Enhance Safety During Live-Line Maintenance With Barry D.E.W. Line® Insulating Tag Lines

Barry D.E.W. Line Insulating Tag Lines have many applications during live-line maintenance. Contained in a small protective bag and light weight enough to be carried on a tool belt, these tools provide insulating lines for increased safety when working near or around energized conductors and equipment.

Barry Insulating Tag Line Applications:

Barry D.E.W Line Insulating Tag Lines can assist in maintaining control in two ways, either by guiding loads or tagging out the conductor.

Tagging Out Conductors

In overhead distribution systems, where conductors are small and spans are short, it is sometimes easier to tag out the conductor by pulling it aside to remove it from the workspace. An Insulating Tag Line can be connected directly to the energized conductor, allowing a ground worker to tag out the conductor temporarily while other work is being performed.

Guiding Loads

It is essential to maintain control of heavy loads as they are lifted into place, especially in windy conditions. Insulating Tag Lines allow your ground team to guide flying loads with confidence, reducing the risk of injury. Tag Lines can also help prevent faults and flashovers that occur when the guiding line inadvertently contacts energized lines or equipment. The image below was captured during a 230kV crossarm changeout, with the Barry D.E.W. Line Insulating Tag Line connected to the end of the crossarm just above the suspension insulator. The ground crew guided this crossarm into place safely despite the Tag Line laying directly on the energized phase.

Hand Lines

The Hand Line is a fundamental tool for overhead distribution work.  Insulating Tag Lines, or the larger Insulating Work Lines, can be configured as Insulating Hand Lines. This allows the Insulating Hand Line to be safely rigged in additional locations, including the option of connecting directly to an energized conductor.

In urban Underground Residential Distribution (URD) systems, using an insulating hand line can be even more critical. Space is always tight in the vault of a URD system, and incidental brush contact can have very serious consequences. In these tight spaces, where lowering tools and equipment are necessary, an Insulating Hand Line serves as an extra measure of safety for workers both above and below the ground.

Other Applications From The Field

In addition to the operations described above, Barry D.E.W. Line Insulating Tag Lines have been used effectively in the field for the following applications:

• As a trigger rope to stage a fault when commissioning a new line
• For installing dielectric safety nets over rider poles
• For pulling hard cover
  
• For pulling ice rollers on live conductors
• For guiding wooden poles when setting between energized lines
• As helicopter messenger lines during stringing
• As handling lines for rescue work in electrically hazardous environments

Barry D.E.W. Line Insulating Tag Line Safety

Unlike ropes with an open weave, Barry D.E.W. Line Insulating Rope Tools have unique thermoplastic jackets to seal out potentially conductive moisture and contaminants. This affords workers the ability to thoroughly clean, dry, inspect, and test tools to maintain insulating properties. All Barry D.E.W Line Tag Lines, Work Lines, Rope Links, and Throw Lines carry working load limits with a 5:1 safety factor and are Arc-Flash Rated Category 4.

Contact CHANCE for Questions

Barry D.E.W. Line Insulating Tag Lines are exceptional tools for increasing worker safety in energized environments. They protect linemen from exposure to dangerous electrical potential whether they are on the pole, in a bucket, or on the ground.

For additional questions or to schedule training with a CHANCE expert on Insulating Tag Lines, or any other CHANCE product, please reach out to your local Hubbell Utility Solutions’ Territory Manager or contact our training team by filling out this form.