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Ergonomic and Psychosocial Aspects of Electrical Energy Maintenance

Activities on Transmission Lines: Volume VII: Ergonomics in Design, Design
for All, Activity Theories for Work A...

Chapter · January 2019

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-96071-5_180

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 Ergonomic and Psychosocial Aspects
of Electrical Energy Maintenance Activities
on Transmission Lines

Sandra F. Bezerra Gemma1(&), Renan Primo1,

José Luiz Pereira Brittes1, Milton Shoiti Misuta1,
and Eduardo Penteado Lacusta Junior2
1
School of Applied Sciences, University of Campinas, Limeira, São Paulo,
Brazil
sandra.gemma@gmail.com
2
CPFL Energia Company, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract. In recent years, the electric power sector has undergone considerable
changes, contributing to the increase of accidents, mainly in the maintenance
activity of transmission lines. The purpose of this project is to identify ergo-
nomic and psychosocial aspects in this activity, through the Ergonomic Work
Analysis (EWA), applied to an electric energy concessionaire. This research is
underway and the initial results point to the relevance of the organizational
aspects associated to the profile of the new workers.

Keywords: Ergonomics
Electricians
Linemen
Electric sector

1 Introduction

In recent years, the electric power sector has undergone considerable changes, high-
lighting the privatization process and the increasing use of outsourced services, which
has contributed to the increase in the number of accidents (Silva 2014).
The Ministry of Social Security published alarming data in 2015 through its Sta-
tistical Yearbook of Work Accidents: CNAE 42.21-9 companies, which carry out
works for the generation and distribution of electricity and for telecommunications,
were responsible for 6,010 accidents in 2013 (0.83% of all work accidents registered in
the country in the year). In 2014, there were 8011 accidents, accounting for 1.12% of
all work-related accidents in the country. The most recent figure is 2015, with 6799
accidents at work, which represents 1.08% of all work accidents.
When dealing with occupational diseases and accidents, they are usually attributed
to “human error”. However, placing “human error” as the cause of these events is a
simplification that does not favor prevention. Errors are often consequences of char-
acteristics of the situation that did not allow operators and “collectives” to mobilize
their skills in a relevant way (Daniellou et al. 2010).
Some questions regarding this sector, and especially the activity of maintenance of
transmission lines, can be raised: What physical, cognitive and psycho-affective
demands caused by the maintenance activities of transmission lines, more specifically

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019

S. Bagnara et al. (Eds.): IEA 2018, AISC 824, pp. 1757–1760, 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96071-5_180
1758 S. F. B. Gemma et al.

in live lines (LV)? How do such factors influence the individual’s work situation and
health?
In this way, the objective of this project is to identify ergonomic and psychosocial
aspects of the maintenance activities of electric power transmission lines, taking into
account the human and organizational factors of the activity. The purpose is to achieve
this goal through an evaluation of the work and requirements demanded in the
maintenance activities of transmission lines (LV) of an electric power concessionaire of
the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

2 Development

The evaluation of the electricians’ work, focusing on the Living Medium Voltage Line
(LV), is being carried out according to the Ergonomic Work Analysis (EWA) method
described by Guérin et al. (2001). Unlike the traditional scientific methods, in which
the hypotheses are previously elaborated and explained, in the EWA they are con-
structed, validated and /or refuted throughout the process.
The methodological approach in ergonomics has two essential characteristics:
research ascendancy and design flexibility. Such characteristics allow to investigate the
real work of the subject, respecting their variability, as well as the work situation and
instruments. In addition, this approach reveals the complexity of working, taking into
account the human and organizational factors of the activity. The EWA presupposes
the use of different techniques whose importance for the analysis depends on the
problematic and the demand configuration.
The research is underway and the concessionaire studied employs 5000 electri-
cians, of which 530 LV Electricians.

3 Results and Discussion

Through a preliminary organizational analysis of the company, a demand for research

was identified as a result of meetings and discussions with the R & D sector and
managers of the company’s Health and Safety at Work Dept.
It was observed that in the Live Line activities, using the Aerial Basket, the elec-
trician remains in the basket in the same position for long periods, working with the
arms raised and/or stretched and performing repetitive movements, sustaining weight,
overloading muscle groups, generating complaints of upper limb pain in almost all
professionals.
It was also observed that in addition to the environmental and biomechanical risks
that this activity involves, there is a high psychic demand, as the organizational factors
gain relevance due to the increase in workload and deadlines pressures, associated to
the need not to interrupt the electricity supply, due to the evaluation criteria determined
by the Brazilian National Regulatory Agency.
These perceptions gain relevance compared to some published studies. According
to Seeley and Marklin (2003), for example, a minority of the electricians who perform
this type of activity have the physical capacity to perform the function during the whole
 Ergonomic and Psychosocial Aspects of Electrical Energy Maintenance Activities 1759

working life, since a large number of them present musculoskeletal injuries after years
of exposure to activity, mainly due to excessive use of force.
In a complementary way, Moriguchi (2008) points out the existence of a high
number of occurrences of musculoskeletal symptoms in electric power distribution
electricians, observing that the proportion of symptomatic workers varied according to
the activity of the electricians.
Albert and Hallowell (2013) corroborate such thoughts by emphasizing that elec-
tricians involved in the construction and maintenance of electric transmission and
distribution lines run an extremely high risk of electrocution. The result of inadvertent
contact with these energized lines is often death or serious injury involving damage to
the internal organs, musculoskeletal disorders, neurological damage and severe burns.
Souza et al. (2014) also contributed to this theme by assessing the association
between psychosocial aspects of work and the prevalence of Common Mental Disor-
ders in electrical equipment and high voltage power transmission lines electricians.
In addition, some studies refer to important points that can be evaluated, but are not
necessarily evidenced by the maintenance activity of live lines, due to the scarcity of
studies. These points are related to the activity in question because it presents similar
characteristics as the danger of electric shock, work at height, climatic and temperature
variation.
Päivinen (2006), for example, argues in his studies that working on telecommu-
nication masts and electricity transmission can be especially demanding in cold winter
climates. This study sought to evaluate the workers’ perception of the risks related to
work in the above conditions, with special reference to the use of hand tools. In both
telecommunications and electricity transmission, tools, ice, slippery structure, dark
places and equipment falling from the masts were the biggest perceived risks.
Taylor et al. (2002) point out that electrocution continues to be a significant cause
of occupational death, and when there is none, they result in several injuries. In this
sense, Rådman et al. (2016) complement that the symptoms generated by the lesions
can appear in different moments after the accident. However, almost all the electricians
interviewed reported having symptoms directly after the injury, especially paresthesia
and pain. In the first few weeks after the injury, pain and muscle weakness eventually
dominate the injured. Finally, the authors conclude that the most frequent symptoms in
the follow-up were: pain, muscle weakness and loss of sensitivity.
From a somewhat different but not distant perspective, White et al. (2016) con-
ducted a study whose aim was to explore the underlying beliefs regarding the safety of
experienced Australian electrical workers. During the study, beliefs were classified as:
advantages (e.g., personal and co-worker safety), disadvantages (e.g. inconvenience to
client and workload), benchmarks (e.g. supervisors, co-workers, clients), barriers (e.g.,
time and cost) and facilitators (e.g. training and knowledge, availability of equipment).
The authors concluded that such beliefs may influence future work decisions, char-
acterizing themselves as workers’ psychosocial factors.
In this way, it can be seen that, despite the fact that the studies on the maintenance
of transmission lines are scarce, there are several demands to be studied and validated,
which justifies the realization of the present study that focuses on the Brazilian reality.
1760 S. F. B. Gemma et al.

4 Conclusion

When confronting the perceptions of the senior management of the concessionaire in

question, with some studies and researches in the literature, it was confirmed the need
for a detailed analysis of the electricians’ work who perform maintenance in LV, since
there are complaints of absenteeism from health problems whose causes are not the
organization of work, as well as changes in the profile of electricians in recent years.
These preliminary confirmations of this demand motivate and subsidize the
research that is still under way to fully apply the EWA method to understand the
phenomenon of illness and accidents at work.

Acknowledgment. CPFL Energia, ANEEL - Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica/P&D -

Programa de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, School of Aplied Science – University of Campinas.

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