Suwannee Tim
09-20-10, 19:28
Don't become a victim.
Good Samaritan killed while trying to help a motorist was family hero, too.
This article (http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-09-19/story/good-samaritan-was-family-hero-too) describes the death of a would be rescuer at a traffic accident at night. He stepped into a 14,400 volt power line and was killed instantly.
Here are some lessons from this tragedy: Be very cautious when approaching a traffic accident near power poles. Downed power lines can be invisible at night. Distribution voltages range from 2.4 kV through 14.4 kV and contact with them can cause instant death or burns so severe that limbs are lost. Power lines can be down and still energized. They can be de-energized one moment and energized the next as either automatic equipment or the system operator re-closes the station breaker. Power lines can be re-closed again and again without warning even after they have been down for some time. Power lines cannot be considered safe until a company crew removes or cuts the lines. The only gloves that will protect you from high voltage is high voltage gloves, no cold weather glove, work glove or tactical glove will offer you any protection at all. If an energized power line is touching a car the car is energized too. In that case the victims must stay in the car. If they attempt to exit they will be killed. All of the above applies to a car in contact with a power line.
It's good to know the difference between power lines and cable and telephone lines. Power lines are isolated from the pole with insulators, telephone and cable are not. Usually power lines are near the top of the pole while cable and phone lines are lower. There will usually be transformers associated with power lines but not with cable or phone lines. If a cable is bound to a steel tension wire it is usually cable or phone. Cable and phone lines are not dangerous unless they are draped over power lines in which case they are every bit as dangerous as power lines.
Good Samaritan killed while trying to help a motorist was family hero, too.
This article (http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-09-19/story/good-samaritan-was-family-hero-too) describes the death of a would be rescuer at a traffic accident at night. He stepped into a 14,400 volt power line and was killed instantly.
Here are some lessons from this tragedy: Be very cautious when approaching a traffic accident near power poles. Downed power lines can be invisible at night. Distribution voltages range from 2.4 kV through 14.4 kV and contact with them can cause instant death or burns so severe that limbs are lost. Power lines can be down and still energized. They can be de-energized one moment and energized the next as either automatic equipment or the system operator re-closes the station breaker. Power lines can be re-closed again and again without warning even after they have been down for some time. Power lines cannot be considered safe until a company crew removes or cuts the lines. The only gloves that will protect you from high voltage is high voltage gloves, no cold weather glove, work glove or tactical glove will offer you any protection at all. If an energized power line is touching a car the car is energized too. In that case the victims must stay in the car. If they attempt to exit they will be killed. All of the above applies to a car in contact with a power line.
It's good to know the difference between power lines and cable and telephone lines. Power lines are isolated from the pole with insulators, telephone and cable are not. Usually power lines are near the top of the pole while cable and phone lines are lower. There will usually be transformers associated with power lines but not with cable or phone lines. If a cable is bound to a steel tension wire it is usually cable or phone. Cable and phone lines are not dangerous unless they are draped over power lines in which case they are every bit as dangerous as power lines.