Live Line, Overhead Line Maintenance, UK – DPL – BTS Group

The live line working that is currently undertaken involves three types of operations. The first are long stick operations sometimes referred to as live line tapping. This allows us to operate disconnection of HV spurs, HV plant and automated plant. Attachments can be added to the long sticks to enable them to be used to dismantle small growths in a close proximity to the live HV line.

The second operation is short stick working sometimes referred to as hot stick. This incorporates many different written and approved procedures for installing, maintaining and disconnection of many types of equipment. This can be achieved from either an insulated MEWP or in some cases where access is restricted, from the pole itself.

The final operation is hot glove working. This involves hands on operations using the protection of tested and approved gloves with over gauntlets and an insulated MEWP referred to as an I.A.D. There are many approved procedures and operations that can be carried out live using hot glove techniques. BTS/DPL have led the market by training and assessing two teams of hot glove linesman who remove vegetation from the live network.

All these specialist operations help us to continually decrease the number of customers affected by vegetation clearance and line maintenance and reduce the size and or number of shutdowns required to maintain the network. This enables D.N.O’s to dramatically reduce and control their customer minutes lost; thus enabling them to meet targets set by the regulator.