[DJW]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kldzwylqwo.amp

[Slacky]

Poor guy.

[windowswashed]

Terrible news, poor bloke. Every house I quote I inspect for overhead cables (RAM), force of habit, always aware of surroundings be it electric cables, trip hazards, got to be with a carbon pole.

[Smudger]

Very sad

[zesty]

Terrible.

Bless him, life changing.

I think over head cables in gardens should always be insulated, makes no sense to me. A kid could lift up his dads tree loppers and be killed. Etc. I’ve got a 30ft high pole saw for the oak trees in our garden, imagine a kid messing around with it and then bam.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Scary stuff.  Just shows even if you're careful and keeping your pole clear, the current can jump though air. 

[windowswashed]

I was once up a ladder cleaning windows traditionally when a bolt of lightning  struck the tree right behind me no less than four feet away. I left my ladder up at the bedroom window, slid down it with both hands (quickest exit off a ladder) and posted a note through the residents letterbox to explain I would be back the next day to collect my ladder 

Nowadays I keep a one hundred percent Kevlar pole base handle purely for two customers who have overhead electrical cables in their garden attaching to their home, it's quite common in some places. I always check the difference between a telegraph pole or a high voltage box pole.

Safety is paramount, love adrenalin  but also weigh up all risks in any extreme sport I participate in.

[dazmond]

Would it make any difference having an insulated pole section as all my poles have this?

How do we know which cables are live or not?

This is very concerning...I'm absolutely gutted for the guy.surely there is a compensation claim in there?esp as the home owner didn't know about the live wires overhead?

[Splash and dash]

Would it make any difference having an insulated pole section as all my poles have this?

How do we know which cables are live or not?

This is very concerning...I'm absolutely gutted for the guy.surely there is a compensation claim in there?esp as the home owner didn't know about the live wires overhead?

The wires are clear for everyone to see look at the pictures , it’s an unfortunate accident but we all need to be aware of our surroundings when using carbon poles near any power cables the arc jumping is far more likely to happen on damp misty days as this gives the current a path to the pole . Smoke is also another good conductor around cables to other objects . I feel sorry for the guy as a lapse in concentration has permanently changed his life , but the cables are high up and without the pole he would have been perfectly safe , this situation is something that we need to be looking out for on a daily basis , and doing a visual  risk assessment on every job should prevent this type of incident .  Also using hose pipes spraying water or pressure washing near theses things can also have the same results .

[NBwcs]

Sympathies go out to him. I quite often get snagged up on telephone wires, it's pure luck that they're not leccy wires. I need to get into better risk assessment habits.

[Smudger]

Yes you do!

[michael mckeary]

We were told in the Fire Service that electricity will travel down smoke to find an earth. Its when we have a grass fire in the country side.

[simon w]

Firstly I was gutted to read about this window cleaners horrific injuries. I know a lot on here pay a lot of attention to personal safety at work and won't use Ladders to climb gates or access windows above flat roofs etc. So on the topic of overhead power cables within potential touching distance of water fed poles where will you draw the line bearing in mind you don't even need to touch a power cable to get a fatal shock as electricity can jump from cables to window cleaner under certain situations. Would refusing to clean certain windows be the only sure way to protect yourself unless home owner is prepared to get the cables suitably sleeved and insulated? The photo is a common illustration of how close we work to overhead power cables.

[zesty]

That’s close, but how would you ever know what’s too close?

I’ve got one similar, but the cable is mere inches away from the window, so it’s heavily insulated for obvious reasons. Anyone could reach out the window and be dead without the insulation.

I had a gym I cleaned that backed onto a massive electricity pylon, I stopped doing it, was only a few meters away from the thing -  no thanks!

[KS Cleaning]

Firstly I was gutted to read about this window cleaners horrific injuries. I know a lot on here pay a lot of attention to personal safety at work and won't use Ladders to climb gates or access windows above flat roofs etc. So on the topic of overhead power cables within potential touching distance of water fed poles where will you draw the line bearing in mind you don't even need to touch a power cable to get a fatal shock as electricity can jump from cables to window cleaner under certain situations. Would refusing to clean certain windows be the only sure way to protect yourself unless home owner is prepared to get the cables suitably sleeved and insulated? The photo is a common illustration of how close we work to overhead power cables.

I would be more concerned about the ability to clean the swept head of that window  with that big 35cm brush, not to mention using medium bristles on the lead😜

[simon w]

Firstly I was gutted to read about this window cleaners horrific injuries. I know a lot on here pay a lot of attention to personal safety at work and won't use Ladders to climb gates or access windows above flat roofs etc. So on the topic of overhead power cables within potential touching distance of water fed poles where will you draw the line bearing in mind you don't even need to touch a power cable to get a fatal shock as electricity can jump from cables to window cleaner under certain situations. Would refusing to clean certain windows be the only sure way to protect yourself unless home owner is prepared to get the cables suitably sleeved and insulated? The photo is a common illustration of how close we work to overhead power cables.

I would be more concerned about the ability to clean the swept head of that window  with that big 35cm brush, not to mention using medium bristles on the lead😜

Your right I'll have a word with my staff about that tomorrow before they start their shift.

[The Jester of Wibbly]

Firstly I was gutted to read about this window cleaners horrific injuries. I know a lot on here pay a lot of attention to personal safety at work and won't use Ladders to climb gates or access windows above flat roofs etc. So on the topic of overhead power cables within potential touching distance of water fed poles where will you draw the line bearing in mind you don't even need to touch a power cable to get a fatal shock as electricity can jump from cables to window cleaner under certain situations. Would refusing to clean certain windows be the only sure way to protect yourself unless home owner is prepared to get the cables suitably sleeved and insulated? The photo is a common illustration of how close we work to overhead power cables.

I would be more concerned about the ability to clean the swept head of that window  with that big 35cm brush, not to mention using medium bristles on the lead😜

Your right I'll have a word with my staff about that tomorrow before they start their shift.

That's the reason I use a swivel neck.

[KS Cleaning]

^^^^^^^^^^
Me too, but even with a swivel it would be difficult to do the swept head with that brush.

[simon w]

^^^^^^^^^^
Me too, but even with a swivel it would be difficult to do the swept head with that brush.

The photo was to demonstrate how close and often we work to overhead power cables, don't pay too much attention to the brush 

[Bryan Dolby]

Hi Simon W
Please can i have your permission to copy the pictures you have put on here to use for a Tool box talk on working near electicity

Bryan Dolby