Dominion Safety Experts travel our service area conducting live wire demonstrations for fire departments and emergency responders to alert them to the dangers of working around power lines.
0:00 maybe I'll watch a couple minutes, definitely not all 22 minutes 22 minutes later... Wait, it's done already? Really well done, I feel like I learned a lot. Had no idea about the generator backfeed.
I used to work as a window washer, and I used a tool called a tucker pole. It's a super long extendable aluminum pole with a water hose inside of it and a brush at the end. You use it to wash high windows outside. My boss had always told me to watch for power lines, cause the pole extended easily twice as high as most. He even told me a horror story of a guy who used to work for him who hit a line with the tucker pole by accident and it literally blew his boots off his feet. Took him years to recover and he was never the same. One day I was out washing with the pole, it was raining, there were trees and bushes around, it was getting stuck everywhere and I was irritated. The pole got caught on a tree and I gave it a good yank backwards to get it unstuck. It pulled free and as I stumbled backward the pole whipped back and smacked something overhead. I looked up and realized I had hit the power line above me. I was standing in a puddle, but was wearing rubber boots, they were full of holes though and my feet were soaked. Watching this video really freaks me out and makes me realize I'm probably lucky to be alive.
Bro,i am partially agree with you,the part where i am not agree is the "luck" factor...nothing such like luck bro...you may call it a blessing and a second chance to have your own life to live,but now with precious lesson learned NOT THE HARD way...remember,someone is waiting for you home or someone cares for you every day without you knowing that all the time...just take care for yourself and treat any risk with respect,otherwise you endup like the bullies,allways,someone kick theyr asses,do not be one of them. Thank to God for what you have now,or whoever you's like to say thanks in your mind,it'll do it.
I backed up into a residential power line on a roofing job - one that I was well aware of and had even said out loud to myself not to back into as an extra reminder that it was right there. I was laying on my side installing some flashing and my arm got a nice buzz. Jesus Christ. I don't think I'm lucky to still be here, I know I am. What happened? *Distraction,* all the way. Got focused on the task at hand and momentarily spaced out on the wires out of sight and mind behind me. Figuring I had just used up one of my lives, I decided to never work around exposed service lines. If they're not completely insulated, we'll get the power company out there to do it first. That was 21 years ago now, never had another problem like that. Beginner's luck. I should have been gone.
Transformers certainly work backwards. Although I'm a little surprised companies don't make them with power diodes to prevent that. Would be expensive for sure.
For those complaining of how long the training program is, the training program consists of overhead and underground completion sections. You have to know your different voltages, transformer bank setups, climb poles and do the work aloft, work on diving boards, pole rescues, underground switches, overhead and underground secondary and primary repairs, learn to switch devices out in the substations etc. Each section they learn, they then have to go back and get signed off in their local offices. Operate bucket trucks, trenchers, backhoes etc. You don't just go through some training and then be let loose. It's very extensive for a reason. Not only is your life on the line everyday but your coworkers and the general public.
@@2KCamaroZ28SS Check out the history of linesmen. When we first starting electrifying the country (early 1900's) they say that several linesmen were killed every week. Back then people weren't trained that well are were killed routinely. This is why they now have extensive training programs, and it has worked. A lot less fatal electrocutions nowadays.
Great Demo. The correct recipe for an electric hot-dog is 120V end-to-end for 60 seconds, or 240V for 15 seconds. Depending how crispy you like it. A true 7000V primary will just burn or explode it, too much! But the power-limited (back-fed) 7000V demonstrated would cook it fast, maybe 2-3 seconds depending on the transformer impedance and/or generator power.
Back when the garbage cans were 55 gallon oil drums, we used to throw the lids and cans on the CTA third rail and another rail. It would send the lid or can two stories into the air. You could barely see it because of the arc. Fun stuff! It gave me a lot of respect for electricity.
Dominion Power has a great team here. Well spoken, and well executed without any safety mistakes that would endanger themselves or others. The demonstration trailer setup is one of the best I have seen. It covers just about all typical accidents.
Yea this is a great informative. But I gotta kinda feel sorry for the poor lineman cooking hot dogs 😂 It's just gotta be a little bit nerve wracking doing something you normally are trained not to do!!
MrHillfolk Not necessarily. Knowing exactly how it will behave (plus the fact it’s a current-limited version of the 7200V, with much less total energy behind it than the real deal) means you won’t be as nervous.
RG&E in Rochester, NY, does this demo with the same pole stubs that they train workers on. if they did this cart they could show more people the problem with showing high-school kids is they would try it on their own time because they think they are invincible.
When I was in fifth grade we had a guy from the power company come to our school with some little model neighborhood with its own power lines. I'm not totally sure how it worked but he had these little people doing things like cleaning pools or working with ladders. At one point the guy working with the ladder hit some power line and it made a loud pop that startled all of us. He also had a couple of kids near a tree and when one of the limbs made contact with a line it looked like the kid standing on the ground next to the tree got fried a lot worse than the kid in the tree. I obviously haven't forgotten it.
A story I heard was a lineman, faithful to his marriage, wore his wedding back all the time. Eventually it wore a hole in his work glove which unfortunately lead to his death by accidental electrocution. After that all electrical workers are not allowed to wear metal jewelry on the job. Don't know if it's true or not but I noticed that my wedding band does indeed wear a hole in my work glove. Thankfully I'm not in the electrical field of business.
@@rondohunter8966 Thats why I plan on remaining single for the rest of my days lol. Seriously though if I do ever get married most electricians have plastic/composite wedding bands to avoid the hazard of conductivity.
Excellent demonstration of how dangerous power lines can be.. and the warning about backfeeding the primary side with a generator should be seen by everyone who used a generator during an outage.. Thank you..
you do not get to do the first test on the gloves. there is a special group that puts then though tests. they hang them on a trolley that carries them through water and they are on a live voltage. if they have any pin holes. it will stop and let you know what the problem is. they also have a special pouch they are stored, signed out and checked back in at the end of the day. also required to wear heavy glove on top of them during use. in power plants where the person uses them on high voltage motor control centers, they also wear fire resistant suits and helmet in case of a short or explosion. it has happened.
As an inside wire man I’ve been shocked by single-phase 440, three-phase 220, and everything in between. House current at 120 volts is also very dangerous, as you cant let go! Have good line testers, never work in live wires without being well insulated and NEVER plug a generator into your home breaker panel without cutting the connection to the mains. (The one that hurt me most was having a fluorescent ballast fall down and I grabbed it-1700+ volts through my arms and down my legs to the steel grounded platform. Electricity travels along the bones through the periosteum and all my bones from the shoulders down hurt for weeks.). Closest I came to a Darwin Award. ‘Nuff said.
Fun part: other countries run on single phase 240 and three-phase 400 for normal usage. industrial three phase goes at 690. Also the safety is handled a bit different: if there has be done work on a line, may it be high 240kV or just your house system - disconnect the mains, prevent the reconnecting of said ones. test for current/voltage. At home-owner level this 'should' be enough, but there are two more 'rules' - ground and short circuit, and if you other engized parts in your vicinity - cover them or close the access to them. Simple and prevents many accidents.
drcoveil The reason for not being able to let go once you hold a live wire is that current flow through the wire causes muscle contraction resulting in a harder grip.
What an amazing demonstration! Wish I had one of these guys as a teacher in high school. Can’t say enough good things about the fine men and women who are electricians and firefighters in our communities.
Excellent demo. Brought back some very bad memories of a couple of fellas that I USED to know. It happened over forty years ago and the image is still burned into my mind. Respect electricity because it will not respect you.
@@mikegregory2535 my condoleances for your brother,that is overkilling the soul of a person...be strong bro,i feel your pain as mine,i also know what means to loose forever someone,but guess what,they are just leaving elsewhere,but they also live in our hearts...don't make them sad by you being sad,be strong and make them proud
When I was a kid, I used to hang out with power linemen and watch them work, and would get the old insulators. I didn't realize back then why the foremen would get a little nervous about where I would stand when I'd watch. Now, after 40 years of collecting insulators, and watching linemen work, and seeing these types of videos, I've got a respect for electricity, and its safe use. Now I do electrical work in residential, and have applied all these safety measures in my work as well. Great Video.
I would not have guessed a tiny pinhole in a dry glove would be enough to allow an arc to form. Scary stuff. I think I'll avoid high voltages. Appreciate the work you all do
Thank you. I'm a Technician for a Natural Gas Company and just learned alot about power lines that i didn't know. I will definitely be more cautious around any type of power line. Great Demonstration!
As a private citizen I found this to be VERY "Enlightening" (pun intended). I wish my COOP had something like this annually to show and remind everyone how important it is to be cautious around downed lines and using generators to back feed their homes(something I have never heard of until this video). Thank you for possibly saving my life, from an Ohioan. :)
Be the change! You ask your power company if they want to set up a demo, idk how much it will cost but ask them... and by the way... the power company is also private citizens... everyone is...
Saw this same demo by Kansas City Power and light. Unfortunately the former lineman giving demonstration lost both legs and 1 arm in an accident. Someone kicked on a generator while he was working during a power outage. It back fed the line and bit him good. Thats why they started this demo, to prevent future accidents. Proper procedure s were not followed. He now is a safety guy and speaks all over about his experience.
It must be an American thing where a lot of people have generators to power their whole houses. Here we just use the smaller ones where you plug the devices in directly and the larger ones are only used in commercial situations like hospitals and such. Still, good to know.
It’s not an American thing, the generator is designed to just plug stuff into it. But some people think the are smart and plug the generator into a house outlet, and that it will power the house. It’s usually not enough to power the house like big appliances. Now days people are buying these solar panels on eBay or solar DC inverters that include instructions to plug directly into a wall outlet and causes the same problem. These are illegal, but some manufacturers and companies making these thing from other countries don’t care if they are illegal to use. They only care about selling them and making money, so they don’t even care about human life. Same reason fake electronic lab,es are printed on a lot of stuff without proper testing or certification. Makes you wonder what you have in your house that can burn it down one night because you bought the cheapest possible one from a company in a country that doesn’t care about your human life. But it’s not allowed to be used or sold in the country it’s being manufactured. Think about that for a second.
Funny all the stupid things foreigners pick on murikans for..... Most people don't own a small generator much less an inverter. For someone calling itself "the truth" you sure made a bad assumption about people you don't know. LOL. But what would I know, I've lived in murika my whole life, I've only known 2 people personally that had home generators and less than 5 that had a portable one. I live in a RV, I have a onboard generator, and I have a portable one as well because I work construction, though it's not a small one it's a 10kw, the one on my motorhome is a 8kw. The motorhome has a automatic xfer switch for the generator so any idiot could use it.
@@PatrickBaptist With shutting down main power becoming more common in summer 'fire season', more and more of us are getting emergency backup generators--not just for convenience, but of necessity. Medical conditions, animal survival, human survival....many things require power in the heat if you're going to survive. I'm planning full solar and a backup generator--and my fire folk WILL be aware and apprised of both.
I accidentally came by a downed power line behind my house while I was picking up branches after Hurricane Sandy-left the area quick, called the utility company. Weirdest thing-grabbing up branches and there’s black hose-looking thing next to a branch. I first thought it was something that blew off someone’s rain spout in the winds-then I follow it with my eye and see it snaking towards a utility pole. So-leave the area. It doesn’t have to be sparking or humming.
Chances are it's comms cable if it's black and hose-like. Even if it is a secondary mains line it would still be insulated and even if a fault had developed it would've taken out the fuse by then. If the wire is bare, then stay away from it, as secondary cables can touch the ground without arcing due to the ground's high impedance
Great demonstrations. I am an electrician from u.k and first time seen this done in a controlled way. Good learning curve for people who dont know about these high voltages and dangerous it can be. Knowledge is power. Could not resist the pun sorry
Wow! This is really fascinating to me, I've always been more of a programming kind of person, but this also might be a career I could pursue as well. Thanks for this very informative demonstration, and for putting it online so its accessible to a wider audience.
Excellent demo vid!!! Back feeding is no joke!!! Citizens and their home generators that plug into their homes is a real problem because not everyone does it properly. Thank you so much for this. Pass this on!!!
One important fact that was omitted is "step voltage". When a high voltage line contacts ground, theirs a voltage gradient around the point of contact up to several feet from it, that just the distance between footsteps can have a potential difference of several thousand volts. Even without contacting the conductor, it can smoke you.
they also need to update their methods. we pressurize the gloves with compressed air. close off the end with an airtight seal. insert glove into soapy warm water or spray with a soapy water mixture. you can immediately see the bubbles due to crack ands/or pin holes.
Thanks for this invaluable information! Seeing the demonstration will, hopefully, make people have an understanding of how quickly this convenience that we take for granted can quickly and silently become lethal !
I have been a volunteer Fire Fighter since 1972 (not as active as I was, but VERY safety oriented), currently in a small department with a bunch of know it all 30 something year old's and had our training officer play this video at a meeting. MOST of the jackasses talked throughout the video or played with their phones because THEY know more than everyone else because they have been on the department for 10 or so years. When I was safety officer (before "retiring") if you didn't pay attention, you went home. Needless to say the chief and I had a discussion and it didn't go well. We also had our local power/gas company give us a safety class and sure as shit, the first accident with "lines down" after the class, one of the guys got bit hard. So moral of the story is PAY ATTENTION.
MrTommyboy68 those no it alls r also right here in the power line business also. Had an a class linemen take a cherry “new guy”in the bucket with him and glove 44kv. He made a mistake. The new guy lost a limb and the linemen was messed up worst without going into details. Sad day in the Business.
This must be a standard utility demonstration. A couple of different guys from Dayton Power & Light gave almost exactly the same demonstration each year for many years at the Dayton Hamvention in Ohio.
ApolloWasReal that makes me wish I had put more effort into attending that event...would have loved to see something like this and maybe get to ask questions
Rochester Gas & Electric in New York used to do demonstrations almost exactly like this on a permanent setup at the Wyoming County Fair in Pike NY every year when I was growing up in the early 90s, right down to the hot dog and a squirrel on a stick in lieu of a snake. Only thing I don't remember them doing was the generator bit at the end. I think they even had a direct feed from their primary line in the area (through a safety cutout and controlled contact, obviously) instead of backfeeding with a battery or generator like these guys did.
It's amazing how electricity can arc but not through rubber. When I was In Australia doing some labouring work near an electric train line we had to do an induction course and the instructor showed us a picture of what looked like two boot marks on the top of the train. The guy was working too close to the power cable and was pretty much vapourised.
That's resistance for you, rubber has a very high resistance value, air varies from very high resistance when very dry to quite low when its moist hence the arching.. As the demo has shown the resistance of the human body or a hot dog is also quite low
Just to let you and others know, the sky glows orange at night in most places thanks to light pollution from improperly designed or installed lights which illuminate the SKY instead of the GROUND. This causes many problems from the disappearance of the entire night sky in some areas to a now dwindling ability to study the universe from the earth. I for one have never seen the Milky-way in the night sky in my life time and I'm in my 40s. At most all I've seen are around 50 of the sky's brightest objects. If and when in my life I'm away from the night sky glow of cities, towns, and farmers who can't point their lights at the ground I may get to see what I'm told is out there but I've never seen.
Intresting demonstration! 🙂👍 I've started to build up my own little electronics workshop at home (as a hobby), but before I actually start making any devices I thought it would be a good idea to make sure I REALLY know enough about how to SAFELY handle electricity, and I realized... I don't! 🤦♂️ So thanks for making "lessons" like these publicly available, instead of just showing them exclusivly for companies/organisations! Without them, hobbyist like me would only be useful with some ketchup on top! 😉
For anyone working on low voltage devices (linemen would probably call it ultra low or extremely low, but for our purposes it's just low)... 1.5 volts up to I think the limit is about 30 volts... you have basically no electrocution risk. You'll probably never see an arc. However that doesn't mean parts can't explode in your face if you wire them wrong. And low volts high amps can melt metal - but only metal, it can't melt people, unless you're stupid enough to touch the melting metal. But no electrocution risk as long as you're using a safe source of power (including most computer power bricks for example). AA or 9V batteries are a very safe bet, you can also salvage power supply units from computers, or use laptop chargers, USB chargers, or buy an adjustable voltage one designed for lab use.
Dear sirs, THAT is a sharp, on the spot excellent description of some of the things electric power can do. Particularly the potential energizing of metal objects not necessarily involved with an obvious connection. We had a 60kva line blow in our neighborhood. The lines fell on a chain link fence. It WAS energized. The auto shutdown worked, but not immediately!
Thats how all transformer work. Take fex a small 120 - 24V AC transformer, if you feed 24 AC in to the 24V AC output you get 120V AC out on the 120V input.
Awesome video, very good demos and being able to actually see things in action certainly helps. I love the trailer with the power lines on it, never seen that before. Good way to train people anywhere you want to. Im an electrician, but I know a few guys who work on lines, and safety is always top priority. Most people make a mistake at work, they get in trouble or have to pay a few bucks, these guys make a mistake and they die or lose a limb. Electricity is a really amazing force, even though I work with it every day, I never take for granted how dangerous it can be.
DomCorpComm I think you are missing two important points here. one is capacitive coupling, the other is voltage buildup due to higher ground resistances in a ground fault situation. The later case kills even if you are near a live wire lying around and happily buzzing away.
I worked in a nuclear power plant for 25 years as an Operator and licensed Senior Reactor Operator. It is easy to forget the potential power one is dealing with with electricity. It will make a believer out of you llwhen a disconnect is accidentally opened under load at 500kv.
That is for "just in the worst possible case scenario" just so it all wont explode and kill anyone in a radius from it so its meant to be harder for a arc to be created and be put out fast if opened full power as it never should be. We are talking about the MW area, ppl just dont know the forces involved.
There are switches designed to open under fault conditions which are capable of breaking the circuit. Many of these use gas or air blast to cut the arc. Then there are open air switches which are designed to isolate circuits in addition to the breakers. Those are NOT supposed to be used to break a circuit under load as you get a LARGE noisy arc :)
After the wire short demo in the beginning of the video... I wondered what would happen if you used a string of sausages to short the two cables. Then they brought out the hot dog. :)
I love the fact that this is released to the public on youtube, its a great safety video
people do not really understand what a lineman does and how dangerous it really is.
Everyone should watch this!
Really love this great informative video.
@@jimbattles9642 ❤
😂
❤
Always assume power lines are live and guns are loaded!
@@growinglifeorganic940 Do tell.
?
and girls are lying
Lasers are always on, beakers could explode at any moment, used gloves are always contaminated,...
Always assume your mother-in-law is watching you😂
Hands down, *THE* best demo of electrical safety I have ever seen.
yeah,it is perfect,if you have any demands,please contact me.
The rubber boot had wire all in it.
@@jayeasy4682 They were simulating a pin hole in the boot.
@@amityFinder2099 Awh, Guess that would be a bad day.
yea
0:00 maybe I'll watch a couple minutes, definitely not all 22 minutes
22 minutes later... Wait, it's done already?
Really well done, I feel like I learned a lot. Had no idea about the generator backfeed.
Exactly! “I’ll just watch enough to finish my bowl of cereal.”... *bowl #3* “wait... it’s over!?”
Great demo. Any power company that performs services like this are great people
For as long as they stay alive.
Most companies will for $1299.00
@@jaywillow9927 Who hurt you?
Here's to the power company workers.
Agreed
I used to work as a window washer, and I used a tool called a tucker pole. It's a super long extendable aluminum pole with a water hose inside of it and a brush at the end. You use it to wash high windows outside. My boss had always told me to watch for power lines, cause the pole extended easily twice as high as most. He even told me a horror story of a guy who used to work for him who hit a line with the tucker pole by accident and it literally blew his boots off his feet. Took him years to recover and he was never the same. One day I was out washing with the pole, it was raining, there were trees and bushes around, it was getting stuck everywhere and I was irritated. The pole got caught on a tree and I gave it a good yank backwards to get it unstuck. It pulled free and as I stumbled backward the pole whipped back and smacked something overhead. I looked up and realized I had hit the power line above me. I was standing in a puddle, but was wearing rubber boots, they were full of holes though and my feet were soaked. Watching this video really freaks me out and makes me realize I'm probably lucky to be alive.
Bro,i am partially agree with you,the part where i am not agree is the "luck" factor...nothing such like luck bro...you may call it a blessing and a second chance to have your own life to live,but now with precious lesson learned NOT THE HARD way...remember,someone is waiting for you home or someone cares for you every day without you knowing that all the time...just take care for yourself and treat any risk with respect,otherwise you endup like the bullies,allways,someone kick theyr asses,do not be one of them. Thank to God for what you have now,or whoever you's like to say thanks in your mind,it'll do it.
Jake Johnson either that or he hit an insulated domestic overhead feed
May have hit the neutral wire.
@@Football5198 an insulated neutral wire
I backed up into a residential power line on a roofing job - one that I was well aware of and had even said out loud to myself not to back into as an extra reminder that it was right there. I was laying on my side installing some flashing and my arm got a nice buzz. Jesus Christ. I don't think I'm lucky to still be here, I know I am.
What happened? *Distraction,* all the way. Got focused on the task at hand and momentarily spaced out on the wires out of sight and mind behind me. Figuring I had just used up one of my lives, I decided to never work around exposed service lines. If they're not completely insulated, we'll get the power company out there to do it first. That was 21 years ago now, never had another problem like that. Beginner's luck. I should have been gone.
I never knew a generator can energize power lines like that. just learned something new. thank you very much
It's literally a portable generator. And don't try it at home, it will get you into trouble, and it might get someone killed.
that's what a transformer does
+Ryan Kreder
Flip the main breaker before starting a generator.
I agree, I didn't know that the transformers can run in reverse and will step up the voltage from a generator to full line voltage
Transformers certainly work backwards. Although I'm a little surprised companies don't make them with power diodes to prevent that. Would be expensive for sure.
For those complaining of how long the training program is, the training program consists of overhead and underground completion sections. You have to know your different voltages, transformer bank setups, climb poles and do the work aloft, work on diving boards, pole rescues, underground switches, overhead and underground secondary and primary repairs, learn to switch devices out in the substations etc. Each section they learn, they then have to go back and get signed off in their local offices. Operate bucket trucks, trenchers, backhoes etc. You don't just go through some training and then be let loose. It's very extensive for a reason. Not only is your life on the line everyday but your coworkers and the general public.
And if you pay attention. You get to stay alive. To learn even more..As 52 Weeks is the Minimum...Which is around 4 years\8000 hours...
Also it's a job where you can't really learn from your mistakes as any mistake can, and likely will, be your last.
Still seems like a bit much.
@@2KCamaroZ28SS That's why the money is good though. They are diversified for a reason.
@@2KCamaroZ28SS Check out the history of linesmen. When we first starting electrifying the country (early 1900's) they say that several linesmen were killed every week. Back then people weren't trained that well are were killed routinely. This is why they now have extensive training programs, and it has worked. A lot less fatal electrocutions nowadays.
This needs to hit the masses. It needs to be pushed by anyone with DIY blogs or home improvement sites. More people need to take this stuff seriously.
Actually a special thank you to Dominion. I am an ordinary citizen. VERY informative. Thank you so much.
What's the definition of an ordinary citizen?
That's how to deliver a safety demo. I've done my share in the Air Force and this was excellent and thorough.
you guys do power line stuff in the air force?
clive ramsbotty. Yes, CE (one of the jobs in the Air Force) works on some of the power lines on base.
@@Stewthemechanic ah of course, i feel silly for not thinking! thanks
clive ramsbotty not a problem sir!
@@Stewthemechanic in the Army, we simply scratch our heads to generate power.
Explaining our early need for LED flashlights. ;)
Worked in this field for 17 years and love this demo! I really enjoyed the actual arcs being drawn. Very well done.
Great job on this demonstration and I hope that all Fire Departments and Police are required to watch something similar as part of their training.
dynosaur It's mandatory in trainings
dynosaur I enjoy your RTCW profile pic :)
3:39 the guy eating the hot dog after cooking it with 7,000 volts 😂
that's funny🤣🤣🤣
Great Demo. The correct recipe for an electric hot-dog is 120V end-to-end for 60 seconds, or 240V for 15 seconds. Depending how crispy you like it. A true 7000V primary will just burn or explode it, too much! But the power-limited (back-fed) 7000V demonstrated would cook it fast, maybe 2-3 seconds depending on the transformer impedance and/or generator power.
He’s chewing gum..
I think he’s chewing gum but I still got a good laugh picturing him eating that 😂😂😂
I really wish they showed the camera. It was fully cooked in that instant when I received this same demonstration.
This should be required for every high school kid!!
Well a lot of common things happening in rl should be teached.
Back when the garbage cans were 55 gallon oil drums, we used to throw the lids and cans on the CTA third rail and another rail. It would send the lid or can two stories into the air. You could barely see it because of the arc. Fun stuff! It gave me a lot of respect for electricity.
Dominion Power has a great team here. Well spoken, and well executed without any safety mistakes that would endanger themselves or others. The demonstration trailer setup is one of the best I have seen. It covers just about all typical accidents.
Yea this is a great informative.
But I gotta kinda feel sorry for the poor lineman cooking hot dogs 😂
It's just gotta be a little bit nerve wracking doing something you normally are trained not to do!!
MrHillfolk Not necessarily. Knowing exactly how it will behave (plus the fact it’s a current-limited version of the 7200V, with much less total energy behind it than the real deal) means you won’t be as nervous.
And do not forget his famous words “AND THAT SORT OF THING”
RG&E in Rochester, NY, does this demo with the same pole stubs that they train workers on. if they did this cart they could show more people the problem with showing high-school kids is they would try it on their own time because they think they are invincible.
When I was in fifth grade we had a guy from the power company come to our school with some little model neighborhood with its own power lines. I'm not totally sure how it worked but he had these little people doing things like cleaning pools or working with ladders. At one point the guy working with the ladder hit some power line and it made a loud pop that startled all of us. He also had a couple of kids near a tree and when one of the limbs made contact with a line it looked like the kid standing on the ground next to the tree got fried a lot worse than the kid in the tree. I obviously haven't forgotten it.
Our local power company has a setup like that they bring to fairs and such.
What state/city did you go to school? I remember something just like this now that you mention it!
NorthernWindNut w̝e̝ d̝i̝d̝ t̝h̝a̝t̝ t̝o̝i̝
Safety City
Damn a pin hole in those gloves can fry u thats crazy..i respect those crazy ass lineman now
A story I heard was a lineman, faithful to his marriage, wore his wedding back all the time. Eventually it wore a hole in his work glove which unfortunately lead to his death by accidental electrocution. After that all electrical workers are not allowed to wear metal jewelry on the job. Don't know if it's true or not but I noticed that my wedding band does indeed wear a hole in my work glove. Thankfully I'm not in the electrical field of business.
Rondo Hunter I’m a linemen but never heard that. Not saying it’s not true because most of our rules r written in blood unfortunately.
That's the high voltage. It can arc at you just passing.by if you are the easiest path to ground
@@scorpion5700 me neither.
@@rondohunter8966 Thats why I plan on remaining single for the rest of my days lol. Seriously though if I do ever get married most electricians have plastic/composite wedding bands to avoid the hazard of conductivity.
Excellent demonstration of how dangerous power lines can be.. and the warning about backfeeding the primary side with a generator should be seen by everyone who used a generator during an outage.. Thank you..
not electrician, was just curious to study, but i am damn glad i saw this.
you do not get to do the first test on the gloves. there is a special group that puts then though tests. they hang them on a trolley that carries them through water and they are on a live voltage. if they have any pin holes. it will stop and let you know what the problem is. they also have a special pouch they are stored, signed out and checked back in at the end of the day. also required to wear heavy glove on top of them during use. in power plants where the person uses them on high voltage motor control centers, they also wear fire resistant suits and helmet in case of a short or explosion. it has happened.
Had similar training years ago during Fire Dept training, gave me a whole new respect for electricity, and also for the lineman!
One of the BEST Safety videos I've ever seen!!! Thanks.
I watch this every year. It never disappoints. Good job team!
Wow! I wasn't aware that a generator would energize the primary line. Thank you.
As an inside wire man I’ve been shocked by single-phase 440, three-phase 220, and everything in between. House current at 120 volts is also very dangerous, as you cant let go! Have good line testers, never work in live wires without being well insulated and NEVER plug a generator into your home breaker panel without cutting the connection to the mains. (The one that hurt me most was having a fluorescent ballast fall down and I grabbed it-1700+ volts through my arms and down my legs to the steel grounded platform. Electricity travels along the bones through the periosteum and all my bones from the shoulders down hurt for weeks.). Closest I came to a Darwin Award. ‘Nuff said.
Fun part: other countries run on single phase 240 and three-phase 400 for normal usage. industrial three phase goes at 690. Also the safety is handled a bit different: if there has be done work on a line, may it be high 240kV or just your house system - disconnect the mains, prevent the reconnecting of said ones. test for current/voltage. At home-owner level this 'should' be enough, but there are two more 'rules' - ground and short circuit, and if you other engized parts in your vicinity - cover them or close the access to them. Simple and prevents many accidents.
You failed the room temperature challenge!!!
drcoveil The reason for not being able to let go once you hold a live wire is that current flow through the wire causes muscle contraction resulting in a harder grip.
rudolf peter udo is that why I can’t get hard during sex?
Sounds like 277 volts, theres a killer for ya. I worked at a hotel and I hated just changing the florescent tubes on those lights.
...”It REALLY brings it to LIGHT!!”...
THANKS FOR SHARING!!
Thank you for your service! You guys are heroes!
What a great video it needs to be on national TV to educate everyone !!! Thank you
9 years later, still the best video.
Hats off to the gents who do this kind of work. You couldn't pay me enough!
The simplicity and quality of this demonstration, man
I love it so much
What an amazing demonstration! Wish I had one of these guys as a teacher in high school. Can’t say enough good things about the fine men and women who are electricians and firefighters in our communities.
Excellent demo. Brought back some very bad memories of a couple of fellas that I USED to know. It happened over forty years ago and the image is still burned into my mind. Respect electricity because it will not respect you.
1-5-1975 My brother met his maker on a drill rig. They let the boom down to close to some wires
@@mikegregory2535 my condoleances for your brother,that is overkilling the soul of a person...be strong bro,i feel your pain as mine,i also know what means to loose forever someone,but guess what,they are just leaving elsewhere,but they also live in our hearts...don't make them sad by you being sad,be strong and make them proud
Electricity does not discriminate.
Really glad he explained about the generator back feeding I worked underground for over year and never new this .
What a great video! Covers so much with such clear explanations!
_How do you like your hotdogs?_
Me: "Cooked at 10,000 volts."
Utility worker: "Say no more fam."
Excellent demonstration, a real eye-opener. Especially for home owners back-feeding generators or trying to remove branches from over-head lines.
The line to your house is insulated. Relax. Why would you ever touch anything other than the one?????
+Steven King Mine is underground so no issue personally, but still some good safety advice for home owners
Yeah but if there is just a pin hole in the insulation you could suddenly become the ground.
+rpardz Call before you dig!
Agreed
Thanks to all firefighters because they are the first to people to respond to this situation
What a great demonstration! Thank you!
When I was a kid, I used to hang out with power linemen and watch them work, and would get the old insulators. I didn't realize back then why the foremen would get a little nervous about where I would stand when I'd watch. Now, after 40 years of collecting insulators, and watching linemen work, and seeing these types of videos, I've got a respect for electricity, and its safe use. Now I do electrical work in residential, and have applied all these safety measures in my work as well. Great Video.
Very well done! Thanks for the info!
I would not have guessed a tiny pinhole in a dry glove would be enough to allow an arc to form. Scary stuff. I think I'll avoid high voltages. Appreciate the work you all do
Thank you. I'm a Technician for a Natural Gas Company and just learned alot about power lines that i didn't know. I will definitely be more cautious around any type of power line. Great Demonstration!
As a private citizen I found this to be VERY "Enlightening" (pun intended). I wish my COOP had something like this annually to show and remind everyone how important it is to be cautious around downed lines and using generators to back feed their homes(something I have never heard of until this video).
Thank you for possibly saving my life, from an Ohioan. :)
Be the change! You ask your power company if they want to set up a demo, idk how much it will cost but ask them... and by the way... the power company is also private citizens... everyone is...
14:35 He did the walking action with the doll! xD
That is a man who takes pride in his work!
Lol its because the doll had conductors under his feet and he needed to show how we become the pathic ground or whatever
I have no idea why, but this comment made me laugh so damn hard.
Fantastic demo for the first responders. This demo could literally save the lives of people meant to save lives!
Awesome video! Taught me a lot, this video reinforces how much the public takes electricity for granted; especially when confronted with downed lines.
Saw this same demo by Kansas City Power and light. Unfortunately the former lineman giving demonstration lost both legs and 1 arm in an accident. Someone kicked on a generator while he was working during a power outage. It back fed the line and bit him good. Thats why they started this demo, to prevent future accidents. Proper procedure s were not followed. He now is a safety guy and speaks all over about his experience.
It must be an American thing where a lot of people have generators to power their whole houses. Here we just use the smaller ones where you plug the devices in directly and the larger ones are only used in commercial situations like hospitals and such. Still, good to know.
It’s not an American thing, the generator is designed to just plug stuff into it. But some people think the are smart and plug the generator into a house outlet, and that it will power the house. It’s usually not enough to power the house like big appliances. Now days people are buying these solar panels on eBay or solar DC inverters that include instructions to plug directly into a wall outlet and causes the same problem. These are illegal, but some manufacturers and companies making these thing from other countries don’t care if they are illegal to use. They only care about selling them and making money, so they don’t even care about human life. Same reason fake electronic lab,es are printed on a lot of stuff without proper testing or certification. Makes you wonder what you have in your house that can burn it down one night because you bought the cheapest possible one from a company in a country that doesn’t care about your human life. But it’s not allowed to be used or sold in the country it’s being manufactured. Think about that for a second.
Funny all the stupid things foreigners pick on murikans for..... Most people don't own a small generator much less an inverter. For someone calling itself "the truth" you sure made a bad assumption about people you don't know. LOL.
But what would I know, I've lived in murika my whole life, I've only known 2 people personally that had home generators and less than 5 that had a portable one.
I live in a RV, I have a onboard generator, and I have a portable one as well because I work construction, though it's not a small one it's a 10kw, the one on my motorhome is a 8kw.
The motorhome has a automatic xfer switch for the generator so any idiot could use it.
@@PatrickBaptist With shutting down main power becoming more common in summer 'fire season', more and more of us are getting emergency backup generators--not just for convenience, but of necessity. Medical conditions, animal survival, human survival....many things require power in the heat if you're going to survive. I'm planning full solar and a backup generator--and my fire folk WILL be aware and apprised of both.
I accidentally came by a downed power line behind my house while I was picking up branches after Hurricane Sandy-left the area quick, called the utility company. Weirdest thing-grabbing up branches and there’s black hose-looking thing next to a branch. I first thought it was something that blew off someone’s rain spout in the winds-then I follow it with my eye and see it snaking towards a utility pole. So-leave the area. It doesn’t have to be sparking or humming.
Geeze, you are one lucky guy Fred.......
ive been hit by lightning.
brian6265 Thats pretty scary, any long term health effects?
Lmfao
Chances are it's comms cable if it's black and hose-like. Even if it is a secondary mains line it would still be insulated and even if a fault had developed it would've taken out the fuse by then. If the wire is bare, then stay away from it, as secondary cables can touch the ground without arcing due to the ground's high impedance
I actually watched the whole video without skipping. Very interesting and the presentation was very well said and done.
7 years in business, I watch this every year just as a refresher. Great video
Great demonstrations. I am an electrician from u.k and first time seen this done in a controlled way. Good learning curve for people who dont know about these high voltages and dangerous it can be. Knowledge is power. Could not resist the pun sorry
Do you ever strip naked when working during an arc flash cuz it’s so hot
Wow! This is really fascinating to me, I've always been more of a programming kind of person, but this also might be a career I could pursue as well.
Thanks for this very informative demonstration, and for putting it online so its accessible to a wider audience.
A great safety video!!!Thank you for posting this!
Excellent demo vid!!! Back feeding is no joke!!! Citizens and their home generators that plug into their homes is a real problem because not everyone does it properly. Thank you so much for this. Pass this on!!!
One important fact that was omitted is "step voltage". When a high voltage line contacts ground, theirs a voltage gradient around the point of contact up to several feet from it, that just the distance between footsteps can have a potential difference of several thousand volts. Even without contacting the conductor, it can smoke you.
Yep. This is why they always say to keep both feet together and hop away. You don't want one foot being at a different potential than the other.
They really should mark the gloves they use for the pin hole demo..
They cut them up after the demo. They use a good glove for the dramatic point showing it’s good, and showing the pin making a small whole.
they also need to update their methods.
we pressurize the gloves with compressed air.
close off the end with an airtight seal.
insert glove into soapy warm water or spray with a soapy water mixture.
you can immediately see the bubbles due to crack ands/or pin holes.
2011 video...
@@llaneelyort5599 they did say they do send their gloves in for pressure testing :) @ 11:55
They did, they melted a hole in the end of the finger.
Thanks for this invaluable information! Seeing the demonstration will, hopefully, make people have an understanding of how quickly this convenience that we take for granted can quickly and silently become lethal !
I learned a lot. ALL wires are hot. Thank you!
What an awesome public service! Never mind the nitpicking critics, this is great stuff in a nicely done video. Where do I sign up?
I have been a volunteer Fire Fighter since 1972 (not as active as I was, but VERY safety oriented), currently in a small department with a bunch of know it all 30 something year old's and had our training officer play this video at a meeting. MOST of the jackasses talked throughout the video or played with their phones because THEY know more than everyone else because they have been on the department for 10 or so years. When I was safety officer (before "retiring") if you didn't pay attention, you went home. Needless to say the chief and I had a discussion and it didn't go well. We also had our local power/gas company give us a safety class and sure as shit, the first accident with "lines down" after the class, one of the guys got bit hard. So moral of the story is PAY ATTENTION.
MrTommyboy68 those no it alls r also right here in the power line business also. Had an a class linemen take a cherry “new guy”in the bucket with him and glove 44kv. He made a mistake. The new guy lost a limb and the linemen was messed up worst without going into details. Sad day in the Business.
Can you say that again? I was txting my gal a penis pic o.O
That was very informative, I learned a lot from it. Thanks to Dominion Energy for this video. You guys rock!
Bravo Dominion! This video may save lives.
Holy hell! 56 months of training!
That's four years and eight months.
That's 1,704.5 days of training.
This must be a standard utility demonstration. A couple of different guys from Dayton Power & Light gave almost exactly the same demonstration each year for many years at the Dayton Hamvention in Ohio.
ApolloWasReal that makes me wish I had put more effort into attending that event...would have loved to see something like this and maybe get to ask questions
Dominion, while this particular video being in the Virginia branch, is in many different states(I believe it's 19 states total?), including Ohio.
One company did and the rest followed changing things up a little. Don’t know who did it first.
Rochester Gas & Electric in New York used to do demonstrations almost exactly like this on a permanent setup at the Wyoming County Fair in Pike NY every year when I was growing up in the early 90s, right down to the hot dog and a squirrel on a stick in lieu of a snake. Only thing I don't remember them doing was the generator bit at the end. I think they even had a direct feed from their primary line in the area (through a safety cutout and controlled contact, obviously) instead of backfeeding with a battery or generator like these guys did.
this was the most informative demonstration ive ever seen ...
thank you guys
What a great presentation...The live wire presentation illustrates how deadly electricity can be. Many thanks to Dominion !!!!
was the guy in the grey shirt chewing on one of those hot dogs?
MegaJohnhammond yes I think so.
MegaJohnhammond nom nom nom
MegaJohnhammond mmmm ozonated hotdog
John Doe the time stamp is every time he is on camera
Waste not want not
It's amazing how electricity can arc but not through rubber. When I was In Australia doing some labouring work near an electric train line we had to do an induction course and the instructor showed us a picture of what looked like two boot marks on the top of the train. The guy was working too close to the power cable and was pretty much vapourised.
That's resistance for you, rubber has a very high resistance value, air varies from very high resistance when very dry to quite low when its moist hence the arching.. As the demo has shown the resistance of the human body or a hot dog is also quite low
Best demo I have ever seen. Wow! Thanks from bc, Canada
Can’t believe this video is 22 minutes long, got me hooked, great explanation and very entertaining.
We lost our lights last night and the whole sky was glowing Orange so we think a transformer blew up.
Just to let you and others know, the sky glows orange at night in most places thanks to light pollution from improperly designed or installed lights which illuminate the SKY instead of the GROUND. This causes many problems from the disappearance of the entire night sky in some areas to a now dwindling ability to study the universe from the earth. I for one have never seen the Milky-way in the night sky in my life time and I'm in my 40s. At most all I've seen are around 50 of the sky's brightest objects. If and when in my life I'm away from the night sky glow of cities, towns, and farmers who can't point their lights at the ground I may get to see what I'm told is out there but I've never seen.
@@btwbrand Hear! Hear! From another frustrated star gazer.
Can't see it, can't hear it... But it does taste coppery.
YEP IT DO
I'm so glad keemstar volunteered for this, what a great guy
It's a pleasure watching people working who know what they are doing.
I remember watching this for my OSHA certificiation lol. This exact video.
Intresting demonstration! 🙂👍
I've started to build up my own little electronics workshop at home (as a hobby), but before I actually start making any devices I thought it would be a good idea to make sure I REALLY know enough about how to SAFELY handle electricity, and I realized... I don't! 🤦♂️
So thanks for making "lessons" like these publicly available, instead of just showing them exclusivly for companies/organisations! Without them, hobbyist like me would only be useful with some ketchup on top! 😉
haha
For anyone working on low voltage devices (linemen would probably call it ultra low or extremely low, but for our purposes it's just low)... 1.5 volts up to I think the limit is about 30 volts... you have basically no electrocution risk. You'll probably never see an arc. However that doesn't mean parts can't explode in your face if you wire them wrong. And low volts high amps can melt metal - but only metal, it can't melt people, unless you're stupid enough to touch the melting metal. But no electrocution risk as long as you're using a safe source of power (including most computer power bricks for example). AA or 9V batteries are a very safe bet, you can also salvage power supply units from computers, or use laptop chargers, USB chargers, or buy an adjustable voltage one designed for lab use.
Dear sirs, THAT is a sharp, on the spot excellent description of some of the things electric power can do. Particularly the potential energizing of metal objects not necessarily involved with an obvious connection. We had a 60kva line blow in our neighborhood. The lines fell on a chain link fence. It WAS energized. The auto shutdown worked, but not immediately!
Highly appreciate the excellent demo and willingness to share for all on YT. Who knows how many injuries or deaths might be prevented.
I didn't know that a 120v generator back fed through a transformer would step up the voltage !
Thats how all transformer work. Take fex a small 120 - 24V AC transformer, if you feed 24 AC in to the 24V AC output you get 120V AC out on the 120V input.
Danny you get step up and step down transformers depending what voltage you reguire. Example 2000 volts / 10.000 volts and vice versa. Take care David
A Transformer is the electrical equivalent of a gearbox. You can drive it from either end.
@@markgohl2660
Great analogy
@@markgohl2660 That is a great analogy..
I would be the guy testing his gloves all day...
Awesome video, very good demos and being able to actually see things in action certainly helps. I love the trailer with the power lines on it, never seen that before. Good way to train people anywhere you want to. Im an electrician, but I know a few guys who work on lines, and safety is always top priority. Most people make a mistake at work, they get in trouble or have to pay a few bucks, these guys make a mistake and they die or lose a limb. Electricity is a really amazing force, even though I work with it every day, I never take for granted how dangerous it can be.
EVERY HOMEOWNER in AMERICA should WATCH this VIDEO!
Thank you very much.
DomCorpComm I think you are missing two important points here. one is capacitive coupling, the other is voltage buildup due to higher ground resistances in a ground fault situation. The later case kills even if you are near a live wire lying around and happily buzzing away.
I worked in a nuclear power plant for 25 years as an Operator and licensed Senior Reactor Operator. It is easy to forget the potential power one is dealing with with electricity. It will make a believer out of you llwhen a disconnect is accidentally opened under load at 500kv.
That is for "just in the worst possible case scenario" just so it all wont explode and kill anyone in a radius from it so its meant to be harder for a arc to be created and be put out fast if opened full power as it never should be. We are talking about the MW area, ppl just dont know the forces involved.
There are switches designed to open under fault conditions which are capable of breaking the circuit. Many of these use gas or air blast to cut the arc. Then there are open air switches which are designed to isolate circuits in addition to the breakers. Those are NOT supposed to be used to break a circuit under load as you get a LARGE noisy arc :)
giggleherz sf6!
I learned a lot of information here. This video should be mandatory in public schools. Well done !
This is great to see. I've done all the theory for basic transmission line work and safety, but this physically demonstrates the risks perfectly.
Make sure you have bubblegum when working on live lines!
?
56 month training program! holy shit!
Unbelievably informative information. As a homeowner, I appreciate this
Great video, presenter is good too. Thank you all for what you do!
This video made the hair on my arm stand up.
You wasn't near any power lines where you .
@@iandawson7723 Just the ones that run to the terminal on my neck. Ha ha...
I know two things about electricity. It will kill you! If you don't pay the bill, they will cut it off. haha
Don't forget that sometimes it shuts off even if you pay.
do you live in a rural area? this has NEVER happened where i live. lol
@@mdstmouse7 ever heard of a brownout?
yeah. ive HEARD of them
mdstmouse7 I heard that if you touch a live wire you might turn gay
Thumbs up and thanks from NZ. Sobering stuff.
That's a great piece of a presentation, sir. Thanks for posting this!
After the wire short demo in the beginning of the video... I wondered what would happen if you used a string of sausages to short the two cables. Then they brought out the hot dog. :)
His name is Mike Powers. Makes sense.
I was just going to say about the same thing,he has the perfect name for the job!!!! 😁😁😁
Excellent video. Very informative. Thank you so much for educating everyone! Be safe.
Thank you for an excellent demonstration and the lesson and dealing with high voltage thank you for your service also