Thoughts, experience, or rules on falling objects

[Trojan]

Swamp,
I agree, up to a point. I don't know how a lineman in the air, removing equipment, probably near energized equipment can closely watch other people below him.
What about planning to drop material, like topping an abandoned pole? Is that okay?
Should someone on the ground be in charge of keeping Others out fro
underneath others working above?
I guess I'm looking for something a little more formal.

[Trbl639]

Always tried to stay outta the line of fire........one time got hit with a 9/16 box end rachet..dropped off a 40 ftr...one guy had the lens of his prescription glasses pop out of the frame and I was under the pole looking for it, told em I was there...an apprentice dropped the rachet and it hit me on my right arm, just above the e;bow...........hurt like hell and the next day mine arm was all different colors of black and blue, and sore as hell...........

[hotwiretamer]

Tamer,
Yep, tied up on a line or mat'l handler is best. I've seen smaller stuff hit a wire and go in the completely opposite direction of its original path. If you're dropping, you said everyone is well informed. Our company is big on noting hazards on job briefs. Would you note something like a planned drop on a written job brief. I can hear everone now, griping 'bout the job brief. It's not mine. OSHA requires a pre job talk and I think a lot of comapnies use the job brief form to document that the brief takes place. if it's required, I hope it is used a last check nand a pause before jumping into work.
so anyhow, do you note the palnned drops?

Good question Trojan~
If it is identified as a hazard that will be part of the job, then yes it should be noted on the tailboard form. It's always talked about in the job briefing. The document is there for the companies to hang your ass when things turn to s@#$t.

[Trojan]

Swamp
Nice stories. Good guys.
Don't know if I believe the old days were safer. Maybe they were safer because there were more men on a job and you got more time and all their experience to learn the work yourself. And there were old timers who didn't know anything. Those were usually the ones who talked the most bullshit. Learned what NOT to do from those big headed linemen. Had some close calls because of their mistakes and saw other guys hurt. Their guardian angels worked overtime everyday.
I don't think you got my question. There is no way a lineman gloving or hot sticking high voltage can watch the ground below all the time.
Things are different. I am not asking what happened in the past. What are linemen doing now or what do they think should be done to avoid falling objects hitting someone?
OSHA requires a pre-job brief (talk- discussion). A lot of companies require that it be documented.

[electriklady]

[quote=Swamprat;104193]

Good question Trojan~
If it is identified as a hazard that will be part of the job, then yes it should be noted on the tailboard form. It's always talked about in the job briefing. The document is there for the companies to hang your ass when things turn to s@#$t.[/quote]

Sorry...
Not Familiar with a "Tailboard" FORM.

Is that something, that has to be signed by all members of the crew, workin the job, before you can go to work? Every DAY?

I'm pretty sure...that's not a "Thing" with all Linecrews in America.
Maby in Arizona though.

I can sure see...where that would be a document to "hang your ass".

Well Swampy, here in PA we have to fill out job briefings every day....lineman for each and every job they do.....us.....we fill out one for single phase work, 3 phase self contained, and one for single or three phase transformer rated....and it is an open sheet that is added to all day long before each and every order that I do...It must be sent to the supervisors daily where it is signed and initialed by such.

We are told when our job briefings are not comprehensive enough and when we are doing a good job with the briefings. We are reminded constantly of their importance, by the company. Correct me if I am wrong, arent they an OSHA thing guys?

I see blue sheets in my sleep, we work with them so much. The things are a pain in the a$$ to fill out....but I will say this.....since we have started to fill them out I spend considerable more time checking the job out, my surroundings out, thinking about all the different hazards I will face, the different ppe I will need, etc.....so they do serve a good purpose....so no....it is not just in AZ

[electriklady]

and to answer your question......you have a person in charge of the job and briefing and yes, each person working on that job, no matter the department, has to initial that "blue sheet."

[CHICAGO HAND.]

I hear ya.
All work areas are different. If we were workin on a street, with a sidewalk, we'd rope off the area with flags. More for public safety. If we were in a backlot, we had a general rule of 15 ft from the pole for anyone on the ground. One thing we always reminded people on the ground was, If you're on the ground, just waitin on the lineman to need something....ALWAYS be lookin up and watchin HIM. And definately....NO Talking on Cell Phones or Texting!

This topic has been started because of a veteran Lineman was killed from an accidental drop of a 34kv insulator and part of a cross arm. We need some ideas of how to keep the work area clear from people who could be injured. Both public and company people. The accidental drops are the ones we need to fix either by controlling everything which has the potential to fall and or keeping the line of fire zone clear. The line of fire zone is not easy to identify either. The higher you go the bigger the zone. Think outside the box and throw out some ideas, I would love to hear your suggestions.

[hotwiretamer]

[QUOTE=Swamprat;104193]

Good question Trojan~
If it is identified as a hazard that will be part of the job, then yes it should be noted on the tailboard form. It's always talked about in the job briefing. The document is there for the companies to hang your ass when things turn to s@#$t.[/quote]

Sorry...
Not Familiar with a "Tailboard" FORM.

Is that something, that has to be signed by all members of the crew, workin the job, before you can go to work? Every DAY?

I'm pretty sure...that's not a "Thing" with all Linecrews in America.
Maby in Arizona though.

I can sure see...where that would be a document to "hang your ass".

Yep Swamp, that's the new policy at my place of work. It has been implemented for a couple of years now. The "form" is attached to the job with all the other waisted paper. This has been discussed in a forum before, how most Tailboard forms are just a check list, which does help as far as the circuit your working on Hot Line Order# etc. A verbal tailboard is still by far the most informative.
Now that we use these "forms" usually when there is an accident the safety teams first reason is "improper tailboard", which in my eyes is just a way to get the company out of liability.

[hotwiretamer]

[QUOTE=electriklady;104214]

We are told when our job briefings are not comprehensive enough and when we are doing a good job with the briefings. We are reminded constantly of their importance, by the company. Correct me if I am wrong, arent they an OSHA thing guys?

NO they are not required by OSHA (yet). Just evidence of a verbal tailboard, or job breifing.

[Trbl639]

Swamp....
JSA's......Job Safety Analysis is required my most all companies now, even the contractors working on a utilities property.......

Basicaly states that everyone is aware of the hazards associated with the job, and what actions are taken to preclude these hazards........everyone signs off on it! If a job has started and another crew or Tman comes to help, supposedly the job is to stop and anew JSA completed........we usually talked with the Sr Lineman about it, and then signed off on it..........if something happened or a previously unseen hazard/situation came up. the job was to stop and the new hazard noted and everyone was made aware of it!

Like EL, I used to see em in my sleep......although if I was working alone, mine were done on the computer, in the truck! If I had 20 T/on's to work or 20 t/off's, I could do 1 to cover them all, unless i came across a hazard, and then I had to do another.........sometimes 1 JSA would last me till noon, then I'd have to do another one for the afternoon.........EVERY Trouble call required a seperate one though!!