Good Article About Our Trade!!!

[rusty]

Brothers and Sisters,

I invite everyone to read this REAL article about our trade!

Here is the link: http://www.fwweekly.com/content.asp?article=3528

All you have to do is click on the link.

I can't help if I don't know???

[m_kohner]

it was a good one rusty....mike

[dbrown20]

Rusty, it's to bad that this can't be read at ever safety meeting across the country. dbrown

[woody]

Rusty, I've always believed you've fought the good fight, now I know that your in for alot more than most of us on this site see at any given time. I'm construction (union) and was brought up in the trade by two things...Qualified Lineman and Safe work practices...actually a BIG thing here(third); school! I'm appalled by the things reported in the article and really upset by the enviroment that exists in certain areas of OUR COUNTRY that allows this shit to happen! Man it seems you have little to no recourse in texas...that's not only sad but it's B.S. when the leader of the freeworld is from your great state. Who the hell do they think keeps the lights on? Well no big surprise I guess when Ken lay almost became energy secretary. You guys have an uphill battle...we do too...not as big; give us time though...were usually 10yrs behind the times. woody

[rusty]

Thanks to One and All,

Please spread the word and have others read this article. I can't help if I don't know, or if the families don't know I am here for them! The reality we face in our trade today is such that WE must care for our own!!! No longer can we put our Brothers and their wives and babies future and safety in the hands of any government agency or company, the chance of justice if you do, IS SLIM TO NONE!!!!

There are still some good companies and many have approached me to help in my endeavors. They recognize I am not their enemy, AS LONG AS THEY DO THE RIGHT THING! All I seek is justice, if our Brothers and Sisters can sacrifice their limbs and lives to provide the profits and MILLIONS of dollars in bonuses for the upper management, THEY DAMN WELL CAN TAKE CARE OF THOSE LEFT BEHIND! And I don't mean ONLY leaving them at the mercy of workman’s comp and Social Security and laws and a system manipulated to protect them from liability!!!!! Our Brothers and their wives and babies are no less deserving than that CEO and his loved ones , who enjoy MILLIONS in bonuses who are IN NO DANGER AT ALL!

TOGETHER WE CAN " AND ARE " MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!!!

[Orgnizdlbr]

Good article Rusty, hope it opens some eyes......

[spur]

Excellent article Rusty!!!!
Work safe or not at all spur

[spur]

Rusty;
I know this is not the place for this thread ,but it blends in real good with your's. I was wondering with the new job you have undertaken if you have compiled a list of companys, that with your years of experience, you would consider a safe place to work or a real shit hole to work for. The company I work for is pretty good the apprentice has to have two full years before any live work and is ALWAYS shadowed by a journeyman in the next bucket, but accidents due happen.
work safe or not at all spur

[rusty]

Spur,

Brother like you say I know some on both sides of this issue. The thing to look for is REAL TRAINING with YEARS NOT WEEKS! And real safety reps and supervisors WHO WERE ACTUALLY LINEMEN. If I had my way all those working in this trade would have wages and benefits high enough that production bonuses WERE NOT NEEDED NOR ALLOWED! And every injured or killed person and their families would be treated as IF THEY WERE THE CEO AND HIS FAMILY!!!!

Thanks for the support!!!!

[Nigel Anthony]

Hey Rusty,

I read the article. Good one. I will spread it around.
But what can we do? It is happening all around the world. I have been electrocuted twice, ten years apart, and lost an index finger in each case.
What do we Do???

[rusty]

Nigel,

Brother the first thing you do is sit down with your loved ones and make a plan of action, and hope you never need it. The reason being time is very important when we are trying to gather evidence and photo documentation at the hospital IS A MUST! And due to the shock and pain many do not re-act in time to save what might be needed to demand justice with! And you would be amazed at how quick things get lost or covered up!

If we can make facing our Brothers or their loved ones cost more than real safety and training, TRUE safety and training will return! Shoot me a private e-mail and I'll mail you some info!

Thanks for caring!!!

[CenterPointEX]

Comments SWamp?

[stickstomper]

Where do we start our effort to make a federal training standard for Linemen ? I believe there are enough of us to get it done. We just need to hear from someone out there with the expertise to get us started in the right direction. LETS GO and get this rolling. Rusty can you help or point us the right way ? Can anyone else help ? Stick.

[JAKE]

good article!!

i agree on the nationwide training. union or non union were all in the same boat.

never let you gaurd down and think twice before doing anything. ask yourself what is going to happen before you do it.

i work for a coop in tx and you have to be a journeyman before doing any live line work at all. no live work off the pole at all.

[rusty]

stickstomper,

Brother several of the major powers and the Feds have been working on the issue for over 3 years now. They are trying to come up with some kind of mandatory training and skills testing. But it is my understanding that profits and self serving interests have derailed the project thus far.

The only way our industry will ever start to turn around, is when it cost more to face the families of those killed and maimed in this trade, than it does to have real safety and training! Sadly many have put profits and their bonuses FIRST and our lives and limbs second! Those good companies in our trade who do follow all the rules and train their people are at a serious disadvantage bidding against the fly by night contractor who have none of these expenses and overhead, FACT!

WE MUST PROTECT OUR SELVES, PERIOD! That is why I started S.A.C.! If these POS can pay their CEO's MILLIONS in bonuses, while forcing contractors to cut each others throat for the work, THEY DAMN WELL CAN PAY FOR THE BROTHERS " THEIR GREED " KILLS AND MAIMES!!!!

Please take the time to let your loved ones know what to do in case your every a victim of this GREED! I can not express how important time is when one of these tragedies happen! But time and time again valuable evidence is lost OR COVERED UP before the family can see through the fog of pain and misery to finally act! I can tell you story after story where families put their trust in the company and found out down the road, the insurance company is in control REGARD LESS OF THE COMPANIES WISHES! As well as the cases families hired their personal lawyer how didn't have the expertise’s and money to fight this kind of battle!

[powerhotdog]

I agree with standardized training across the board. A human life is to great a thing to waste because of lack of training. Powerhotdog

[Cagglepei]

I think that is a great idea i wish that evrybody could get on the same page and work together in this matter.

[Lnemn's Mom]

stickstomper,
Please take the time to let your loved ones know what to do in case your every a victim of this GREED! I can not express how important time is when one of these tragedies happen! But time and time again valuable evidence is lost OR COVERED UP before the family can see through the fog of pain and misery to finally act! I can tell you story after story where families put their trust in the company and found out down the road, the insurance company is in control REGARD LESS OF THE COMPANIES WISHES! As well as the cases families hired their personal lawyer how didn't have the expertise’s and money to fight this kind of battle!
Rusty is so right on this one. It doesn't matter how good or how experienced your personal attorney is....... They don't have the expertise nor the funding to go against the law firms that the utilities have on retainer. You would be astonished how these attorneys hold back information, then on the night before or day of a deposition hit the plaintiff attorney with boxes and boxes of disclosures, and they know there is no way the guys can get through it before going into the deposition. They keep the young attorneys in their firms doing research and have an angle for just about every scenerio.
IF you ever are in a position that you've lost a loved one, please, make the call to Rusty ASAP. Every minute lost, there is valuable information going down the drain. Have someone working with you that knows the ropes. Knows the terminology of powerline work. Have that person working on your behalf. They can't bring your loved one back, but they can make the utilities sit up and take notice that the families aren't just going to fade into the wood work. They will try to find answers for what happened to their sons, husbands, and the fathers who will never see their little ones grow up.
I've worked in the legal profession for over 30 years, and believe me when I say that not all attorneys are in a position to handle this type of case.
I pray you will never need it, but, just in case, make sure you have contact numbers for Rusty and instructions for your loved ones to make him one of the first people they contact.

[byjuvc]

The article was really informative.

[old lineman]

I thought you might like to know how it works here in Ontario, Canada.
A utility was runs a system is called an "operating authority".
If their own work force can't handle the work load then they will have to seek out a contractor.
This is basically the way it works (or is supposed to anyway). They ask for tenders and normally state that they don't have to accept the lowest tender or any tender for that matter.
Every company tendering will have to submit their Workers Compensation records, their linemen training certificates for each lineman, their CVOR records (this is the road authorities system of looking after the safety condition of their fleet it's a NAFTA initiative) and they should also ensure that all of their drivers are properly licensed and that their drivers licenses are valid. This is done by contacting the MTO (Ministry of Transportation) for the drivers abstracts. That's a record of their driving history.
DWI shows up here, careless driving, reckless driving, speeding and unpaid fines all come out.
When the contractor starts the 'operating authority becomes the PRIME CONTRACTOR and the contractor becomes the SUBCONTRACTOR.
If an accident occurs the PRIME CONTRACTOR and the SUBCONTRACTOR will both be implicated. Each has to demonstrate everything they did to try to prevent this accident.
This is called 'strict liability', this means your guilty until you prove your inocence by what you did before the accident happend. Good plans for the future don't mean diddly squat.
That's why the operating authority insists on competence, following the rules and so on and they also often send out inspectors to ensure compliance.
The less wiggle room the better.
The Old Lineman

[rusty]

Old Lineman,

Thanks for the info, but unfortunately that is not the case down here. For many the world in our industry has been turned up side down. Some bean counter figured out that after deregulation if they got rid of most of their work force they could not only increase their profits and lower their overhead, but they could also "" TRY "" and deny any liability!

By laying off their workers, many who were second and third generation, the company did not have to pay overtime, healthcare for them and their families, no retirement, no training expense, no safety equipment, no vehicle repairs and up keep, less insurance. Sound like a good business idea, except it cut the throats of those who’s blood and sweat built the company.

Then they make the contractors cut each others throat to get the work. The good contractors who have the overhead expense of real training and safety are at an unfair advantage against those who don't! Many time companies with KNOWN questionable safety histories STILL GET THE CONTRACTS!!! This a long with the fact having to bid the work so low to get it, leads to having to cut corners and speed to be able to make a profit! ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER ARE KILLING AND MAIMING OUR BROTHERS! Then the owners lay the blame on the contractor in a effort to deny any liability, EVEN THOUGH THEY CREATED THE BIDDING ENVIORMENT THAT CAUSED THE DEATH!!!

The need for manpower is so great and the need to finish the job as quick as possible to make any money, MANY, MANY times those without the skills and trade knowledge are being sacrificed for profits!!! Then to top it off we have OSHA who does not have anybody with our trade knowledge investigating the accidents , AND BINGO “” EVERY TIME IT IS AN EMPLOYEE ERROR”””!!! BS!

The only way REAL SAFETY and TRAINING and REAL ACCOUNTABILITY will return to our industry is when it cost more to face those Brothers and their families left behind THAN SAFETY AND TRAINING DOES!!! If they can pay their CEOs MILLIONS in YEARLY BONUSES they dam* well can give a couple of MILLION to “”” EACH AND EVERYONE of those who worked for years who give their limbs and live, WITHOUT BEING FORCED TO!!!

That is why I started S.A.C.!