- Introduction
- Safety accreditation ensures that your cooperative operates safely
- Inspecting the Engelhard District
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by Michael E.C. Gery
Introduction
Electric utility linemen do much more than fix power lines. They need to know the technicalities of how electricity behaves as well as how to dig trenches. They build power poles, maintain trucks, use ropes and rigging, cut trees, maintain overhead and underground lines, work in substations, operate heavy equipment, operate computers, administer First Aid and CPR, the list goes on. To become a certified electrical distribution lineman in North Carolina, you need 8,000 hours of documented on-the-job training, plus an additional 576 hours of related instruction.
The purpose of this intense training is not only to ensure that a lineman knows what he’s doing, but also to ensure that he does it safely.
A safety program was one of the first things electric cooperatives set up when they formed in North Carolina 60 years ago. Today, those programs are considered models nationwide. The safety programs don’t apply only to linemen, either. Everyone who works for an electric cooperative is required to follow safety procedures.
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