Wood Pole Overhead Lines
Concentrating on the mechanical aspects of distribution wood pole lines, this informative text includes coverage of live line working, environmental influences, climate change and international standards.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Wood Pole Overhead Lines
Chapter 17: Live Line Working in the UK
17.1 Introduction
This chapter looks at the historical development of working on live lines and illustrates the basics of hot-glove (live line) working on distribution wood pole lines in the UK.
17.2 Historical review
17.2.1 Early development
Live line working in its various forms has been with us for at least 100 years. Initially, long sticks were used to operate switches on energised lines. The ability of long (or hot) sticks to perform maintenance rather than just operate switches on energised lines took a little longer to be appreciated.
The acclaimed father of live line working using hot sticks was T. F. Johnson in the USA. He had developed insulating sticks with fittings by 1910 and by 1914 a full range of tools appeared, including wooden props to lift all three phase conductors and enable cross-arm or pole changes.
The range of operating tools expanded so much that by 1916 spring-loaded tools for jumper work and hot line come-a-longs' were in use. By 1918, the Tip Tool Company (eventually taken over by A B Chance now Hubbell) had developed universal tools and sticks with interchangeable heads.
Different techniques developed, where some companies favoured specific devices for holding the conductor and followed the universal tool concept. Others used ropes to hold conductors and interchangeable heads for the sticks. Hot-glove working developed a little later than hot stick, although some basic insulating gloves were around in the early twentieth century. One problem was physical access by the linesman and so hot-glove working...
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