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When overhead electrical line workers employ proper personal protective grounding practices they are usually protected from electrical hazards that might arise from working on de-energized lines and equipment. But, what about workers at ground level? How are they protected, and from what kinds of situations are they protecting? The answer is from hazardous differences in step and touch potentials.

It can be a challenge to identify the right elbow for varying applications. There are so many different points to consider when planning for your utility. Therefore, we put together seven simple questions to help in the process of picking the right elbow.

Elbow and parkingstand arresters are provided with a ground wire as well as a grounding eye for attaching a No.14 or equivalent drain wire. It is important to understand the correct way to install the drain wire, so that it does not negatively impact the performance of the arrester.

Pilot Protection Relaying uses a communications channel (pilot channel) to provide coordination between the line protection relays. The relaying system is an advanced alternative to Step Distance Relaying which requires no communication and therefore manual coordination between relays.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUIPMENT REPOSITIONING

In recent years, the U.S. has been faced with several different types of natural disasters from devastating floods, tornadoes and hurricanes to Super Storm Sandy. These disasters have made us rethink how to ensure the safety and reliability of our infrastructure and facilities.

1. Ensure cutback dimensions are accurate and all cuts are square.
2. Do not nick or cut the shield, insulation or conductor when preparing the cable. This can lead to over-heating and dielectric failure. 
3. Terminate the metallic shield as close to the separable connector as possible. Do not expose more of the semi-con than is recommended.

When designing a high voltage transmission line utilizing toughened glass bell insulators, engineers must consider whether or not to specify a zinc sleeve to accompany the insulator pins. Although the upfront cost is slightly more than the forged steel pin, those who are new to the use of toughened glass bells may ask what justifies a slightly higher expense for the addition of this feature.

1. Follow all safe work practices and recommended work procedures.
2. Review instruction sheet. Form cable, with no sharp bends, to the bushing. Terminate the metallic shield (neutral) as close to the separable connector as possible. Do not expose more of the semi-con than is recommended.

Surge arresters can extend the life of system assets by limiting the voltage across expensive substation equipment during a switching surge event. Station class arresters must be carefully selected to provide the best protection.

Available in two sizes, the new Hot Box® PEZ (Polyethylene EZ) drop-over features visual and structural enhancements with our dependable quality and performance. The structurally enhanced High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) construction streamlines manufacturing time which enables stock items to generally ship within 5 business days of order from our facility in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Also, as a result of the structural enhancements, the enclosure has more space inside and outside of the product.