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Posted by Tom Horne, Electrician on May 13, 2006, 10:41 pm
mm wrote:
> wrote:
>
>> RicodJour wrote:
>>> mm wrote:
>>>
>>>> It took until Wednesday for someone to say how the girl was killed
>>>> last Friday in Baltimore.
>>>>
>>>> It seems that the fence she was touching went in AFTER the power line
>>>> beneath it. The power line went to a light pole maybe 50 feet away
>>>> used to illuminate the softball field.
>>>>
>>>> The fence was not the backstop, iiuc, but a 3 1/2 foot tall chain link
>>>> fence near the backstop. There was a cement footing for the pole, but
>>>> the pole extended about a quarter inch below the cement, and rested on
>>>> the cable. Eventually, it wore through the insulation and touched the
>>>> hot wire.
>>> For a 3.5' tall fence post, the post hole was probably dug about 1.5' -
>>> 2' deep. Not that deep at all. Considering the bottom of the post
>>> miraculously stopped just at the cable, it's very possible that the guy
>>> digging it, knew he hit the cable, was thankful he didn't die, and
>>> figured that the concrete would cover the top of the cable and prevent
>>> the post from touching the cable itself. Of course the cable being the
>>> limiting factor in the hole depth would mean that the post would not be
>>> set at the same height as the rest - assuming the guy was relatively
>>> careful about setting his posts. I'd check the top of all of the
>>> poles to see if that particular pole was noticeably higher than the
>>> rest, or to see if it had been cut (a cut in the field would look
>>> different than a factory cut post end).
>>>
>>> R
>>>
>> I think it is pretty much standard practice with chain-link fences to
>> place the poles, let the concrete set, and THEN trim them to the right
>> height. I wonder if anyone is checking to find out who actually put
>> that fence in.
>
> They said that no one remembered, but I'll bet the paperwork is still
> around, and they'll find out who the contractor was. If the City of
> Baltimore did stuff like this, they'll be liable, I think.
>
>> I think it is unlikely that there was any detailed
>> map of location -- unless it was put in by the power company. --Phil
>
> The power company was already out there on Saturday saying it was on
> the far side of the meter, and not their fault. Does the power
> company ever install things, for a separate fee, on the far side of
> the meter.
>
No. The power company employs outside wiremen that work under the
National Electrical Safety Code. That is the code which, when adopted
by the state public utility regulating body, governs high voltage
generation and distribution. Once they get the electricity to the
customers wiring there work is done. The wiring beyond the demarcation
point is done by Inside Wiremen that are more commonly called
Electricians. That work is governed by the state and local laws that
adopt the National Electric Code by reference. When the power company
wants wiring done in their own office they hire an electrical contractor
that employs electricians because their own outside wiremen do not do
that work.
--
Tom Horne
"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous
for general use." Thomas Alva Edison
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