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dogleg
05-06-2006, 01:52 PM
Did Anybody Here About The Apprentice That Got Killed One Day Last Week Around Knoxville Tn. I Heard About It Today At School . He Worked For Dilliard Smith.

one-wire-at-a-time
05-06-2006, 10:08 PM
I heard the accident happened to a 3rd year apprentice for Dillard Smith. He was 32 yrs of age, married with 2 kids. He was on the ground - pulling new line and the line supposedly jumped off the wheel, don't know if it was a traveler or tension wheel, but it came in contact with a live line and he was killed instantly. This was the way it was told to me. It happened in Rogersville, TN.

rusty
05-08-2006, 09:37 AM
I got a call,

The Brother was on a wire unit as they were pulling new conductors. Some how the unit became energized??? Don't know if they had a rolling ground, or if it failed?? Don't know if slack got in to a uncovered energized line, a tail or what!!! Don't know if speed or pressure to perform or lack of supervision or mental laps or training or lack of safety and equipment were part of the problem!!



Our Prayers are with all, as is our offer to help as always! I also pray they are documenting EVERYTHING, JUST INCASE!

When does money and time start becoming SECOND to lives and limbs ????

Ghostrider
05-09-2006, 08:37 PM
Does anyone know what happened to this young man? So far the only thing we know is he is no longer with us. I am sure someone must know the story?

LAWDOG
05-09-2006, 09:26 PM
moriarty new mexico lost 2 lineman 2 weeks ago when they were replacing a broken pole . the pole fell on the 2 lineman ,both were married and had young children . dont know exactly what happened it just upsets me to lose another brother .

graybeard
05-10-2006, 10:37 PM
does anybody know why if these happen at IBEW shops why they dont share these accidents with the rest of the locals?

Ghostrider
05-11-2006, 07:42 AM
Dillard - Smith is a Quanta Company. It is my understanding that the tensioner Gary was on was not grounded. This accident and the one in MO. makes two dead appreantice in two months for Quanta. I have worked for Quanta in the past and they gave us all the tools we needed to do the work safe.

I also would like to know why the IBEW does not share this with the members so we could all learn from these stupid mistakes. We are killing too many people every year.

Our safety man said we lost 44 men last year and over two hundred are so messed up they will never be back to work.

If we are so well trained why do we take so many short cuts?

Trampbag
05-11-2006, 02:27 PM
You got it right, brother, it’s high time we tradesmen get our act together, as a collective organization, and tell the IBEW, the companies and OH&SA what we want. This site is a perfect venue for just such a collective thinking. Let’s put an end to the carnage!

I’m getting sick of all the misery though “accidents” and the seeming lack of caring on the part of those we work for and pay to represent us. All that happens is another rule is made that no one enforces nor cares about until a brother dies and he can be blamed for not following the rules.

Wye-Delta
05-13-2006, 11:36 AM
I too have worked for and am presently employed by a Quanta Services company...
We were informed of this tragedy by our safety officer with few details other than it was a "stringing accident" . The wire being pulled in was over an energized circuit and there were no grounds and that an insulator broke(?). We would be given more details when he got them...
It has been my experience that any tool or piece of equipment that I have requested for the job especially in regards to safety ,they have not balked...
I too agree with the previous authors...It is time we do something about these unacceptable 'accidents'....
I had 20+yrs. experience with a Utility company before coming to my senses and hitting the road...and it was an eyeopener!

1) Where I came from there was no drug/alcohol employment screening nor random tests (may be different now).We policed ourselves discreetly without being snitches...Let's face it we are regularly placing our lives in the trust of our brothers/sisters, whether they are in a position of authority or a bucket /pole buddy, running a piece of machinery, etc...
First and foremost, I AM RESPONSIBLE for MY SAFETY and well being!
Am I going to place my life in the hands of someone under the influence of mood/mind altering substances? No way!
As an oldtimer I witnessed my first (and hopefully last) electrical 'accident' a couple of years ago...
Two crews were assigned to transfer a very busy pole, 34KV (de-energized)
buckarm and 4KV underbuild buckarm and 3 phase take-off...a detailed tailboard / jobplan was discussed with everyone in agreement...to make a long story short the apprentice went in the bucket with his foreman on one side of the structure and my apprentice went with me on the other side...we had plenty of rubber cover , gloves and sleeves...a spotter on the ground and in a split second with no-one noticing the 7th stepper had removed his gloves and contacted the primary and neutral on the arm at the same time, we shouted at his foreman and he was able to clear him after two attempts...
thankfully he lived!!!
What was he thinking????
He tested positive for cocaine at the hospital!!!!
He was a good worker, smart, affable and his foreman was aware of his usage but never said anything because he was good worker...He damn near died and was removed from the apprenticeship and will have scars for the rest of his life....did we do him any favors?
Unfortunately, usage seems very common and the sharing of "blockers" to get around the random tests....
We need to CLEAN-UP....
We are not doing ourselves,our families,our brothers/sisters or our trade any favors by ignoring a problem....
I am not preaching nor am I suggesting that this was the case in this latest incident....
I have more thoughts and opinions but I have said enough for now...
My thoughts and prayers go to this young mans family and friends...

But for the grace of God there go I....

lightningrod
05-14-2006, 09:22 PM
Its getting to the point where alot these so-called accidents are involving apprentices, these guys are under our (certified lineman) wing and we have to watch them like a hawk at all times. Someone on the site should have known that they needed a travelling ground on and isolation area to work from.

Lnemn's Mom
05-17-2006, 09:15 PM
My prayers go out to the families of the linemen who were lost.

tramp67
05-22-2006, 10:40 PM
I was on a project in Texas for a union contractor (Michels Power) and reported a crew that was using drugs on the job, with an accident resulting. Four days later, another accident occurred with the same crew. It was a hard deadline job, and the only thing my reporting the drug usage to the GF accomplished was my getting terminated for - get this! - "disruption of jobsite" ! But, at least I can sleep at night knowing I did my part to try and keep myself and my coworkers safe. I agree, there's too much drug use, too many shortcuts, too many other unsafe work practices going on because people look the other way. We keep hearing "well, he's a good worker, gets a lot done, keeps the job within budget".
By allowing people to do things we know are wrong or unsafe, we are hurting outselves and our brothers and sisters, not to mention our families. Sooner or later, the things that we allow that we know are wrong will bite us. Whenever we allow something to continue that we know is wrong, we are sending the message to our apprentices that it's ok to take shortcuts. After all the time and effort, and learning from accidents and mistakes, all these safe work practices have evolved. There is no room for shortcuts on safety! That used to be one of the things that set Union apart from non-union contractors. But, if the contractor provides us everything we need to do our job safely and we don't bother to be safe, there's no one to blame but ourselves.
There's no job so important that we cannot afford to take the time to do it safely! Our apprentices learn from our example, and it is easier to learn good habits than to change bad ones! What's more important - meeting a deadline or budget, or going home safely every night? Our job can be done safely - there is the rare instance where everything that could possibly done to mak a job safe has been done and something goes wrong anyway, but those circumstances are very rare. Almost every "accident" could be prevented if we followed the safety rules and took the time to assess the task. Maybe this sounds like a bunch of b.s. you hear from a safety man, but... almost all accidents are avoidable!

rusty
05-25-2006, 03:46 PM
tramp67,

WELL SAID!!! Those who do have the right training and skills and tools and manpower for the job, that get Brothers Killed and injured because of short cuts and BS, SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE " EVEN MORE " than those that don't!!!! But everytime it is our Brothers who pay with their lives and limbs, REGARDLESS of who's fault it is!!! Many times I have heard Brothers say " IT IS THE WORKERS RESPONSIBILTY TO DO IT RIGHT AND PROTECT HIMSELF"! That is all well and good " IF " the workers has been given the knowledge and skills and TIME IN THE TRADE, to know how!!! But it is PURE BS, to take a kid or any unskilled worker and teach them bad habits or not the right way or not enough training and time in our trade ( THEY DON"T EVEN KNOW WHAT IS OR IS NOT BAD HABITS OR UNSAFE ACTS) and then put them in situations that get them KILLED OR MAIMED AND THEN BLAME THEM TO AVOID LIABILITY!!!!! BSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! AND IT IS HAPPENING MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY IN OUR TRADE, FACT!!! That is why I started S.A.C.!!!

linemanwife
05-25-2006, 06:56 PM
Please be sure that I am not trying to take the light off the brothers who have passed, but I do have questions that I cannot seem to get answers to.
My husband had an accident almost a year ago - He came in contact and was path to ground for 7200. THANK GOD I still have him and he still has all his limbs!!! At the time of the accident he was on a two man crew, he was an apprentice at the time and his journeyman was a white-ticket who couldn't seem to pass the test. He was taking samples out of transformers when he came in contact, remained consious the entire time and had to talk his "journeyman" thru rigging up the handline to get him off the pole. Since he was an apprentice at the time - he had to go before the e-board and give his side of the "story" a week later he received a letter that the decision had been made to remove him from the program. Does anyone know WHY an apprentice would be placed with a non-union journeyman, and then be blamed for an accident because "he should have known better".

graybeard
05-26-2006, 10:33 AM
It looks to me like we have a patteren of atitudes that seem common to most of these accidents. Most everyone is talking about working with reduced numbers in crew size. So like it or not we have to spend more time watching out for ourselves which adds to the problem because companys think that you should still get the same amount of work done with fewer people.
You can't depend on companys to do the right thing so WE HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER FIRST AND FORMOST. Part of that is that training apps is everyones job and washing out apps that should not become lineman and thats hard to tell someone your going to take away his lively hood. In todays PC world we can't seem to do anything about unsafe workers except watch our own asses.
I'm not trying to say that companys are not at fault but no matter what they say all they care about is money. So the only ones really watching out for us is us. So if you don't think its safe don't do it, if you see someone else being unsafe say something, if you need more help get it, and if the company is worthless go to the union or find a good lawyer.
If its so bad that you can't stand to go to work maybe its time to for a better place to work anyway because that kind of stress adds to the problem anyway. Its great to have pride in being productive and doing a good job. But the whole idea is to go home in one piece at the end of the work day.