Electrical Safety

https://facilityexecutive.com/2019/08/electrical-safety-before-during-and-after-a-disaster/


Good morning all,

Linked article is industry-focused but some of the principles mentioned are applicable to individual preppers.

It's a light reading article. Think of individual applications eg "Make sure the equipment being deployed is safe and genuine".

Not specifically mentioned in the article but worth mentioning here. For the individual prepper, I like fire extinguishers of halon / halogen. If you've got expensive instruments/equipment, the regular chemical types ruin stuff - although better ruined stuff than human injury.

I take special note of "How will a facility get diesel fuel ... where roads may no longer exist?"

Note meaning of "Trained".

 

Hmmm... I thought they outlawed Halon. It is supposed to be a "greenhouse gas". It is great for extinguishing fires though. I prefer CO2 myself, that is good for class A, B, and C fires. Not good for class D fires of course.
The article doesn't seem to mention much of anything about the nuts and bolts of electrical safety though. No mention of grounded or double insulated tools. No mention of dealing with frayed cords or watching for the allowable ampacity of a given wire size which changes with length of course. They left out a lot. No mention of how to check for power or how to deal with a live circuit if necessary.

 

During one of our hurricanes, they were ferrying diesel fuel out to a sewage pumping station by boat.

Other facilities just closed until the flooding subsided.

 

Good afternoon Son of Liberty,

Yes, you're right. Halon was declared illegal. There were some phase-out exceptions. The substitute was "Halogen" (spelling). Agree; I loved Halon.

We must be content that just the subject matter got published ! It's for us to refine...which you did.

You reminded me of something. I just replaced a tool on my web gear with an offset needle nose pliers. Must insulate the tool.

 

Good afternoon Snyper,

A good example coupled to my fond memories about these boats.

In the 1970s I was selected to serve as a reserve senior emergency manager with Office of Emergency Transportation, USDOT. My specialty was oil and support systems via US inland waterways (even if not "official" waterway).

The public has no idea of what we've got in place and tested.

 

Out of curiosity, how do you plan to insulate them? I recommend 3 layers of heat shrink and 3 applications of liquid electrical tape. I dip the handles in the liquid electrical tape, wait for it to dry, 1st layer of heat shrink, let it cool off. 2nd layer of liquid electrical tape, 2nd layer of heat shrink, 3rd layer of each. That has worked for me for low voltage(below 600 VAC) circuits. JMO, YMMV.

 

Good afternoon Son of Liberty,

Had initially planned to visit my local rural fire department substation and ask for guidance.

Will now go to a big box store and get the stuff you mentioned. Safety governs and I don't know about the new folks at my substation.

Merci for info.

 

I would go to an actual electrical supply house or Grainger at a minimum. This is something where quality really matters. JMO, YMMV

If I were at that fire station, I would tell you to never work on a hot circuit. Never. In the navy, we were trained to never work on a hot circuit until we had to.....ie battle conditions or the equivalent. Always deenergize a circuit before you work on it. Just like there is never an unloaded firearm, ALL circuits are hot until you test them yourself and determine that they are not. That being said, WTSHTF there may come times when you have to work on hot circuits. Then, you really need to use your best judgement.

 

Good morning Son of Liberty,

Your opinion is valuable.

One of the active volunteer firefighters will be insulating my pliers. They have all the premium products at the station.

My tools mounted on my web gear are for emergency field conditions only when "on the march" - evac.

I remember a few years ago, Ontario Knife Company (somewhere upstate New York) manufactured a knife for Army helicopter rescues. The Army rejected the tool as non-milspec.