Confused In C-eh-n-eh-d-eh

[wildside]

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Hi Guys, this is my first post and I imagine not the last. I have bee reading the forums for just about a month now. I am an apprentice lineman in Canada. It just blows my mind when reading the forum posts. The contrast between the safety reg.'s. I read in complete amazement the belting in and hitchhiking posts. I did not even know what the that meant. That is one of the strictest rules enforced here. At no time are we ever aloud to have less than 3-point contact let alone to free climb. It might just be me not knowing are learning any different, but I see free climbing or hitchhiking as pretty damn unsafe. Now, after reading the hot stick issue tonight, I just had to write and ask for some answers or clarity on a few things. Like I said I am a first year apprentice only 10 months or so. Reading the articles on ground-men "grunts", that is pretty much non-existent up here. New hirees are issued gear the first day and are hiking poles. I have been told however , on that issue, it was not like that back in the day, and I am still told that today, I good groundman makes a hell of a lineman. Not learning to ground because your up the pole the first day is not going to help. I understand that. Here is what I do not understand. Now, correct me if I am misunderstood, you boys can free climb, but are obligated to use rubbers with a shotgun. To add to that, apprentices who can do hot work and others, I suppose due to the lack of training cannot. Here is where my confusion lies, you can free climb- but are we are highly restricted. You boys have apprentices that can do hot work with I am guessing some time in due to the fact that they ground first, and you boys, some anyway,have to wear rubber gloves. I have 10 months in as a 1st year apprentice, and yeasterday was 50 ft. up a hot pole on my hooks changing out hotline and bale cliamps on hot wire. Did this with a shotgun with my leathers on. I do not know if it is because I am new at this game here, or I am the only one a little puzzled to such safety and other issue so far apart from one another.
Sorry so long fella's but, I have alot to learn about this fantastic trade that I will be in contact for about 3 years....You lineman, espescially the good ol' boys can sure offer advice to this apprentice.EH!!!

[Koga]

to the board and the trade. As you have noticed there is about as many rules and regulations as there are companies to work for.When I was starting out ,as a grunt, I was lucky enough to work with some good linemen.
One in particular stood out to me and I got to work on his truck for quite awhile. Absolutly the best I have seen, the man knew his shit and how to do it safe, with out hardly ever breaking a sweat. Made it look so easy and never got in a bind. Didn't matter if it was 80 ft. up on a highline pole changing out a sting of bells hot on 230 KV or working a distribution single phase dead. It was all in the rigging and everyone on the job knowing what and when. The main thing is do it safe, smart and go home at night. The only advice I could give ya right now is follow your gut instincts, if it dont, seem safe , don't do it.Learn all your companies safety rules and regs. Find that old lineman, not the 3-4 year gods gift to line work, but the old quiet guy that lets his work speak alot more than a mouth can. Watch his every move and pick his brain all ya can. He didn't get there being unsafe. And probably knows more tricks to help ya do it with out fighting it or working hard.What ever you end up doin, transmission or distribution ,learn to do it safe.Enough of my rambeling for now. Good luck.

Koga

[topgroove]

here at national grid we can't free climb anymore. we have to use the buckstop. we can hotstick in leather gloves as long as we maintain the minimum approach distance.they have to be true hotstick tools not the truck sticks bouncing around in the truck for the last fifteen years.as far as an apprentice hotsticking a bail and hotline clamp, it would'nt happen here until your in your forth year. good luck and be safe. welcome to the forums.

[ClimbingFool]

We just started ground "no free climbing"here at FE-Penelec because of a lineman falling backwards off a pole from a cutout-slip of the pole. He is ok but banged up-was 10-15 ft. up. We have the option of using a second belt if we so desire. Just remember Mr. New Apprentice if you set a meter put your gloves on and so on without skimping on safety at all!!!

[PA BEN]

Well Mr. 1st step or 2nd step, when I was an apprentice I had to free climb. Unless it was a ratty pole. My lineman would tell me I better beat him up to the working position and when the work was done he would tell me to beat him to the ground. “He was in the bucket”. “The fear of falling makes a good climber”.
As far as rubber gloves and hot sticks we don’t wear rubbers and hot stick in this State, unless you need more reach out to place a Mac on the line. This is a hot stick state, we can only glove up to 5000v here.
As far as hot primary work as an apprentice with 10 months, not good, watch your ass. New apprentice’s think they know the world and can do anything. I hope your lineman is watching your ass. There have been a lot of apprentices killed in this trade because his lineman didn’t watch out for him. Our apprentice has been at it for over two years. Just getting ready to go hot on 7200v single phase primary. So many hrs at single phase, then three phase. Here it’s all about time in the trade at each step, even though the apprentice knows he can do it, he has to wait.:cool:

[mainline]

As you can tell there are about as many rules as lineman. They don't all make sense either at my utility we glove up to 12 kv, we stick all higher voltages. We have wear rubbers when sticking 34.5. who knows why. Apprentices here can glove 4kv off the pole. That doesn't make any sense, but it has always been that way. That being said almost all the 4kv is gone so most lineman younger lineman haven't gloved it. We are also allowed to free climb on all voltages except for 345. I don't expect this to last much longer. The industry seems to being going to 100% fall protection. Seems a shame to me to not leave the choice of climbing method to the lineman. Though I do understand the companies point of view. What I don't understan is how you can use something like the pole shark or buck squeeze on anything other than a bare pole with no obstructions. That is probably just because I havn't spent any time using them. It is interesting to hear all the different work practices. Especially the ones I don't do much of. Good luck in your apprenticeship, remember always keep your head on a swivel.

[lewy]

I do not know what part of canada you are from. but in ontario you cannot free climb. When it comes to live work with the sticks off the pole it depends if you are talking utility work or live line tool work. under EUSA rules llt work can be done with leather gloves , but utility work has to be done with rubber gloves.