How safe are the linemen? Is there a system to ensure that electricity is not passing through the line before a lineman climbs the pole to attend to a defect?
Linemen say that safety measures are followed when attending to technical defects in poles and electricity transformers. With inverter becoming a part of home appliances, domestic consumers should regularly check earthing systems for faults. The choice of earthing system can affect the safety and electromagnetic compatibility of the power supply.
If a fault within an electrical device connects a live-supply conductor to an exposed conductive surface, anyone touching it while electrically-connected to the earth will complete a circuit back to the earthed supply conductor and receive an electric shock.
The EB wire should not draw current from the inverter. Before attending to the defects, the lineman, with the earth rod, ensures that there is no flow of current from the inverter and for leakage of electricity. We also check the phase, neutral and earth. There must be no flow of current in neutral and earth when attending to faults,” linemen said.
Official sources in the Tangedco say safety rules and regulations are adhered to while attending to technical faults in the posts and the transformers.
The linemen do not wear slippers as they find it difficult to climb the posts. We ensure that the distribution transformer is switched off and there is no power supply, they say.
