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Utility Safety Standards


Testing Conditions and Guidelines for Personal Fall Protection Systems

1. PERSONAL FALL ARREST SYSTEMS (A) GENERAL TEST CONDITIONS Lifelines, lanyards, and deceleration devices should be attached to an anchorage and connected to the body-belt or body harness in the same manner as they would be when used to protect employees, except that lanyards should be tested...

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,...

Fall Protection


FERC Approves Interconnection for Talen Energy, Amazon Data Center

In a significant move that underscores the growing demand for reliable and sustainable energy to power the expanding digital infrastructure, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved an interconnection agreement between Talen Energy, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Exelon. This...

How to Prevent Struck-By and Backover Incidents

Struck-by, struck-against and back-over incidents are far too common: 421 Hudson St., Manhattan, NYC: Construction worker killed by scaffolding plank. Woods Hole Golf Club, Falmouth, MA: Construction worker injured in back-over accident. Interstate 440-East, Raleigh, NC: DOT workers seriously...

Safety Best Practices


The Right Vendor Partnerships Positively Impact Line Crew Safety

A variety of factors influence the safety of those who work on utility lines. Many of the items are standard and likely on everyone’s line worker safety checklist. But there’s one that may not be top-of-mind when considering how to keep linemen and linewomen safe — the influence...

Battery Fires Pose Minor Environmental Risks, ACP Report Finds

Battery fires in large-scale energy storage systems (BESS) have raised concerns, but a recent review by the American Clean Power Association (ACP) found that such incidents pose only minor environmental risks. According to a third-party analysis of U.S. battery fires since 2012, these fires did not...

Lineman Safety

The Hidden Risk Shift: Why Line Work Is Getting More Dangerous Even as Equipment Improves

The Paradox Facing Modern Line Work

By most measurable standards, line work should be safer today than it was a generation ago. Arc-rated clothing is more comfortable and more widely worn. Insulated tools are lighter, stronger, and better maintained. Work methods are more clearly documented, and safety rules are reinforced through training and audits. Yet serious injuries and fatalities continue to occur, often during routine tasks and often involving experienced linemen. This paradox suggests that...

Lineman Safety Articles