Apprentice Competitors

Rules Apprentice Competitors Journeyman Competitors Questions & Answers Code of Conduct

Apprentice Events

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
Kevin Griffin - Clay Electric	7 minutes	10 minutes

Event Summary:

This is a 12kV event, simulated de-energized but not grounded. The apprentice will ascend the pole and swap out a faulted primary riser cable with the spare cable that is hanging. The URD primary cable will be 1/0, and the overhead primary and neutral conductor will be 1/0 AAAC. A new fused door will be provided and will be at the base of the pole. The apprentice is responsible for supplying all needed bags and hot sticks.

Event Specifications:

The apprentice will have 5 minutes to set up.
Time starts at the judge’s signal with fall arrest detached from the pole.
The hotline clamp must be removed before transitioning over the neutral.
No cover is required.
No incidental contact with bare conductor allowed.
The fuse door must be changed out.
All connections on the faulted cable must be removed, and all connections must be made on the spare cable. Parallel groove connector can be re-used but a new one will be supplied. Brushing the conductors and proper connections (A over C) is required.
The conductor must be brushed, and the hotline clamp reinstalled after transitioning below neutral.
Apprentice must communicate closing the cutout with the judge.
Eye of the fuse barrel must be used opening and closing.
Time will stop once the apprentice is on the ground and the fuse is closed back in with extendo stick.
All general rules apply. 13. The door must be re-opened before leaving the event.

Note:

There will NOT be a pole ground or pole ground bond on the event.
The pipe will be 3” conduit attached with pipe straps and both conductors will be in the same conduit.

Faulted Cable Swap

Phase Change - Open Close 100 Amp Disconnect - Download PDF

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
Reed Towels - Talquin	6 minutes	9 minutes

Event Summary:

With a rated hot stick, apprentice will open the closed cutout (cutout #1) either from the ground or on the pole, untap hot line clamps from stirrups, remove fuse barrel and stirrups. You will then transfer stirrups to the other phase at cutout #2, tap up hot line clamps, hang fuse barrel (Apprentice is not required to refuse barrel) and close. Apprentice MUST alert the judge “coming hot” before closing the cutout! Hand line must be made up before leaving event area.

Event Specifications:

See general rules.
Apprentice will have a five-minute setup time.
Hardhat, safety glasses, and class II rubber gloves are required.
Time starts on judges signal an arm’s length away from the pole.
Apprentice must apply at least one piece of neutral cover on the side being worked.
The grab-all end of the shotgun stick cannot be used to open or close fuse barrel.
Fuse barrel must be open before untapping or tapping up.
ALL connections must be brushed with the proper brush and/or brush attachment (no taping a brush to a hotstick)
Apprentice must call out “coming hot” before closing cutout.
Time stops when first foot hits the ground.
Judge will hook any dropped items; 2-point deduction each.

Event Layout Note:

Primary is double dead end on an eight-foot fiberglass arm with cutouts mounted on each end. Cutouts will have jumpers and hot line clamps installed. Jumpers will be poly covered #4 solid copper. Top jumper will be 3’ and bottom jumper 5’. Neutral will be straight through in a clevis with six-foot spacing.

Apprentices will provide their own:

Hand line
Stick & nose bags of choice
One piece of neutral cover (blanket, line hose, hard cover, etc.)
Shotgun stick • Stick with disconnect prong
Wire brush

Pole Top Pin Insulator Change Out - Download PDF

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
John Reger – GRU	5 minutes	8 minutes

Event Summary:

This event consists of changing out a pole top insulator. There will be a layout arm (already installed) on the pole to transfer the phase while changing the insulator. The event will be considered de-energized and NOT grounded; Class 2 rubber gloves will be required.

Event Specifications:

Apprentice will have 5 minutes to set up in the designated work area.
1. Apprentice may use set up time to construct material
2. Time starts at the Judge’s signal with the fall arrest system detached from the pole.
3. The apprentice must change out the pole top pin insulator only after transferring the primary into the layout arm (already installed).
  1. Lay-out arm will be installed on neutral spool side of pole - 8” below bottom bolt of pole-top pin.
4. Grommet, pre-form top tie, and insulator must be changed.
5. ALL material will be raised and lowered in a material bag on a hand line.
6. A hand line (not a straight line) is required for all raising and lowering of material.
7. The hand line must be attached to the pole before apprentice begins work.
8. Time stops when the apprentice’s first foot touches the ground (after work is completed). The fall arrest must remain attached for proper adjustment verification by the event judge.

Event Layout Note:

Tie Top Post Insulator - Hendrix Molded Products HPI-LP-11F (25KV)
Pole Top Insulator Bracket - Maclean Power Systems PTB-66
Insulator Stud Bolt - Lapp 301614-26154-8
Neutral Rack (Secondary Clevis) - Chance 468
Neutral Spool Insulator - Chance C909-1032
Distribution Pre-form Top Tie • HF5045 34 ¾ in super u conductor support arm/nylon
Layout arm

Event supplied materials:

PLP Ties
Part # UTF-1205

Apprentices will provide their own:

Hand line and tools

Replace 2 - 35kV Insulators on Fiberglass Arm - Download PDF

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
Nick Short - Lakeland	8 minutes	11 minutes

Event Summary:

In this event the two-phase conductors (1/0 AAAC) are considered dead and grounded. The existing 8 ft. fiberglass arm has damaged insulators on both ends and must be changed out. A complete set of all necessary hardware will be available on the ground at each event pole. The material may be rigged during set up time. The apprentice will take a hand line up the pole. A nose bag with the insulators and tie wires must be attached to the hand line. The apprentice must raise the new hardware in the bag by himself. The apprentice must lower the old hardware in the bag safely to the ground. The apprentice must notify judge before railroading block and dropping out the handline. Time will stop when apprentice returns to the ground and has made up the handling.

Event Specifications:

See General Rules
Apprentice will be allowed a 5-minute setup time before starting the event.
Time starts at the judge’s signal with fall arrest detached from pole.
The new insulators may be rigged during setup time.
Conductors can be floated.
Conductors are secured on the 35kV porcelain insulator with 1/0 AAAC wrap lock ties. (A screwdriver may be used to remove wrap lock tie, no knives or pliers.)
After new insulator is installed, the conductor must be re-secured with a new wrap-lock tie. (A screwdriver may be used to install wrap lock ties, no knives or pliers.)
Grommet must be changed, there is no penalty if old grommet is dropped as long as headache is called.
All work on the ground must be done with gaff guards on (if a gaff guard falls of it will be a 2 point deduction) if you choose to not take your tools off.

Apprentices will provide their own:

Handline
Nose bag
Climbing tools

Hurtman Rescue - Download PDF

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
Eddie Gluc - KUA	4 minutes	5 minutes

Event Summary:

This event will be simulated dead. Time starts at the judge’s signal with apprentice standing at least an arm’s length from pole in any direction. Note: The lineman’s belt, hooks and rubber gloves in bag will be lying on the ground at arm’s length from the pole. (You may tool up bare handed).

Event Specifications:

Looking at the pole from the 8’ cross arm side, the hand line will be hung on the right side simulating an injury to a right-handed person. The hurt man will hang on the cross arm side of the pole with both ends of the safety straps through the braces. The neutral will be on the opposite side of the pole of the hand line. Note: The “OX Block” will be utilized with a minimum of two and a half wraps or three clicks on the fiction bar. The OX Block will be attached to the arm just outside of the cross arm brace.
Mannequin will be tied under arms with three half hitches. Note: (splice cannot be used as part of the hitches). The half hitch is the only acceptable knot. A 4” conduit will be used to measure tightness of knot.
Apprentice must call out “headache” loudly when you drop out the split hand line.
A Buckingham rescue trainer safety will be used on the mannequin. You must cut the orange safety rope. There will be a 10-point deduction for cutting the belt in the wrong place.
Mannequin must be lowered smoothly to the ground without coming into contact with the pole and must be completely stopped within 5 feet of the ground then laid gently on the tarp. If the mannequin is not completely stopped there will be a 2 point deduction.
Time will stop when the mannequin is on the ground and there is slack in the hand line. Note: There must be one gaff in the pole at all times when climbing down the pole and proper belt adjustment maintained as you will be judged until you leave the event.
The mean time for this event is 4 minutes. The drop dead time is 5 minutes.
The apprentice must use the hand-line provided.
Rubber gloves will be required for this event. Gloves must be worn ground to ground.
Deductions will be subtracted from 100, resulting in the final score.

Photos are only to show where mannequin will be hung. Construction will be as the drawing shows.

Written Test - Download PDF

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
Joshua Wilcher	20 minutes	25 minutes

Event Specifications:

The written test will take place Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM
There will be 25 questions worth 4 points each.
The questions will come from the 17th Edition of the APPA SAFETY MANUAL.
- 1. Definitions
  2. Section 114: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), First Aid, and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
  3. Section 503.1 – 503.7: Vehicle Operations
  4. Section 506: Tools and Equipment
  5. Section 507: Overhead Distribution and Transmission
  6. Section 509: Underground Lines and Equipment
  7. General Rules and the Competitor Packet
This will not be an open book test.
No notes, cell phones or other electronic devices will be allowed.
Your test score will not be averaged in with the events on Saturday.

The top Three written test scores will be awarded as follows

• 1st place will be awarded 90 seconds to overall time.

• 2nd place will be awarded 60 seconds to overall time.

• 3rd place will be awarded 30 seconds to overall time.

If the apprentices’ utility does not currently use the APPA Safety Manual, copies may be purchased by contacting APPA’s publications department at (202) 467-2926 or by visiting APPA’s Product Store at www.PublicPower.org/Store.

Mutual Aid Event -Download PDF

Chief Judge:	Mean Time:	Drop Dead Time:
James Alexander & Chris Hodges	? minutes	? minutes

Event Summary:

This event will represent mutual aid storm restoration. Each team will be composed of two apprentices and one journeyman, all three from different companies. The apprentices must climb and the journeyman must be the groundman. This is a MANDATORY event and failure to participate will result in the APP and/or JM team to receive a 10-point deduction to start their competition day (unless signed off on by both Master Judges).

Event Specifications: •

You must be at your assigned event station at 8am ready to compete
Time will start on Master Judge’s signal (Shotgun style start)
May only use provided hand tools
Competitors use their personal PPE, climbing gear and handline (all other equipment and tools provided)

Material provided:

Will be announced in your registration packet

Tools Provided by Milwaukee:

P.P.E.
Climbing gear
Handline