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[T-Man]

Can any of you troubleshooters past or present give me a short discription of the type and duration of training you got to become a troubleshooter? We are looking outside to see if there is something we can use to make our training better.
we take about 6 months to get a troubleshooter on their own.

We do a two week class on distribution, customer problems, switching, protective card procedures,

Then the trainee rides along with another TS for a few weeks OJT.

Then another two week class and we go over substations and all the equipment related to switching in them including how the relays work, target info etc.

Then the trainee gets a few more weeks riding along OJT.

The third class is focused on Manholes and vaults where we visit and operate equipment associated with these systems, company and customer.

Then the trainee rides along hopefully getting exposure to everything explained in classes OJT and after six months is up, they are sent on their own in a limited way till they have about two years of time to get a wide range of expieriance and can be asked to do any trouble work as a lead if two men are needed to get the work done.

You can PM me if you want. I feel there is some good expieriance on this fourm and want to tap that to see if we can do better.

Thanks in advance
T

[MI-Lineman]

Can any of you troubleshooters past or present give me a short discription of the type and duration of training you got to become a troubleshooter? We are looking outside to see if there is something we can use to make our training better.
we take about 6 months to get a troubleshooter on their own.

We do a two week class on distribution, customer problems, switching, protective card procedures,

Then the trainee rides along with another TS for a few weeks OJT.

Then another two week class and we go over substations and all the equipment related to switching in them including how the relays work, target info etc.

Then the trainee gets a few more weeks riding along OJT.

The third class is focused on Manholes and vaults where we visit and operate equipment associated with these systems, company and customer.

Then the trainee rides along hopefully getting exposure to everything explained in classes OJT and after six months is up, they are sent on their own in a limited way till they have about two years of time to get a wide range of expieriance and can be asked to do any trouble work as a lead if two men are needed to get the work done.

You can PM me if you want. I feel there is some good expieriance on this fourm and want to tap that to see if we can do better.

Thanks in advance
T

Damn! You get better T.S. training than we get Lineman training! Here at the utility the all-powerful "SENIORITY" gets you the position (just like crew leaders:mad:) not wisdom. You have to gain that AFTER you take the job!:mad:

Besides, our so-called instructors can't T.S. either!:eek:

[T-Man]

Senority has an advantage, but just because you have time at a shop is not rock hard evidence you picked up anything during that time frame. I see fellas that are up in years of service but do not have the talent to do some of the things the next higher position requires, but they get the job if they want it and this drags the knowledge base down a notch for that group. . . I'd rather have people interested in the position study up take a fair test and have the fire in their belly to want to learn the job and keep digging to get better each day. Be proud of their job, position and work they accomplish.

[MI-Lineman]

Senority has an advantage, but just because you have time at a shop is not rock hard evidence you picked up anything during that time frame. I see fellas that are up in years of service but do not have the talent to do some of the things the next higher position requires, but they get the job if they want it and this drags the knowledge base down a notch for that group. . . I'd rather have people interested in the position study up take a fair test and have the fire in their belly to want to learn the job and keep digging to get better each day. Be proud of their job, position and work they accomplish.

Exactly! TAKE A TEST! You usually take a test for every step in an apprenticeship, a test to be journeyman, BUT NOT TO BECOME CREW LEADER?:confused: Seniority should mean you TEST first!: We have an appe who was told by one of our "finest":cool: to tap hot line clamps "with one hand so you're not in series"? Problem is, he keeps both hands ON THE TAP! Apparently he doesn't know what being in series really means!:mad: He's at the same potential with BOTH hands on the tap!:rolleyes: I don't know about you but I like keeping my hands on the ONE thing I'm working on!

[climbsomemore]

ahem.... and just why are we picking up load with the rubber gloved hand anyway?

I dont know how many times some nitwit has corrected me for 'working in series' while taping the top of an open cutout to a line (no arrester involved) ...then offered to tap an arrestor to the line himself.

We can get taps and stirrups... and there are even some line taps that can be used without stirrups. Making load is a "stick job" even in gloving work.

[MI-Lineman]

ahem.... and just why are we picking up load with the rubber gloved hand anyway?

I dont know how many times some nitwit has corrected me for 'working in series' while taping the top of an open cutout to a line (no arrester involved) ...then offered to tap an arrestor to the line himself.

We can get taps and stirrups... and there are even some line taps that can be used without stirrups. Making load is a "stick job" even in gloving work.

What kind of load do you expect on a 5 or 6ft piece of #6 copper coming off the top of an OPEN switch with the arrestor below the switch in a bucket?:confused: That's what shotguns are for (tapping arrestors)! My point was a so-called crew leader doesn't understand when you got both hands on the same jumper, hose, bolt cutters, you're not in series! HOW MANY BIRDS STAND ON A WIRE WITH JUST ONE FOOT??:rolleyes:

[climbsomemore]

the whole "getting in series" with a 5 foot copper lead deadened to the top of an open switch was the least of the stupidity.

The same company (as a policy and procedure) though it was OK to pick up downed, hot, 4.8KV... and "pass" that wire to a lineman in the lowered bucket so he could raise it for splicing. Then slip it into an automatic splice...now how do you do that in gloves without getting in "series"?

YOUR right... some folks dont understand the basics and will blindly follow what they have been told...

BTW... you should hear some of the "methods" those guys had thought up to connect a LA to a line using rubber gloves...

Consumers... what a place! And they will tell you they are the "safest gas and electric company in the US"....

[MI-Lineman]

the whole "getting in series" with a 5 foot copper lead deadened to the top of an open switch was the least of the stupidity.

The same company (as a policy and procedure) though it was OK to pick up downed, hot, 4.8KV... and "pass" that wire to a lineman in the lowered bucket so he could raise it for splicing. Then slip it into an automatic splice...now how do you do that in gloves without getting in "series"?

YOUR right... some folks dont understand the basics and will blindly follow what they have been told...

BTW... you should hear some of the "methods" those guys had thought up to connect a LA to a line using rubber gloves...

Consumers... what a place! And they will tell you they are the "safest gas and electric company in the US"....

You should see their "MILLION DOLLAR" new trainning center!:D All their concerned with is the new "airblade" (by Dyson) hand dryers in the bathroom and keeping the INDOOR (cause we're going to build shelters around every climber?) clean!:rolleyes:

Nevermind spending the money FOR BETTER INSTUCTORS!!!:confused:

[climbsomemore]

What?...they finally pulled the trailers (with the rotted floors) out of Marshall?

New buildings---old ideas.

I thought I was in some parallel universe (bizzaro world) the whole time I was there.