Why does the bucket in a bucket truck need to be solid to maintain grounding?

Question

I’m watching this arborist on YouTube and they have a truck with a bucket on an arm so they can reach heights without climbing. On/after a rainy day the bucket will accumulate water and they mentioned they can’t drill a hole to drain because it will compromise the grounding.

My understanding of grounding/electricity doesn’t explain this. Can someone help me understand why this would make a difference?

Edit: I get it, I/he should have said “electrical isolation” instead of “grounding”. Either way, a hole allowing a stream of dirty water seems to be the answer here. Thanks 🙂

In: Physics

Answer 1

I’m an arborist who formerly did line-clearance work. The reason is mostly because any crack or hole in the fiberglass is a place for conductive debris/water/material to accumulate, which defeats the purpose of having a non-conductive bucket. It is also a structural compromise that can lead to equipment failure.