Transferred potential - A hidden killer of many linemen

A grounding practice which has been widely adopted as a personal protective measure for carrying out de-energized line works is causing many fatal accidents. The conclusion was arrived after analyzing a fatal accident. This method of protective grounding is still practiced by many distribution companies without realizing the imminent danger involved. The paper explains how this particular practice gives rise to transferred potential and why its effects cannot be controlled in 3wire overhead distribution lines running with no ground wire. The paper emphasizes to discard this practice and to include this safety aspect in IEEE 1048 - Guide for Protective Grounding of Power Lines, to prevent the accidents happening worldwide wherever this grounding practice is being followed.