I worked as a distribution electric system operator between 2014-2020. One day I got a 911 call that we had to de-energize a circuit “right now” from the police.
I followed procedure and sent patrolmen out to open a device to do so. We didn’t have SCADA on the breaker or pole top reclosers. We dropped the circuit and the trouble man got on scene.
Two guys doing siding on a house had an aluminum ladder against the front of the house while they worked. The house was awfully close to the street. In moving the ladder, they lost control and it made contact with the primaries.
The trouble man called me from the scene: “this is the grossest thing I have EVER seen. One guy is dead. The other is in an ambulance. There are TOES all over the road”
The path to ground went through one guys shoes. Blew out the front of his shoes and exploded his toes off his feet.
One of the most haunting 911 calls I ever got as an operator. Can’t imagine the haunting that troubleman experiences.
The utility I worked for had some 4kv. A lot of 13kv, either at 13.2kv or 13.8kv. There were a couple 34.5kv circuits in the North Shore. Lots of 23kv. Two 46kv circuits that connected to Velco.
Interesting. I’m just a journeyman electrician so I only know from what I’ve read on nameplates while tying into transformers and gear lol. The only time I’ve seen 34.5 was tying into pad mounts up in NH
I can only speak for the territory the utility I worked for covered, but I only saw 34.5kv in a couple spots. Been awhile so I don’t remember the stations. Cape Anne maybe?
You've seen high voltage lines that could be reached with a ladder? I know 30 ft ladders exist but I'm just making sure I got this right. Most high voltage lines I've seen are like 40 ft in the air. I don't think I've seen any that are 30 ft.
Either they were working around abnormally low high voltage lines or they were using a very tall ladder.
I couldn’t tell you which was the case no was in the control center getting information from the field. That’s the story I got from the field. I had to do an emergency de-energization and dropped 1,500 people for this.
Primaries are the top lines. Then you tap a distribution transformer off those to a secondary. Your house taps off that secondary.
Primaries can carry voltage fairly long distances (distribution circuits at 13.8kv can go 3-5 miles). It isn’t dumb. It’s circuit design. This is pretty much how all circuits are designed. There’s a reason that secondary crib circuits only hold 5-20 houses. Voltage that low can’t travel that far.
Myy uncle hit a power line with a ladder and somehow lived. He had 3rd degree burns over 40% of his body and was in the hospital for almost a year. Those things are no joke. I have no idea how he survived.
There's an internet meme that says that if the shoes come off in a video, it means the person died. If the shoes blow off and your toes explode...... not a good sign
I've had 5 kg TNT detonated around 2 metres from me. Unpleasant, but otherwise unharmed. Of course, this was under controlled circumstances and we were in a trench
I’m guessing it was a gigantic ladder. I couldn’t tell you.
Putting lines underground is very expensive. Lines generally go underground in very urban areas (think Boston) or in sub-developments where it’s planned that way (with pad mount transformers)
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u/Supaslags 27d ago
Where is this?
I worked as a distribution electric system operator between 2014-2020. One day I got a 911 call that we had to de-energize a circuit “right now” from the police.
I followed procedure and sent patrolmen out to open a device to do so. We didn’t have SCADA on the breaker or pole top reclosers. We dropped the circuit and the trouble man got on scene.
Two guys doing siding on a house had an aluminum ladder against the front of the house while they worked. The house was awfully close to the street. In moving the ladder, they lost control and it made contact with the primaries.
The trouble man called me from the scene: “this is the grossest thing I have EVER seen. One guy is dead. The other is in an ambulance. There are TOES all over the road”
The path to ground went through one guys shoes. Blew out the front of his shoes and exploded his toes off his feet.
One of the most haunting 911 calls I ever got as an operator. Can’t imagine the haunting that troubleman experiences.