30 Section 1 Fundamentals Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Wet Conditions Utility workers often must repair power lines in the rain. Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Special equipment and train- ing are necessary to prepare the workers for these high-risk situations. Although you may not find yourself in a rainstorm, the rules of working in any wet conditions are the same. The first rule is to avoid it. If you are work- ing on an entire house, work on the interior wiring on rainy days and install the service on a dry day. If you must work in wet con- ditions, make sure that you have the proper equipment and training to complete the job safely and TURN THE POWER OFF. The proper equipment includes ground-fault cir- cuit interrupter (GFCI) protection, insulated tools, and PPE (personal protective equip- ment) that is designed for these situations. See Figure 2-18. Damaged Da Da Da a a ma ma ma ma age a a a a a ge ge ge ge ge ge ge ge e e e e ge ge ge ge ge e ge g g ge g e ge g e ge ge g e ge ge e e ge g ge g ge e ge ge g ge ge d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d outllet ou u u tl tl tl l et et et t t et e et e receptacle re re re re r ce ce ce pt pt p ac c a le e e Burned Bu Bu Bu Bu Bu Bu rn rn rn rn rn n ed ed ed ed ed ed insulation i i i i ns ns ns ul ul u at a io n n n Worn Wo Wo Wo Wo W rn rn rn rn insulation i i i i ns ns ns ns ns u a a ti a t t io o o o n n n n Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 2-17. Common examples of damaged household equipment include cracked or broken receptacle housings and faces and worn or burned wiring insulation. Never use damaged components or wiring. Hubbell, Inc. Figure 2-18. This temporary power distribution box contains ground-fault circuit interrupters to protect workers in wet working conditions.