Electricity Today T&D Magazine

What powerline technicians must know to stay safe

BY JIM HUTTER, Capital Safety

Most of modern life is powered by electrical energy, which is why transmission tower work continues to be an integral—yet extremely dangerous—part of the power distribution industry. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that fall arrest or work positioning equipment must be used when working at elevated locations more than four feet (1.2 meters) above the ground on poles, towers, or similar structures if other fall protection has not been provided. There is an exception for “a qualified employee” climbing or changing location on poles,...

Line-construction contractors can do their best to train the management, offer safety training and equipment and trust the foremen who are appointed to a job, but it is an inherently dangerous business. Despite all the safeguards, some new linemen say this is what some foremen tell them about safety procedures: “That’s the way you may have learned it in training, but this is how it’s done on the job ...”
Training is designed to keep linemen safe. But is that training and equipment being put to proper use? The answer varies depending on the job and the foreman—more so than...