Yeah everyone is SUPPOSED to ask the DNO , wait two weeks for them to come out isolate, then rebook to re~energise (if doing a rewire say) Or have a isolator fitted, more expense, no isolators for commercial is there ?????? (Always supplied by the consumer)
Well, in fairness you did ask how it was achievable. And there are isolators in commercial. (Just because it's customer supplied doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.)
Yeah fitted when the installation is first commissioned but if your replacing everything back to the meter, ??? Especially when it was all originally bolted onto a frame 1960s anyone ??
I do agree it's a stupid situation that electricians who are normally more qualified than meter staff can't pull cut out fuses but they then go and say we do it because it's the only way to work safe when the metering companies do have a process in place to have isolator installed so it's not safety its convenience. I think there should be a proper scheme in place to allow registered sparks to pull fuses and give them the relevant safety info on dodgy cut outs. I think this will only happen when a spark is killed by working on a dodgy cut out unfortunately.
When pulling cut outs a flash mask and full protective wear should be worn. Some of the old ceramic carriers are dangerous to say the least,
The ONLY time I've seen that was a newby changing a ccustomers metering equipment, obviously you have to be satisfied that No load is still connected prior to pulling the cutout.
Aye of course the load would be negated before pulling 3 phase - however it is extremely dangerous pulling some types of old carriers which have had the load negated.
Pulling a suppliers main fuse for safe isolation. . .what they gonna do, sue you for working safe ? Oh sure you could take a picture of the meter reading prior to pulling and after so as to prove you have not been pinching leccy from the poor supplier! Mad world!