Same way you would remove any bolt on breaker if the panel were energized.
Why would you not be able to shut it off? I've phoned Alarm companies and informed them they may get a signal, stuff like that.
When I was real young I was washing my car in my dad's driveway (he had an apartment block). He says, "don't do that you're making a mess" (gravel parking lot). I says "pretend it's raining.
So if you have a problem - pretend there is a power failure. Hit the switch or phone the poco to shut it down.
It surprises me how many people are okay with removing bolt on large size breakers with the power on. I won't even do it with the arc flash suit. Much easier and safer with the power off.
Your safety is on you. Will your company treat you right and more importantly your family if something goes dramatically wrong because "they" can't afford the down time?
It really is your life in your own hands... maybe invite the CEO to come down and stand next to you while he/she is forcing you to change the breaker live so if something does go wrong he/she can reap the same benefits you will.
If you hire an Electrician that's what he going to do. Of course you can afford the down time. If your company can't I'd be looking for work elsewhere as they are about to fold.
If your a one man show then OSHA don't care what you do.. If your an employee then you have no choice but to shut it down.
Like others said, pretend it's an outage.
Understandable I came to the same conclusion I was just hoping that there could have been another way besides getting the utility involved
reason being the scheduling and having to wait
Absolutely. Glad to see a post or two above this that the OP decided to wait for a shutdown. :thumbup::thumbup:
Doesn't matter how much you know or experience you have, the "blue monster" NEVER discriminates.
I have had a few very close calls in my day, and don't work live anymore.
One example from my cinema service days where I chose to work safe: I was at one of my cinemas doing a service call when the dry transformer in the booth went into meltdown mode. The manager, knowing my background, wanted me to throw the ancient main (1600amp) and I told him no freakin way. Evacuate the building, call the fire dept and your electrician with the proper PPE. Which is what they did. Other than a smoke-filled booth, a fried transformer and some frayed nerves, it all ended well. Oh..except for the main breaker...it shut down ok but wouldn't reset on one leg. :whistling2:
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