Guy Wire Clearance Violation: Early Detection Prevents Neutral Line Failure in Texas

Customer

PEC

Location

Texas

Highlights

  • Hidden Line Wear Identified Before Failure
  • Utility Coordination Led to Fast Physical Mitigation
  • Reinforced the Role of Vigilance Beyond Assigned Scope

Preventing a Neutral Line Failure: How Field Awareness Averted Risk on Lohman Ford Rd

The Challenge

While conducting routine data collection for an infrastructure project on Lohman Ford Rd, we noticed something alarming: a guy wire was visibly rubbing against the neutral power line. Upon closer inspection, the strands of the neutral line showed clear signs of wear—fraying and thinning—indicating the wire was close to failure. The site had not previously been flagged for clearance issues, and the wear was not easily detectable from standard survey data. However, if left unaddressed, the situation could have escalated into a conductor break, service interruption, or worse—an electrical injury to crews or the public.

The Solution

We immediately took the following actions:
  • Photographic Documentation: Captured high-resolution images of the conflict point between the guy wire and the neutral line.
  • Utility Notification: Sent the documentation directly to PEC, the utility responsible for line maintenance.
  • Field Engineering Insight: Provided context on pole positioning and suspected design or structural shift that may have contributed to the issue.
PEC promptly responded by dispatching a crew to the site. They resolved the issue by installing an insulator to separate the guy wire from the neutral conductor, eliminating the contact point and restoring proper line clearance.

Key Benefits

  • Hazard Prevention: By catching the wear early, the team prevented a likely failure of the neutral conductor.
  • Rapid Response Coordination: Utility action was taken within days, minimizing exposure to potential public or operational risks.
  • Design Feedback Loop: Highlighted the need for clearer clearance standards and long-term monitoring in design and pole placement.
  • Culture of Vigilance: Reinforced the principle that field crews should observe beyond task-specific data to identify hidden risks.

The Results

  • No Service Interruptions or Injuries: The intervention prevented both service disruptions and any downstream safety incidents.
  • Corrective Action Executed: An insulator was installed to physically separate the two components, restoring compliance.
  • Process Awareness Elevated: The event has been shared as a learning moment across field teams, emphasizing clearance checks as part of all field data collection.

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