Meet some of our linemen (left to right) Jonathan, Donald and Dale, who make safety their top priority. While linemen love their jobs and cannot imagine doing anything else, they have one primary goal: to come home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day. By setting aside time for training, wearing the proper personal protective equipment and following their utility’s safety procedures, linemen can go home safely at the end of each work day.
We often take power – and the linemen who provide it – for granted. Let’s take a moment and stand in their boots.
Linemen work safe, smart and efficiently – all while 40 feet or more in the air wearing sturdy, thick rubber gloves and sleeves. On a typical day, lineworkers maintain overhead and underground electrical distribution lines or build service to new homes and businesses in our communities. Linemen are also highly trained to be ready to respond no matter the situation or weather conditions.
At Piedmont Electric, lineworkers go through extensive training to ensure they can work safely with various kinds of equipment. The equipment gets tested regularly too.
“Our line crews are among the best trained, most dedicated and hardest working you will ever meet,” said Wallace Cole, Piedmont EMC’s Safety Director. “They must work in and around high-voltage power lines in extreme weather conditions and often in the dark to restore power to their neighbors’ homes.”
These highly skilled linemen light our homes and businesses and power our lives every day. They endure harsh climate and long hours all to make our lives better. Today, and every day, please take a moment to thank them. Piedmont Electric’s lineworkers are the proud and strong heart of the electric co-op nation.
OSHA Standards and Protections
This year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is revising the construction standard for electric power line work in an effort to continue to improve workplace safety. These regulations are not only designed to keep our linemen safe, but also to keep you safe when crews are in your area.
The Appropriate Gear
Piedmont Electric linemen are required to wear their personal protective equipment at all times on the job in order to keep them safe. These items include: safety belts, hard hats, safety eyewear, insulated rubber gloves, insulated rubber sleeves and arc resistant clothing.
Stay Safe
Piedmont Electric and the dedicated men and women who make up our lineworkers always make safety a top priority, especially when working in potentially dangerous conditions. The highly-skilled Piedmont Electric linemen bring power to our homes and businesses every day – often enduring long hours and harsh weather – for the benefit of our comfort and safety.