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Induced suit and body currents are described and evaluated. A suit and body resistance model is used to evaluate the effect on wearer comfort of suit resistance and suit-to-body bonding. Suit resistance is not constant, but depends on the measuring current. The resistance increases with laundering, and its effective value falls sharply in a strong electric field. Mechanisms are proposed to explain these effects. A recommendation is made regarding the maximum suit resistance. Keywords: conductive clothing, maintenance, live working

Research was conducted to determine the minimum number of healthy insulator units needed to ensure worker safety in live working on a compact 550 kV steel lattice tower. A large variety of worksite conditions was investigated. Test results confirm the conservative nature of the CIGRE formula for defective insulator units, and modifications to the formula are suggested. The recommended number of healthy units is 12 in a string of 24 units for the case of live work on the compact 550 kV tower, when the Portable Protective Gap (PPG) is used. Adjustment for altitude should be made above 900 m (3000'). Keywords - Defective insulators, live working, live-line maintenance, insulator flashover, safety

This paper presents result of research on the application of a Portable Protective Gap (PPG) to live work on a compact 550 kV steel lattice tower. The objective of the research was to provide experimental evidence which confirms the needed coordination of the PPG sparkover characteristics with the sparkover characteristics of the worksite on the compact tower during live work. Sparkover characteristics of the worksite are strongly affected by the presence of the worker, the live working tools, and damaged insulators. Keywords - Live working, live-line maintenance, portable protective gaps, sparkover characteristics, safety