Electric distribution utilities, such as Perennial Public Power District, require the efforts of people with a wide range of skill sets and job descriptions, ranging from accounting to warehousing and several in between, to perform well. This year, April 10, 2023, is set aside as the day to honor one particular skill set, that of the electric lineworker.
Perennial has 16 lineworkers, making it the largest employee classification at Perennial. This fact hints at the volume of work necessary to perform their fundamental task of keeping electricity flowing to homes, farms, and businesses. The fact that Perennial operates 2,033 miles of line within its service area is a gross oversimplification of what is required. Tens of thousands of poles, millions of feet of aerial and underground conductors combined, thousands of transformers and meters, and countless pieces of line apparatus make up those 2,033 miles.
All of Perennial’s electrical facilities were built by lineworkers and must be maintained and repaired by lineworkers for the rest of us to enjoy the benefits of electricity. We most often see them climbing poles or working out of basket trucks, usually in relatively pleasant weather, and some of us might think,” What a wonderful job, enjoying the great outdoors.” It is true, we often see them out working in good weather, however, almost none of us see them working in the dangerous and challenging situations they face during and after storms.
Even during pleasant weather, linework can require lifting, moving, and repairing or replacing heavy or cumbersome objects near energized high voltage electric lines. Decades ago, linemen often shut off electric lines before working on or near them. However, today most power line work is performed while the electric lines are still energized to minimize inconvenience to electric customers. Specialized work procedures, better equipment, and specialized training make “hot-line” work possible. The lineworker’s training, experience, and the watchful eyes of their co-workers are key to their very survival.
Bad weather does not just happen during normal working hours. While they have regular working hours like most people, lineworkers must additionally make themselves available 24/7 to respond to power system outages and emergencies. Since most power lines run along the edge of road rights-of-way, Perennial’s line trucks must be parked on road shoulders, or in the case of county roads, literally on one side of the road for our lineworkers to do their jobs whether by climbing poles or working out of line trucks. In any case, lineworkers need access to the line trucks parked on or near the road to get tools, equipment, and materials to perform their work.
If you’re driving and see one of our crews on the side of the road, we ask that you please slow down and move over if possible and give them a little extra space to work. We deeply care about the safety of all, and this extra precaution helps ensures just that.
To summarize, if you approach a crew while driving on a two-lane road, moving over to the next lane might not be an option. In this case, please slow down or stop if necessary when approaching roadside crews. If you approach a crew while driving on a four-lane road, and safety and traffic conditions allow, we ask that you move over into the lane away from the one the crew is working near.
Utility crews aren’t the only ones who could use the extra space. Emergency responders, such as police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians, often find themselves responding to emergency situations near or on roadways. We ask that you follow the procedures mentioned above to help keep these crews safe.
Let’s work together to keep everyone safe on our local roadways.
So while April 10, 2023, is set aside as the day to honor the electric lineworker, we really need to thank them for their efforts to keep electricity available every day and the extraordinary effort required to restore electric service after nasty weather events.
We hope you will join us in thanking the many electric lineworkers––both locally and around the world––that light our lives. Remember, your power works because they do! Use #ThankALineworker on social media to show your support.
