another accident

[Trampbag]

My condolences go to Robert Letlow’s family.


I wish there were something I could do about all this carnage. I used to get really uptight about what I perceived was senseless slaughter and the hard view that those not involved in the trade, like the reporters, expressed when one of ours fell. If a Police Officer or a Fireman is killed “in the line of duty” fellow workers show up from all over the country and the media cover the funeral service on all channels of the 6 O’clock news. All we ever get is “the power was knocked out for several hours inconveniencing 35,000 customers”.

As I rapidly approach retirement, living out the next few years in semi-retirement before plunging into full gainful unemployment, I find I have had to divorce myself from the emotional torture I have always felt when another lineman “bites the dust”. It seems I carried all those casualties of those I knew and worked with over the last 40 years in linework like Jacob Marley’s chains to absolutely no avail.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I haven’t, now or in the past, a single clue about what to do about this problem that the trade has suffered from its earliest days when the IBEW was started by Henry Miller and others to address the fact that more that 50% of those entering the trade were killed on the job. Henry Miller, who became the first President of the IBEW, was killed on the job.

Is this a “chicken or egg” situation?? Is there any solution??

As “Old Lineman” pointed out more than ½ of those now employed as linemen will retire within the next 10 years and there will certainly be a void of “experience”. What does this mean???

As I’m sure I won’t be part of it I’m equally sure that we will continue to have the lights come on when we click the switch.

Can I wish that God, no matter which God you worship, goes with those that follow with out offending anyone??

[Bull Dog]

You know you have said exactly what I have gone through. I just can not get as involved emotionally as I used to. First of all very few people listen to others that want to end this. Why is that? The company's that continue to have this carnage on there property will have to answer. I've said this before on this board and took hell for it. Till some one has a better answer were all ears. It's a culture of safety that must start with the CEO and go all the way down to the janitor. Safety is expensive easier to pay a few thousand to OSHA and move on. We can do more but human nature is what it is. Tramp did you hear anything about that line man for Hooper in Madison that got burned? I'm wondering how hes doing. God bless this mans family.

[Pootnaigle]

Well said TRAMPBAG you echo my sentiments exactly . I spoze I should say its an honor sharing this site with you,

[PSE Lineman]

I haven't my lost emotions YET! This kind of crap really pisses me off. No one has to die to do this work, EVER! Where was the second man in the bucket? When you get near, the guy that is on the outside watches the other guy like a hawk and says "you're getting close to that jumper" or "watch your elbow" etc. etc. I read on here that one man does shit around the country that is illegal in Washington state. Why is that? Minimum approach distance for 12.5 is 2.2 feet. That's 2 men EVERY SINGLE TIME. Are we not using proper cover? I know, when it's covered you can't see it. Been there, done that too. When you old guys (i'm 53) don't cover for the apes you are showing them it's OK to NOT cover. The foreman doesn't need some lazy ass on the ground bullshitting him when the young buck is up there by his self. Pull your heads out of your asses and stop sending men into the primary zone alone. Stop getting so close to energized equipment. If you don't like the working conditions where you are, get them changed or get the hell out. Don't be another "hey the lights just went out, i wonder why" dead lineman. I'd like to see people stop this non sense, NOW!!!

[Trampbag]

I can’t agree with you more, PSE Lineman. I just have lost the energy to get militant about it any more. In the 40 or so years I have been doing this trade over the many miles of “yellow line fever” I just haven’t seen the will on the part of the line crews to do it right.


Several years ago I worked for a contractor that had the GFs going from crew to crew constantly to ensure the hands were following the rules, they handed out verbal written warnings to anyone who wasn’t. You know what happened??? This contractor couldn’t attract the local qaulity hands – all that would work for them was the linemen on work permits, the ones that couldn’t just move easily to another contractor.

What does this tell you??? You would think that safety would be paramount to any lineman, but it wasn’t. The pay was the same, same amount of overtime, all was equal except the contractor ensured the safety rules were followed, back up by discipline.

I have walked off jobs because I didn’t like the way the job was going. A number of times a serious or fatal accident happened after I left. Not always but often enough that it convinced me that I can’t change things in this trade. I was fortunate in my working life in that most of the time I could walk if I needed to. There are one hell of a lot of brothers that cannot. By your handle, PSE Lineman meaning Puget Sound Energy I suppose, means you probably haven’t the ability to just “get the hell out”.

You probably have a lot invested in your job and that’s a good thing. It wasn’t so long ago that Local 77 and the workers at Puget Sound Power were going through a major change and a lot of guys from your area were forced on the road. I heard the stories from some of them how the contractors in your area were going through a lot of problems. This shit happens all over the place. A great place to work changes its business direction and viola the rules go out the door.

I’m winding my career down now in semi retirement. I sure hope the younger guys, like PSE Lieman, are able to change what I couldn’t.

[PSE Lineman]

Trampbag, i hear where you are coming from. The only thing anyone can do is look out for number one. CYA! When PSE tossed out all the crews, 75 servicemen, first responders, troublemen, (take your pick) stayed on. Since then they have got us new trucks, online computers and gps navigation. Yes they can see us move on a screen and the program for daily work documents the times you click "accept" (the job) "enroute" "on site" and "reporting". I don't have a problem with it yet. I don't try to hide out, collect my pay and let the other guys answer the calls during the day. They let us take command of how we do our jobs. If i don't like something, i call for help. If it's too big i do the assessment and call a crew. We never ground without 2 men. That should say it all. We never move a hot line clamp with load on it alone. We put up small wire where we don't need flaggers. Flaggers and signs don't exist for us. It's funny, they give us 3 men to troubleshoot cables but expect us to put up wire with 2. Sometimes we will call for a 3rd and they still don't care. As long as we answer the calls at night they are happy. We keep asking them how much O/T is enough? They never come up with an answer. So, when you say you hope I can change what you couldn't, I don't see any change around here for now for me and my co-workers until the consortium from Canada and Australia buys PSE in the coming months. It's called the McQuirie Group, sounds like McQueery since I think I spelled it wrong. And a big yes to the fact I have been a "utility puke" all my lineman life. On another note, Potelco, since 2 fatalities in the last 2 or 3 years, and a few contacts, have really tightened up their safety procedures and really do take the time to do thngs safely. Of course there are few "Rambos" who will do what they do, but those kinda guys are everywhere. The foremen are directly responseable for the conduct of their linemen. If they don't like what they are going to do, they get them down and talk it over. If that doesn't work, it's down the road kickin' rocks. Good luck in your retirement. The younger bucks will hold the fort for you....

[Trampbag]

The younger bucks will hold the fort for you....

I'm so glad.

[mainline]

I admire the commitment to safety, but I still don't see the necessity of two guys in primary space. We regularly work with one guy in primary space. We jumper, using parking stands, jack deadends and move conductors. We observe coverup rules, and have a second qualified lineman on the ground observing. If a job requires two trucks we get two trucks. Sometimes, I think local safety rules are mistaken for safe work practices. I honestly cannot put a date on the last time a lineman was killed while working alone in primary space at my utility. Whatever your rules or crew compliment you need to have your head on a swivel.

[Trbl639]

I agree with both of ya!! Well put in the posts!!!

I too am nearing the end of my Career........got to decide by 1 October if I am going at the end of the year, after 38 years, the last 20 as a Trblmn......I'm worn out, and broke down, and the BS is getting way too deep!!!! Too many people in management, with No clue as to what our job consists of, dictating how we do OUR job!!!! too many people worried about not dotting an i or crossing a t, just right, that they fail to do the Job right, cover-up, taking short cuts!! I'm 2nd generation, and was not brought up that way, I'm old school, taught by some of the Best in the trade in my opinion, and when I try to correct/advise some of the younger guys, I get told.........I'm a Journeyman........I know what I am supposed to do!!!!!!!

Then why in the hell, are ya not doing it right????? is my reply!!!!

Last July, we had an 18 wheeler, on a poorly marked Detour, tear the world down..3 or 4 poles, with 4/0 copper on a feeder........my Partner(about a 15-18 yr Jman..who got laid off and then rehired, about 6 yrs later and is now a trblmn..only 2 of us in this town) and I were going to lift Jumpers on a DBLDE to get most of the feeder back on until the crews got there......this was the Hospital feeder by the way......I got a switching order and clearance from the dispatcher to open the jumpers.......we talked things over, got a game plan, and started up.........I had all my PPE, and some cover-up, and 1 mack, so we could mack 1 phase...this DblDE also had a 3 phase tap on it.........he was coming up, NO FR, NO SLEEVES!!!! I see a Supv coming, and tell him...Get your sleeves and FR, Here comes Joe T......he just keeps raising the bucket!! Anyway, Joe T calls him back down to get his PPE..........then the next day, he draws a 5 day/no pay Lay-off, for violating safety rules..............but HE BLAMES IT ON ME!!!!!!!

I'm the BAD GUY, cause he screwed up and got Caught, and I tried to warn him..I told him to go down and get his PPE, to keep him outta trouble, but he won't listen!!!!

He called me another afternoon...after hours.....he had 7620 down, that came off the back of a 3 phase buck, made up solid.it was down about 2 spans from the buck...the fuse feeding that phase, was blown where the 3 phase lef the mainlne....those fuses fed a 3 pot bank on the end of the 3 phase...........he was just gonna leave the 1 fuse open, ground the 7620 and pick it up......without opening the bank..or the 2 other fuses...........

I told him if that's what he wanted to do, go ahead...he'd be by himself, cause I wasn't doing it ......then he said, oh I forgot about the bank!!!!!!!

Honestly..I have to Babysit him...and he won't listen to constructive criticism....all I'm trying to do, is to get him home, at the end of the day, in one piece!!!!!

And when he is with me, I also gotta Watch My Back.........hell, been in primary, replacing a bad connection, etc, and he's BS'in with a customer, instead of watching MY Back!!!!!!!!!

We have a saying..Be Your Brother's Keeper.......guess he doesn't comprehend it!!!!!

[wtdoor67]

I admire the commitment to safety, but I still don't see the necessity of two guys in primary space. We regularly work with one guy in primary space. We jumper, using parking stands, jack deadends and move conductors. We observe coverup rules, and have a second qualified lineman on the ground observing. If a job requires two trucks we get two trucks. Sometimes, I think local safety rules are mistaken for safe work practices. I honestly cannot put a date on the last time a lineman was killed while working alone in primary space at my utility. Whatever your rules or crew compliment you need to have your head on a swivel.

You have mentioned before the necessity of only one man in primary space. I do not believe in it and have always thought that those who do are going to get hurt someday. It may work in some areas but not everywhere. It is a bad practice and I have known of many accidents involving one man alone. Not a good practice no matter what your companie's practice. Everyone's judgement just isn't the same.