Power Lineman - Friend in the Dark

It's 2:00 in the morning, dark and -15 degrees. You're out on top of an electric pole trying to reestablish electricity. What are you called? A lineman.

You are a special breed if you are a power lineman. You must be able to withstand rain, hail, wind, extreme heat and extreme cold. Not to mention snow up past your boots.

A power lineman has to be good with the public. As a power lineman, you are the one who will be "posting" late and overdue bills on people's doors. A power lineman will be the one walking into peoples' darkness and explaining what is wrong and when it will be fixed.

A power lineman must go to a technical school for at least one year. There the lineman learns how to erect electric poles and lines. The lineman needs to learn to climb poles using "pole climbers". Pole climbers attach to the boot of the power lineman. They have spikes that grab into the pole as they climb.

The power lineman learns to perform various maintenance and trouble-shooting techniques. The linemen also learn the operation of transformers and special equipment.

Things that would keep you from being a power lineman are fear of heights and not being able to do a physical job outside in all kinds of weather.

Of course, if you have a fear of electricity, you won't want this job either. As a power lineman has to handle up to 500,000 volts live.

What keeps a power lineman safe with this high voltage electricity? The lineman works with insulated gloves and insulated equipment. They are taught the proper ways in which to use them.

A power lineman can handle electric wires from the ground with an insulated "stick". It can telescope out to about 25 ft. The lineman can operate switches or replace fuses with this stick. So in some cases, the power lineman can forgo strapping climbers on and having to go up the pole.

Most power lineman have access to "bucket trucks" now. This is a truck that has a bucket or platform mounted on a truck. It has hydraulics and is usually insulated.

With the insulated truck and rubber gloves and proper equipment, the power lineman can work on live lines without turning them off for maintenance.