Understanding an Equipotential Protective Grounding Zone 

This is only one part of a six segment video that is 1-1/2 hours long tha explains six critical principles about equipotential grounding. We really need to teach these principles not just the expected work methods. The video is available for sale if interested or we do onspp op te trading classes to explain the step by step processes that must be understood. First is a conductor that is isolated, tagged, tested and grounded is NOT always “dead”- that is a big falicy

An explosion at the fuse not right there on the line

If the line was energized, especially at transmission voltage, the arc flash would be beyond belief and the person doing the grounding would most likely regret it for the rest of their life. We're talking the potential for temperatures of tens of thousand of degrees. You would never, ever, knowingly install a ground on an energized conductor, unless of course you were insane. In this scenario Rick is talking about an "accidental" energization or inductance from an energized parallel circuit after the line that is going to be worked on has been deenergized, tested for deenergized and then grounded, where it is then considered dead.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think its due to the body having high resistance and equal voltage at the hands and feet that cause no current to flow and thus no danger. The way I understand it is if the parallel path was just a wire or piece of metal then current would flow on that and back to the source since current takes all available paths back to the source. If I had a 12v headlight bulb and one wire feeding power to it and then connected a second wire in parallel to feed power to it the current would be split between the two wires. However if I added a bulb to the middle of the to that second wire that was in parallel then no current would flow on it since there would be 12v on either side of the bulb and all the current would go back to flowing through the one wire that's connected directly to power source. Like having a test light connected to battery power and checking another bulbs power feed, it wont light due to no current flowing since there is no difference in potential across the load.

@@H750S thank you. I understand it a little better. Like a bird with 2 feet on the line. Electricity doesn't flow because both feet are at the same potential. No difference, no flow. But still a little confused, and can't picture how the electricity is moving from the power line, through the tower, and into the ground without it possibly going through the worker? Like any given 100 foot section of power line is at the same potential all the way across from one end to the other but electricity still moves through it???

@@peters6850 Was wondering how safe the worker would be on the ground and what the step potential would be in this situation? Mike holt has some amazing videos and well drawn out examples that go into more detail on this. Stuff about step potential and voltage gradients. It seems like if current is all running into the ground and going back to the source that just walking in that area or standing on the ground and touching the structure could be dangerous due to the voltage gradient created. Maybe they have special shoes/equipment that protect them in a situation like that?

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qNZC782SzAQ.html&feature=share

@@H750S I would think you're right because the guy wire is connected to the ground and in the video they said touching the guy wire could kill the worker. I'll check out his videos. THANKS!