Borrowed Neutrals ! (gotta be careful)

[muzza1]

Hi all, my name's Muzza. (Newbie) Thought i'd raise the subject of "the hidden killer" I'm sure some of you older sparks have came across a few in your time. I think we should raise this point just to make people aware of what's lurking out there. Does this sound a bit like an old Hitchcock thriller? No seriously, please be careful boys.

 

[Spudnik]

Welcome to electriciansforums.net. Stick around I'm sure you'll like the forum.

 

[muzza1]

Thanks, good to be here! Been hanging around here for a while, quite addictive! Good job Lads.

 

[Des 56]

Hi all, my name's Muzza. (Newbie) Thought i'd raise the subject of "the hidden killer" I'm sure some of you older sparks have came across a few in your time. I think we should raise this point just to make people aware of what's lurking out there. Does this sound a bit like an old Hitchcock thriller? No seriously, please be careful boys.

Welcome muzza 1

I thought reading the title this was going to be about borrowed neutrals
You must be referring to jealous husbands then

 

[muzza1]

Haha, my mate got a nasty belt about 10 years ago. Quite nasty, wondered if anyone else has been done by em?

 

[muzza1]

Hey Admin, do you think you could post this on the main board?

Thanx.

 

[ste77]

I cant say ive heard of anyone being killed by them but they can make your day a bit more focused.

 

[adslev]

I cant say ive heard of anyone being killed by them but they can make your day a bit more focused.

Heard at story at a course I was on, borrowed neutrals on emergency lighting circuits in a factory, maintenance electrician changing a fitting and he got a shock fell off a set of ladders and died, could be lies but it was one of the head lecturer at the iet who told us

 

[44ALLAN]

Heard at story at a course I was on, borrowed neutrals on emergency lighting circuits in a factory, maintenance electrician changing a fitting and he got a shock fell off a set of ladders and died, could be lies but it was one of the head lecturer at the iet who told us

Got a shock from where..........did you ask?
Was he on GRP ladders?
Was the circuit isolated and tested before work commenced?

Did you ask the lecturer this?
Just wondering that's all

 

[44ALLAN]

Haha, my mate got a nasty belt about 10 years ago. Quite nasty, wondered if anyone else has been done by em?

Same question to you muzza and welcome..............where did your mate get a 'nasty belt' from?

 

[adslev]

Yeah he had isolated the emergency lighting circuit he was to work, however from what I remember the lecturer saying it was one neutral looped around every emergency fitting, on aluminium steps and boom down to ground. It was the fall that killed but the initial shock that caused the fall. Now like I said this may well be bs but it's the kind of story that sticks with you and reiterates the importance on safe isolation.

 

[44ALLAN]

Yeah he had isolated the emergency lighting circuit he was to work, however from what I remember the lecturer saying it was one neutral looped around every emergency fitting, on aluminium steps and boom down to ground. It was the fall that killed but the initial shock that caused the fall. Now like I said this may well be bs but it's the kind of story that sticks with you and reiterates the importance on safe isolation.

Is that the same neutral that is 'looped' around every ring main/radial and lighting circuit?

Well maybe not 'looped' in all of them but hope you get my drift

 

[itselectric]

I nearly killed my mate because of this. We were working on top of a fridge box, changing a db. It was a 3 phase board, I duly switched it off and locked the switch fuse went back to the db and tested it. finding no live conductors I removed the armoured feed. Now as far as i was concerned the board wasn't live.( My first mistake)
I loosened the board from the wall, all circuits still intact My intension was to fix the new DB to the wall and move the circuits over one by one.
I asked my mate to grab the DB to pull it out of the way He grabbed it by the neutral bar and casing in different hands. the Neutral now being "live" from a circuit fed from another DB gave my pal a fright rather than a severe shock. He quickly let go and jumped back, landing about 1.5 m from the edge of the box and certain death if he had gone over. We were working about 4m from the edge so we did'nt think a guard rail or harness were necessary. another 2 mistakes. I have learned from my mistakes and if changing a DB I check the circuits are "dead" even with the tails removed.

 

[MDJ]

Hey Admin, do you think you could post this on the main board?

Thanx.

Start a new thread about this, we can all have a browse then, not many members read the new member welcome threads

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

 

[telectrix]

Haha, my mate got a nasty belt about 10 years ago. Quite nasty, wondered if anyone else has been done by em?

my missus once got a nasty belt. 3" wide, pink with a black buckle. she bought it from next.

 

[itselectric]

my missus once got a nasty belt. 3" wide, pink with a black buckle. she bought it from next.

She wasn't dressing NEUTRAL then or the buckle would have been blue.

 

[muzza1]

Haha , some of those gags ain't bad! Joking aside, my mate about about 10 years ago, altering lots of switching etc in old offices. you know the ones, loads of old wiring everywhere, feeds, emer circuits all spread over 3 phase's. Come to think of it what the hell did i used to get up to just to please the gaffer and get the jod done. Anyway he was thrown off his steps, not a hospital job thankfully. Makes you stop and think i hope, NEVER let complacentcy creep into your work. Sometimes i'm guilty of being a bit trusting, only having 4 kids and being the wrong side of 40 i think has wised me up a bit. A massive heath and safety issue, me thinks...