Event in my life that changed my perception about current

There was one event that happened in my life that I think and deem fit to be worth sharing with my special audience.

When I was a generator quality engineer, there was an incident that could have happened but didn't happen. And God saved me, I will say.

We test lots of generators, from 20 kVA to 275 kVA, in that little space, but the higher ones have a bigger and special place where they are tested.

Because we test a lot of generators, we have to use long cables that run from the load bank. Once one finishes, you loosen the cable, put it on the closer genset, and test. You understand?

One day, as the cable crossed over the floor, a lift driver wanted to cross, and the only spot to cross was that area I was testing a generator with my superior, so as a novice that I was, I told him to just drive the forklift over the cable, and he wanted to, but my superior, or should I say supervisor, stopped him.

“He should wait,” he said, “or you will suspend the testing, loosen the cable, then he will pass, and you restart.”

The driver left, and when we were done, he came and did his business.

But that single event left a question mark in my heart. Why couldn't he cross over the cable? Since the cable is already carrying an insulator. I didn't use to see it as anything but that day I did.

After thinking without reaching anywhere, I had to go and ask my superior, and he told me that current was flowing from the load bank to the generator. If he passed at that point, the tire of the forklift, as heavy as it is, could cause an internal disruption inside the cable that would cause the cable to spark, and that would not be funny at all.

Now, in an entirely new place, I saw where forklifts were passing and a cable was crossed over the path. The forklift was passing over the cable, with the only exception being that the clever person who granted permission placed two sticks or planks that were higher than the cable on both sides.

I immediately understood why they did that.

So, from being a novice, to being corrected, and to spotting the same thing in an entirely new environment, that is how we grow.

We learn from people who are more knowledgeable and experienced than we are. Then, we store that memory to spot and apply it when it is needed. That is the mindset you should have as an engineer.