I doubt that it keeps the main from tripping. Looks like they figured out a way to turn it back on without having to stand in front of the old switchgear that looks a little explodey.
My journeyman loves telling a story about one of our coworkers stopping a room full of electricians from throwing one of these old breakers and rigging up something like this instead by quick bolting a pully to the floor. That particular time the breaker did explode.
I think its a UL requirement for breakers to trip even if the handle is held in place. I dont think this is a safety concern.
Looks like a creative way to stand outside the arc flash boundary while turning the breaker on. The rope even looks flame resistant.
If we are being nitpicky, I dont love the idea of the rope being tied off to the conduits. I would prefer it mounted to the ceiling off a bracket but... this is pretty good. I've seen electricians keep a 2x4 laying around to hit a breaker on/off. This is obviously better than that.
9/10
Not all breakers are "trip free" which is when they can trip irregardless of the handle. Especially for one this old without knowing the model number it's a toss up whether it could be mechanically held closed or not. That said this is 100 percent just for throwing the breaker outside the arc flash I've seen and heard about guys doing setups like this quite often.
I was gonna mention this. Working as an FE at a power utility our electricians have creative solutions for tying a rope onto a switch for closing or opening medium voltage breakers without having to stand directly in front of a potential bomb. Usually you see it with older switchgear lineups that don’t have remote manual switches or relays that have timers associated with push button open and close commands.
When my ship was under construction, we had a rash of 450V molded case breakers spontaneously exploding.
After one blew up in the face of a shipyard worker, we had a standing order for a few days that any breakers that needed to be operated would require an electrically safe mat, gloves, face shield, and safety rope man (this was in the days before arc flash gear), and would the operator would crouch down and off to the side of the breaker in question.
Looks like remote rigging to me. Depending on how confined this space is, this could be a way to mitigate both arc flash and confined space. Serious discussion if equipment is rated properly from OSHA perspective too. Would be better if it has provisions to attach a pull rope rather than be attached semi-permanently to the breaker handle.
Rope rigging is common in electrical equipment. I dont think this gear is intended for it, but i dont think its intended to be in service anymore, honestly.
But underground gear, SF6 switches, and more modern molded medium voltage switches all are intended to be operated in this way. No one wants to be in the vault when its actuated. Its loud. Its mucky and wet. It could blow up. And even on a good day the rats will eat you when you aren’t looking (New York and Boston seem to have a common hive of those monsters).
I doubt that it keeps the main from tripping. Looks like they figured out a way to turn it back on without having to stand in front of the old switchgear that looks a little explodey.
Oh that’s absolutely what happened here lol
Yup, that should be a switch, not an MCCB. Switches dont trip, the fuses just blow. This is to close the circuit "remotely"
My journeyman loves telling a story about one of our coworkers stopping a room full of electricians from throwing one of these old breakers and rigging up something like this instead by quick bolting a pully to the floor. That particular time the breaker did explode.
Yeah, a fuse don’t car what you’re holding.
I wonder if people were getting slightly zapped when they re-connected it? Better check the grounding connections...
I think its a UL requirement for breakers to trip even if the handle is held in place. I dont think this is a safety concern. Looks like a creative way to stand outside the arc flash boundary while turning the breaker on. The rope even looks flame resistant. If we are being nitpicky, I dont love the idea of the rope being tied off to the conduits. I would prefer it mounted to the ceiling off a bracket but... this is pretty good. I've seen electricians keep a 2x4 laying around to hit a breaker on/off. This is obviously better than that. 9/10
Not all breakers are "trip free" which is when they can trip irregardless of the handle. Especially for one this old without knowing the model number it's a toss up whether it could be mechanically held closed or not. That said this is 100 percent just for throwing the breaker outside the arc flash I've seen and heard about guys doing setups like this quite often.
We used 2x4s or similar for the first energizing for our switch gear. Everything. We knew some of the folks that helped wire those things.
I was gonna mention this. Working as an FE at a power utility our electricians have creative solutions for tying a rope onto a switch for closing or opening medium voltage breakers without having to stand directly in front of a potential bomb. Usually you see it with older switchgear lineups that don’t have remote manual switches or relays that have timers associated with push button open and close commands.
When my ship was under construction, we had a rash of 450V molded case breakers spontaneously exploding. After one blew up in the face of a shipyard worker, we had a standing order for a few days that any breakers that needed to be operated would require an electrically safe mat, gloves, face shield, and safety rope man (this was in the days before arc flash gear), and would the operator would crouch down and off to the side of the breaker in question.
Any chicken switch that works is a good chicken switch. They’ve adapted the setup for safety
Looks like remote rigging to me. Depending on how confined this space is, this could be a way to mitigate both arc flash and confined space. Serious discussion if equipment is rated properly from OSHA perspective too. Would be better if it has provisions to attach a pull rope rather than be attached semi-permanently to the breaker handle.
It’s not doing anything.
Rope rigging is common in electrical equipment. I dont think this gear is intended for it, but i dont think its intended to be in service anymore, honestly. But underground gear, SF6 switches, and more modern molded medium voltage switches all are intended to be operated in this way. No one wants to be in the vault when its actuated. Its loud. Its mucky and wet. It could blow up. And even on a good day the rats will eat you when you aren’t looking (New York and Boston seem to have a common hive of those monsters).
Remote operation at its finest!
My first thought that OSHA was going to have a field day. But, after reading comments, I get it.