reaction score
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Something like this chap was wearingWhile obviously we cannot condone any sort of fuse-pulling activity on these forums, anyone who is doing that sort of work really should be trained to recognise when to leave it to the DNO. Basically anything looking damaged or very old would be an instant red flag.
Also when working on anything that is energised and very high energy you absolutely should be wearing suitable PPE to minimise the damage an arc-flash incident might case. For my own sins (which are many and varied, but not usually involving the DNO) I have ended up with this sort of stuff as a starting point:
CATU CGM-00 Mechanical Insulated Gloves (500V) - Choice of Size
Insulated below 500V Work without leather overgloves Several sizes availablewww.tester.co.ukClick Flame Retardant Coverall (CFRBS) | PPG Workwear
Click Flame Retardant Coverall (CFRBS) Welders coverall. Protects against heat and flame. Concealed stud front to neck. Discounted prices.ppgworkwear.co.uk
The visor is the obvious defence against something going BANG! in your face, but you need gloves to stop both the shock risk and the 3rd degree burns that an arc pushing out 1/4 MW can do in tens of milliseconds. Also you really don't want your cloths going on fire or melting to your skin, so natural fibres and welding-style overalls are a start!
For bigger stuff you get fancier PPE that is rated for much higher energy, etc, and hearing protection is also recommended for the blast wave you can get. True, you look like a worker battling Chernobyl clean-up, but folk doing that really ought to have a full risk assessment and establish the arc-flash energy values to chose it.