Safety Question

[Maintenance Man]

I and another operator were talking about electrical shock from hitting a power line over/under ground and what you should do. We both agree to jump from the machine with both feet at the same time(don't step from the machine). This is where we differ. He says from there you shuffle your feet because you get shocked from lifting your feet off the ground(taking a step), and I have been in many classes that say to shuffel your feet because of the different power levels as you move away from the machine(like circles in the water from a splash). He says he has never heard of this before so I wanted to find some information on this and can't find any info or pictures. Can any one help find info on this???:cry:

[RockSet N' Grade]

If you hit a power line above or below ground, and you are still alive and not being fried......sit still and don't move! Don't touch a thing, sit still and make the phone call to the utilities to shut the line down. That kind of power can jump/arc 3',4',5' through the air to find you. As far as shuffling or jumping from the machine, you are gonna have to ask someone else.......if I am still alive, I am sitting still. If you want answers from the source, call your local power department and talk with management - they will give you some solid info.

[Maintenance Man]

Sitting still is ok unless machine starts on fire -- ouch hot hot hot

[Scag48]

Jumping from the machine is a bad, bad move. You're safe on the machine, regardless of size as long as you sit still. As soon as you try to remove yourself, it'll arc through the machine to you. I've hit 2 legs of 220 and 2 legs of 110 in a 7,000 pound mini and I'm here to tell the tale. Not a serious hit, but I kept on the machine.

[Dirt Digger2]

i would sit even if the machines on fire....better then answering to my boss at the end of the day

[RockSet N' Grade]

Oh yea, the reason you can't find any guys doing the "shuffle" from a machine is because when they did that, there weren't any pieces big enough to take a picture of........they were vaporized!

[ASCHAL45]

When I was working for a the power company they tell you if you have too. Completly jump off the machine with out touching it at all while in the air. When you get off the machine they said to bunny hope but make sure both feet leave and hit the ground at the same time but they said this was just there theory most ppl are to startled to set there and think about doing this but that is what they tought us to do.

Adam

[wanabe]

What does it matter? With steal tracks, you will be dead before you can even think about it.

[Scag48]

What does it matter? With steal tracks, you will be dead before you can even think about it.

Not true at all. The electricity will exit the machine through the tracks and blow a hole in the pads. I know an electrician that saw it happen. Blew a basketball sized hole in a pad and blew the teeth off the bucket on a 120. He said the operator was fine.

[RockSet N' Grade]

Concrete truck hit a power line down the road at a sub-division pour. He was fine until he tried to get out......opened the door, tried to step out and got fried. From what I gathered from the chaps that were there, if he just sat and waited inside the cab and touched nothing he would have made it. Glad I wasn't there, this was just last year and everyone is still talking about it. I am interested to hear from any experts who may be reading what the "proper procedure" for survival is. I think about that stuff all the time when digging anywhere near any type of utility....

[waltero]

[QUOTE=ASCHAL45;2175827]When I was working for a the power company they tell you if you have too. Completly jump off the machine with out touching it at all while in the air. When you get off the machine they said to bunny hope but make sure both feet leave and hit the ground at the same time but they said this was just there theory most ppl are to startled to set




This is the properJob Site Emergencies
If Your Equipment Contacts a Power Line
• Stay on the equipment until rescue workers say it’s safe
to get off.
• If the operator can do so safely, move the equipment away
from the line.
• If fire or other danger forces you off, jump clear without
touching the ground and the equipment at the same time.
Shuffle away, keeping your feet together, for at least 20 feet.
• Warn others to stay away. Anyone on the ground who
touches the equipment may be injured or killed. way to stay safe.


The whole idea is not to be a path for the electricity. If you stay in the machine you become a bird on a wire because the electrical potential is the same all around you.

The biggest problem is that the voltage drops quickly around the site of the equipment that is touching the power lines. If you have to leave the machine you cannot touch the machine and the ground at the same time or it's game over. You would need to jump from the machine and land with both your feet together as if you had a rope tied around your ankles. With your feet together you have to hop away from the machine until you are a good 20-30 feet away from the machine. This is also true during a lightning storm, If you are outside and there is a good chance that lightning will strike then the best position is the fetal position with both of your feet together so that no other part of your body is touching the ground or even a tree. The fetal position would be knees in the chest and arms wrapped around legs.

Now for the why, It is the difference in potential that will allow the electricity to flow in your body. The voltage drops quickly from the point that it enters the ground and if you were walking or running away from the machine, when you had you legs spread there would be a difference in potential and the electricity would then want to flow up one leg and down the other. We are a better conductor then the earth.

I hope that helps a little bit more.

[bobcat_ron]

There's a wicked vid on YouTube with a crane truck touching lines with the boom, very informative!

[ksss]

There's a wicked vid on YouTube with a crane truck touching lines with the boom, very informative!


I spoke with a guy yesterday that owns a pretty good size excavation company. The guy that runs his CASE 330 got the boom wrapped in some power lines. Get this, the power from the lines welded the circle on the excavator. The operator jumped clear of the machine (as stated not a good idea). That is some juice.

[Ausman]

over here we run 240 volt, if you get the wires you best bet is the bend over fast and kiss your butt goodbye.