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SHELIA
07-11-2006, 12:11 PM
I am not a lineman but I do work for a Utility Contractor. I am trying to find ways to keep our guys safe while they are out in the field, that is why I joined this forum. You guys have been and/or there now and I would love to hear from you. It is a dangerous life that you live, I had no idea until I went out with our crews and they showed me what they do. I came back with a better understanding and a lot more respect for linemen. My prayers are with each one of you everyday.

old lineman
07-12-2006, 10:04 PM
I am not a lineman but I do work for a Utility Contractor. I am trying to find ways to keep our guys safe while they are out in the field, that is why I joined this forum. You guys have been and/or there now and I would love to hear from you. It is a dangerous life that you live, I had no idea until I went out with our crews and they showed me what they do. I came back with a better understanding and a lot more respect for linemen. My prayers are with each one of you everyday.

Shelia,
I would suggest that you take a couple of evenings and read about the accidents that are being talked about.
Concentrate on just the accidents and you will get an eyeful.
Safety starts at the top.
Unless the owners believe that the most important thing that goes out of the yard every day are the workers your not there yet.
It's a whole culture thing. It does no good to preach safety daily and when the pressure is on throw caution to the wind.
The owners have to "walk the walk and talk the talk".
Linemen are smart and they'll spot a phony in a New York minute.
The supervisors have to ensure that the company policy is followed regardless of the time schedules.
You better have good safety rules and make the workers follow them.
Those who don't follow them go down the tracks kicking stones. Otherwise you'll be planting them.
The Old Lineman

Craig Rauchen
07-20-2006, 04:38 PM
There's a FREE magazine that can help you called INCIDENT PREVENTION. I get it every so often and it's got alot of good articles all about utility safety.

SHELIA
08-02-2006, 11:23 AM
I would like to thank you both for your information. I have been reading all the posts about the recent accidents that have happened and I fell so bad for their families. There is not a day that I do not tell our guys to be careful out there and to take care of themselves and their crewmembers. I have printed some of the posts, I let our linemen read them, I am hoping that they will learn from these brave men, the ones that have lost their lives as well as the ones that have lived to tell about it. I know that it has opened my eyes! I would like to thank you again Old Lineman for letting me know to research back issues, and I would like to thank Craig Rauchen for the IP idea, I just subscribed. Thanks again for all your help!

matt 1245
08-24-2006, 01:07 AM
The Safest Thing You Can Do. Is Stay At Your Desk, And Give Your Job To A Older Linemen. Becuse If You Came To My Job Sit All Hell Would Brake Lose

old lineman
08-24-2006, 09:57 PM
The Safest Thing You Can Do. Is Stay At Your Desk, And Give Your Job To A Older Linemen. Becuse If You Came To My Job Sit All Hell Would Brake Lose


I would rather have a female who is genuinely interested in safety than a guy who just came into the industry wanting to make a buck, then use the title to move on to another employer bragging that he was a safety expert for linemen.
One thing you would already know is that she wasn't a lineman or a half assed lineman trying to BS her way through.
You might be surprised what someone who is really interested in research can do for you by providing information that otherwise would go unknown. It doesn't take a lineman to ensure that your worker's comp is in order, that proper training is secured, that accident reports aren't botched, etc.
She might even be able to teach you how to spell.
The Old Lineman

matt 1245
08-25-2006, 12:58 AM
Let Me Gess, She Well Want Me To Chauk My Tiers, And Make Sure All The Paper Work Is Filled Out Right. Can You Tell Me When The Last Time That Saved Someones Life. Put A Linemen In That Position, When He Comes To The Jobsit. Thats Another Set Of Eyes That Understands What He Is Looking At, With Alot Of Experience. Now That Saves Lifes. By The Sound Of Your Commets You Must Work Utility Hand
P.s. Ibew 1245 Outside Cont. :d :d

KingRat
08-25-2006, 07:36 AM
I would rather have a female who is genuinely interested in safety than a guy who just came into the industry wanting to make a buck, then use the title to move on to another employer bragging that he was a safety expert for linemen.
One thing you would already know is that she wasn't a lineman or a half assed lineman trying to BS her way through.
You might be surprised what someone who is really interested in research can do for you by providing information that otherwise would go unknown. It doesn't take a lineman to ensure that your worker's comp is in order, that proper training is secured, that accident reports aren't botched, etc.
She might even be able to teach you how to spell.
The Old Lineman
couldnt have said it better myself, these kids must be driving you crazy sometimes.

old lineman
08-25-2006, 04:50 PM
Don't get me wrong, I'd far sooner have a lineman.
The trouble is that these types of jobs don't usually pay lineman's wages so linemen never apply. I take that back.
Linemen with one arm, mangled fingers, or a bad back do! In these cases it's usually a company trying to find a hole to hide someone. Admirable I guess, that's if they have credibility and are interested in the role.
By the way if you are relying on a safety person to correct your mistakes your already in trouble. 99.99999% of the time they are somewhere else.
The person with that responsibility is #1 yourself, #2 your pole partner, #3 your immediate supervisor. Supervisors who don't watch out for errors and advise their subordinates aren't supervising. They are where the rubber meets the road.
The Old Lineman

matt 1245
08-25-2006, 07:48 PM
I agree 100%, i just wish we could take care of the old hands out there. and i woud hope they don,t take it as a down grade. but you know it's hard to change a linemens train of thought.

old lineman
08-26-2006, 08:50 PM
I agree 100%, i just wish we could take care of the old hands out there. and i woud hope they don,t take it as a down grade. but you know it's hard to change a linemens train of thought.

You know it's hard to stop a Trane. Or so they say.

I have been involved with safety for almost three decades and I think I know why it's difficult to get linemen to do this vital job.
1. For most it's hard to report a brother. If necessary, everybody wants to be liked by their co-workers. The key is they no longer are your co-workers.

2. Usually it's a non-union position and that' makes you an outsider.

3. It's a leap onto managements side. Another difficult hurtle for the rank and file guy.

4. Oops there goes your overtime.

5. It's a switch from physical to a sedentary job. Linemen habitually are doers and have a hard time standing watching or attending endless meetings that essentially mean nothing.

6. Companies have to have a safety person for appearance sake so they put one in place and make him/her a toothless non-person. Not all but some. Nothing is more frustrating than to see something that needs attention and upper management says, "we're looking into it". Then it drops off the table.

7. Personnally one of the biggest hurtles was accepting and getting used to working alone. I liked the crew aspect of work then all of a sudden your in a vehicle by yourself and depending on the size of the company in motels by yourself. It's a long nite watching TV alone in a strange town.
If your not careful one could get into some bad habits very easily.

8. Most linemen have a difficult time changing from talking to their peers 'one on one' to standing in front of sometimes 50-100 or more people putting on a power point program.

It takes training. It's totally unfair for the company to expect you to make the change without training and that costs money for the employer who often has limited resources.
My advice would be to take a public speaking course. I took a Dale Carnegie course and it was the best money I ever spent.
Last but not least you really have to like helping people (even when some don't want to be helped).
And yes if the job it observing linemen in their work environment the observer should know the trade. That being said when you observe a fault you should go directly to the supervisor as he is the one who must make the changes.
If he/she doesn't want to do that then he/she is the one who gets written up.
Supervisors have the authority, therefore, they have the responsibility. The go hand in hand, you can't have one without the other.
The Old Lineman

matt 1245
08-27-2006, 12:41 AM
The Yeard I'am Shoping Out Of Right Now Has Two Safty Men And One Is A Linemen. The Responce He Gets When He Shows Up A The Job Site Is A Hell Of Alot Better An The Othere Guy. But You Can't Win Them All

jbbrad38
09-02-2006, 08:05 AM
I believe all this everyone is saying, we all have our place in this trade, from the higher up to the newest man on the job. But I agree with one thing that is a 100%. It is up to the person doing the work how safe they can be at that time. Safety can also be related to attitude. If you have a good attitude about the work it will show in safety. Take safety serious, this is a dangerous job. Not everyone can be a lineman. Its a great to see a good lineman at at his best. We all should strive to be the best and train our Apprentices to be the best. Thats how you get home to your family every night. That's why I work safely every minute of everyday. It's my family that depend on me, That makes it worth while to work safely.



Always know what your going to do before you do it.

tramp67
09-05-2006, 06:17 PM
Shelia, you didn't say what your background or training is in. But it sounds like you are really interested in your crews being safe, and wanting to help them achieve that. You've got the right attitude for the job, some safety people are always looking for any violation they can find so they can justify their jobs. Keep learning, pay attention to what the linemen are doing, ask questions, especially if something doesn't look right to you. A different perspective can often find things that someone familiar with a task won't notice. Participate in the job briefings. And most importantly, when showing up on a jobsite, bring coffee and doughnuts! :D