Customer
AEP
Location
West Virginia
Highlights
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Life-Critical Near Miss Averted by Protocol Discipline -
Tool Redundancy and ‘Trust but Verify’ Culture in Action -
Training Moment for High-Voltage Work
Redundancy Saves Lives: Identifying Faulty Line Testing Equipment Before Grounding
The Challenge
While preparing to perform work on an isolated transmission line, a crew had already obtained formal clearance—the line was expected to be de-energized. However, during standard procedure, the crew used a line tester to verify the absence of voltage before grounding. To their alarm, the tester showed the line as energized.
This unexpected reading immediately triggered a stop work and prompted an investigation. The concern was that a backfeed or mis-isolation may have occurred, which could have resulted in severe injury or fatality if grounding had proceeded.
The Solution
Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the line was properly isolated and de-energized. The root cause of the issue was a malfunctioning line tester that produced a false “hot” reading.
Corrective steps included:
- Stopping work immediately upon receiving a questionable reading.
- Bringing in a second, verified line tester to cross-check the condition.
- Re-testing with backup equipment, which confirmed the line was indeed dead.
- Proceeding only after confirming equipment reliability and line status.
Key Benefits
- Prevented a potential grounding incident by validating test results before proceeding.
- Reinforced the importance of redundancy in testing equipment, especially when life-critical decisions are based on readings.
- Demonstrated disciplined application of Stop Work Authority and verification procedures.
- Led to broader awareness about the risk of tool failure in high-voltage work.
The Results
- No injuries or incidents occurred thanks to adherence to pre-grounding verification protocols.
- The faulty tester was taken out of service to prevent future misuse.
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