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Fall Protection


FERC Complaint Targets Duke, PJM Transmission Planning

A coalition of large energy consumers and ratepayer advocates has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), urging the agency to prohibit transmission owners from independently planning "local" transmission projects exceeding 100 kilovolts (kV). The coalition argues...

5 Ways to Improve Bucket-to-Ground Communication

Cranes, aerials and bucket trucks are common sights in construction zones and among maintenance crews around our cities. What better way to hoist materials to high places or to move workers closer to the task?When your crew includes an above-ground operator in a bucket or cab, they’re linked...

Utility Safety Standards


Ugh, Why So Much HSE Paper?

With the advent of our modern health, safety and environmental systems (HSE), the requirement to produce more documents is relentless. No one feels this pressure more than our front line supervision; those individuals, who are leading our crews out in the field. Not only are they tasked with...

Safety Reports for Utility Workers

Protecting utility workers with documented reporting BY MIKE DOHERTY, PowerTel Utilities Contractors Limited Within the lineman trade, accountabilities for the documentation of various inspections, job safety analyses (JSAs), audits, safe work practices (SPGs), qualifications, safety meetings,...

Safety Technologies


Safe Work Verified Through Data Logging Technology

On Distribution, Transmission or Substation equipment, testing for presence or absence of nominal voltage is mandated specifically by OSHA rule 1910.269(n)(5) which states “Testing. The employer shall ensure that, unless a previously installed ground is present, employees test lines and...

Electric Utility System Standards

How Ontario regulation can improve electrical safety BY BILL KHASHFE, London Hydro According to an Ontario Electrical Safety Report, 35 percent of the province’s electrical-related fatalities in the past 10 years were attributed to power-line contact. Equipment specifications and electric utility...

Lineman Safety

Benefiting from OHSMS Systems

How to protect workers with an occupational health and safety management  system

BY IVANA STRGACIC, Strategies for the Environment Inc.

Reliability (that is, keeping the lights on) is at the forefront of electric utility business plans. Another important item that takes priority in these plans is electrical safety. Linemen are part of the overall equation when power outages occur, so implementing the most efficient business safety practices possible is paramount. One way that utilities can...

Lineman Safety Articles