Five questions at the tailboard. A brief for the lineworkers actually on shift.

• Substation being switched out at 09:00 — adjacent 34.5 kV bus still in service during the swap
• Switching order revised overnight; new witness sequence for the new bus configuration
• Contractor crew on the floor today — three of four are fresh to the new bus configuration

Controls

• Switching plan signed at the dispatch desk; MAD issued before any throw of the disconnect
• Supervisor witness on every switching step; rubber-glove work limited to Class-4 qualified crew
• Two-minute field-spotter brief for the new crew — live-line tools demonstrated before any approach

PPE

• Class-4 rubber gloves with leather protectors, voltage-rated at 36 kV
• Arc-rated suit — CAT 4 minimum over FR long-sleeve base layer
• Voltage-rated boots, hard hat with arc-rated face shield clipped on standby

• Gusty weather on the storm day — sustained 20 mph winds, gusts to 35 mph forecast before noon
• Wood-pole base undermined on the right-of-way after last night’s rain, soft spotting for the boom
• Distribution circuit still in service above the work zone — 7.2 kV overhead within reach of the lift

Controls

• Pole-top rescue plan rehearsed at the tailboard — qualified climber paired with the replacement crew
• Wood-pole decay check with a hammer test before any climb; reject and re-stock if the shell crushes
• Gin / boom truck spotted on solid ground with outriggers on pads — re-spot if the right-of-way gives way under load

PPE

• Full-body harness with shock-pack lanyard, double-hookup 100% tie-off at the pole top
• Class-2 insulated gloves (rated to 17 kV) within reach while the circuit is energized
• Hard hat with chin strap on, FR long-sleeve shirt — CAT 2 minimum during the lift

• Cable splice scheduled in the underground vault — permit-required confined space
• Atmospheric cooldown: nitrogen purge from last night’s cable testing, O2 still climbing as of 06:30
• Contractor entrant on the floor today — unfamiliar with the vault’s retrieval davit and access opening

Controls

• Re-test atmosphere every 5 minutes while occupied; entrant carries a 4-gas monitor at chest height
• Retrieval davit rigged over the access lid — attendant demonstrates the rescue lift dry before anyone goes in
• Two-way comms check at the access opening; entrant and attendant test the radio before entry

PPE

• Harness with dorsal D-ring pre-rigged to the retrieval line
• Supplied-air respirator or SCBA per the entry permit — no cartridge-style in this vault
• Hearing protection during the pre-entry test; bump cap inside the vault