Word of caution for those who think they're scrappers! - Page 2

my electrician friend told me that even only 440 volts will jump out and find you.

Originally Posted by NWOdrudge

i really don't understand why so many here think scrappers have a bad name? if you feel your doing something wrong... then you probably are. either that or TV has warped peoples minds.
i don't watch TV, is copper thieves really news worthy? the only stories i hear about thieves are on this forum and i doubt many, if any thieves are spending their time here trying to learn the trade.

news source : Police Arrest Suspect Dubbed The ‘Crapper Scrapper’ « CBS Denver

Originally Posted by oldtoothlessbassmaster

news source : Police Arrest Suspect Dubbed The ‘Crapper Scrapper’ « CBS Denver

wasn't doubting that these reports exist... more like what is the networks motive for putting these stories on the air?
plenty of important news that never gets reported.

Originally Posted by NWOdrudge

plenty of important news that never gets reported.

bingo!

Originally Posted by 12oclock

Police have identified the body found Wednesday in rural Sullivan County.

Indiana State Police say *************, 38, of Prairieton was the man found dead at a small power supply station near Fairbanks.

An autopsy lists ******* cause of death as "accidental" and "consistent with electrocution."

Police said ***** may have been stealing copper wiring. Power substations throughout Sullivan County have recently been targeted by thieves who steal copper wire.

Toxicology results on ***** could take up to two weeks.


Just a tip for those tweekers who think that this may be a good idea. I know electricians who wouldn't go within 20ft of a substation without the power being killed. I wonder what gave the authorities the idea that he may have been stealing? Could it have been the bolt cutters on the other side of the fence from his body or the side cutters in his back pocket that have branded his dairy aire? Don't get me wrong, I like the color of copper as well, but c'mon man!!!!! If you only know one thing about electricity, know this. If it has enough running through it, you don't have to touch it to know it's alive.

I am an electrician and cutting copper in a substation is one of the most ridiculous things imaginable. Most of the live wires are up high but at most substations they have grounds to make a neutral, that is, a path for electricity to go to ground. When you hear about some "Darwin award nominee" dying stealing copper it is because they cut one of these wires and then they became the grounds.

If you want to see what electricity can do there are lots of pictures around the web that would convince you not to mess with it. The one that sticks with me is a guy in mexico who tried to cut the wires off a transformer. Not sure of the voltage but it removed his head from his body and it landed on the top of the transformer.

Suffice it to say there are easier ways to earn a living than trying to steal copper out of energized equipment.

Think of your body as the arc in arc welder.

Originally Posted by ilovejunk

3-phase 440 will reach out, grab you, and set you on your A$$.

i found that out the hard way while troubleshooting a motor controller in a plant i used to work at, i was at least 2ft from any of the controller contacts had protective gear, thought i was fine; and i heard it hit me (never saw it or felt it; but heard what sounded like a clap of thunder so loud my ears hurt) and next thing i know i'm gettin loaded in an ambulance with sensors glued all over my chest and them telling me i was **** lucky to be alive and that my heart rhythm was out of sync as a result of the shock.

i have always had respect for electricity, but that caught me off guard even with the proper training and protective equipment, i cant imagine going anywhere near 100x that much power without SERIOUS precautions.

Not doubting your experience, but as a former Radar technician who has worked on equipment at much higher voltages, I believe there had to be some other fault at play to get the arc over distance you described. Loose or corroded connections or faulty components may have been the cause. I concur that those without appropriate training and protective gear and backup personnel need to stay away from energized high voltage equipment. The following link gives some guidance on approach boundaries for this type of equipment:

http://www.usbr.gov/ssle/safety/RSHS/sec12.pdf

Originally Posted by Otto

Not doubting your experience, but as a former Radar technician who has worked on equipment at much higher voltages, I believe there had to be some other fault at play to get the arc over distance you described. Loose or corroded connections or faulty components may have been the cause. I concur that those without appropriate training and protective gear and backup personnel need to stay away from energized high voltage equipment. The following link gives some guidance on approach boundaries for this type of equipment:

http://www.usbr.gov/ssle/safety/RSHS/sec12.pdf

yes there were many electrical faults in the machine; thats kind of the point i am trying to make; with high voltage electrical equipment -- NEVER EVER assume anything about what is and is not energized. the contact that got me should not have been live; but obviously was.