Check out this video for reference.
Holy cow batman............
Are they turning on or off the power?
Off.
What you see there is a vertical break switch being opened to shut off the power to that small substation. The arc you see is very much like the arc you
would see when you unplugged a toaster, provided you were in complete darkness.
Yeah, that's a
switch. Just like a light switch in your home, only bigger.
So think about it this way:
If a civil drafter does his job poorly, a couple of guys with shovels have to put in a little overtime.
If a mechanical drafter does his job poorly, a couple of welders have to get out their cutting torches and put in a little overtime.
If an electrical drafter does his job poorly things catch on fire and people die.
DON'T YOU PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF PRESSURE I AM UNDER?!?!?!?!?