Adoption of "live line work" in S.E.C Central Region Branch, Saudi Arabia

This paper describes the various phases of activities carried out by S.E.C. Central Region Branch to adopt a live line work network. Bare handwork for the of overhead transmission live line work was adopted after meticulous planning with the development of safety rules, work methods, procurement of customized live line tools, training and launching prior to adoption into the system. The importance given to the safety and training as well as the certification of the personnel and the continuous efforts for the development are highlighted. This paper describes the transition of S.E.C. Central Region Branch starting from the planning to the acquisition of tools, training, and the required skills for the full performance of live line work. The benefits of live line work are evaluated based on system reliability, power quality, and more importantly economy to the utility.