1. Warren Rogers
Safety Supervisor, Eastern Connecticut
Connecticut Light & Power
warren.rogers@nu.com
Staying Alive
When the Power Lines Come Down
Post-Storm Safety and Electric Utility
Familiarization
Michelle Lowther
Principal
Continuity Housing
michelle@continuityhousing.com

3. Electrical System Awareness -
Surviving the Aftermath and the
Beforemath
Warren Rogers - CL&P Safety

5. What Is Electricity?
Voltage
Current
Resistance
The flow of electrons from one atom to another
in a complete circuit
Strength of the electrical
pressure
Electric flow in a
conductor
Resistance to the flow of current (in Ohms)

6. GREAT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS

10. Substation
Riser
Transmission
Distribution
Underground 23 Kv

11. Riser
Cutouts/Fuses
Primary

13. Insulators
Cross Arm
Recloser
Primary Voltage Conductors – 3 phase
Secondary Voltage Triplex

14. Shy bird
Bare copper primary
Primary
Secondary
Phone/cable
Transformers
Fuses

15. DANGER
OSHA/NU’s Rule for
NON QUALIFIED PERSONS
MINIMUM - 10’ FOOT
CLEARANCE FROM
ANY OVERHEAD LINES

16. Triplex Secondary Conductors
Primary
Secondary

17. Triplex
120/120
neutral

18. FREE SERVICE

19. Improperly installed generators have
the potential to back feed downed wires

20. Step Potential - The potential gradient
developed across the surface of the earth
as a result of current flowing through
the earth
Touch Potential - The potential measured
from an object that may be touched and
the earth one would be standing on

21. Broken Primary

22. Could the guard rail be energized ?

23. Phase of 23kv after three shots
of Recloser

24. Phase landed here
Was there any step and/or touch potential?

25. Car vs Pole - Primary knocked off pole onto street, then car hit hydrant
flooding street. 2 Good Samaritans died running to help car when they stepped
into water with down Primary. Seven others seriously injured attempting
to rescue the 2 GS’s.

26. Effects of Electrical Shock
Current (amperage) is the killing factor in electrical shock.
EFFECTS OF AC CURRENT ON AVERAGE HUMAN
1 Milliampere (mA) Slight Tingling - Threshold of perception
(1/1000 amp)
5 mA Sensation of shock - can let go
Accepted as maximum harmless current (GFCI TRIPPED)
6-30 mA Painful Shock - Still have muscular control
50-150 mA Painful Shock - Loss of muscular control
200 – 500 mA *
1,000 – 4,300 mA* Ventricular Fibrillation - Heart leaves its
* OSHA beating pattern and goes into a vibrating
mode before shutting off
10,000 mA Cardiac Arrest, Severe Burns & probable Death * OSHA
15,000 mA Typical home circuit breaker (Breaker in panel tripped)

27. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
- GFCI – Saves lives !

28. Why Men Invented GFCI’s

29. Fatality - exit wound after aluminum
ladder contact w/secondary service

30. Stay Alive – Stay in Vehicle,
Call 911
Tell by-standers to stay back
Stay in vehicle until utility
company tells you the area
is safe
Never trust any wire, primary
Or Secondary, to be safe until
the utility rep says it is !!

31. Michelle Lowther
Principal
Continuity Housing
michelle@continuityhousing.com
(832) 594-8286
Housing for critical personnel when you need it most.