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Jyler Tharaldsen

Mr. Rudebusch

English Comp. IV

Dec. 11th, 2023

Being a lineman is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Lineman safety is the

biggest concern about the whole job. Unfortunately, there isn’t a world where no one gets hurt on

the job, but linemen still have to risk their lives to get their daily jobs done. Lineman Central

estimates that 42 in every 100,000 linemen die every year from electrocution, falling objects, and

burns from electrical shock. Safety for linemen is always evolving and innovating the way

linemen work and get the job done. But even with all of this innovation, mistakes still happen,

even mistakes that can take a worker's life. So how do workers prevent these problems?

There are so many dangers in the lineman field that not everyone is aware of. RRLotion,

a lineman company in Scottsdale, AZ, sponsored the author, Richard Rich, to write “The

Overlooked Dangers of Lineman Dangers: A Deeper Look At One Of The Most Challenging

Jobs.” This article goes over the dangers in the lineman’s field that the average person wouldn't

be able to identify. In this article, Richard writes, “Long-term health threats should not be

underestimated. Utility companies need to look beyond the power lines and into the fields,

woods, and skies where their workers spend their days, ensuring they are fully protected from all

dangers, seen and unseen.” This stresses the long-term health issues that are caused by being a

lineman that not everyone is aware of. A lot of health conditions can also happen while in the

field. A big problem is Lyme disease. “Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of
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infected blacklegged ticks,” writes the CDC. Richard also pointed out that Lyme disease is very

common: approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease occur each year, but the actual number is

thought to be significantly higher due to underreporting. It is a potentially serious illness that,

when left untreated, can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system, causing long-term

complications.” Lyme disease may not seem serious, but when you realize that it can hurt you

down the road, it can very quickly become a serious matter. All of these issues tie into the

growing health concerns and dangers in the lineman field that not everyone is aware of.

How seriously is safety taken in this field? Linemen can work with up to 150,000 to even

300,000 volts, so maximum safety is always required. According to Lineman Central, “on

average, 30-50 linemen die every year because of electrocution.” So working with this many

volts is a very serious matter, and there is no room for error, or it could take a life. To prevent

these accidents when working with live lines, “linemen are required to wear hard hats, safety

glasses, harnesses, and low-voltage rubber gloves,” states a blog post by Lug-All. Some people

think that linemen don't take safety seriously because so many linemen get hurt every year.

Although some people think that, it simply isn’t true. Linemen are required to carry a first-aid kit

in every company vehicle. They are certified and recertified every 2 years to perform CPR and

AED anywhere they need it. “Workers should be able to identify different symptoms and

conditions and determine the correct response for the situation,” writes another Lug-All blog. So,

how seriously do linemen take their safety? They take it seriously because they do not want to

see one of their co-workers get hurt.

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Electrocution is the leading cause of death in the linemen field. As I stated before,

linemen work at up to 300,000 volts. So, what safety precautions are taken while working at this

many volts? While working on any line, not just high-voltage lines, linemen are required to wear

the standard PPE, which includes eye protection, a hard hat, and insulated gloves. “Linemen

wear rubber electrical-insulating gloves and often full sleeves. These gloves are rated depending

upon the voltage the lineman will be exposed to.” According to SafeGuard, So the higher the

voltage, the more the gloves are insulated. There are also a lot of rules for wearing insulating

gloves. “They have a twelve-month shelf life from the initial certification date stamped on the

glove or case and can be used for six months. After six months of use, the gloves must be

removed from service and recertified at an authorized safety equipment testing facility.” This is

to ensure that electrocutions don't happen and the lineman's gloves are up-to-date and safe to use.

Linemen are also supposed to “not wear rings, bracelets or other metallic objects that could

conduct electricity. Wear leather protectors that fit properly over the rubber-insulating gloves and

store them in a cool dry place, away from ozone and UV light.” Linemen take very good care of

their gloves because they can be the difference between life and death, and they can also cost

from $20 all the way up to $700, so they take good care of them so they last a while.

Electrocution is the leading cause of death in the linemen’s field, and insulated gloves have

brought that number down drastically.

The condition of the equipment linemen use can greatly affect the safety of the linemen.

Linemen have to take great care of their equipment, or things could go wrong. Linemen use a ton

of machinery, from cranes to boom trucks to even helicopters. Linemen wouldn’t be able to do

their job without it, so they take good care of their equipment. Every company’s equipment
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protocol is different; some companies grease and do a maintenance check every couple uses. If

they don't use the machine that much, they do a maintenance check every six months, just to

make sure it's ready for when they need it. But ultimately, it varies from company to company.

Border States combined with Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. to bring awareness to equipment

condition, and they state that “the proper care and cleaning of hot line tools is paramount to

ensuring lineman safety. Damaged or contaminated tools can create a pathway between the

energized conductor and the lineman, causing a deadly hazard.” If the equipment you are using is

broken, you could hurt yourself or others in the process. Border states also inform linemen that if

they notice any tools are broken, they are to “remove damaged tools and take them out of service

immediately.” That is to prevent injury and keep the work site safe. They are also instructed to

keep their tools clean using 70% isopropyl alcohol. The linemen “dampen a clean paper towel or

cloth with isopropyl alcohol and wipe down all surfaces,” says Border States. So the condition of

the equipment linemen use can greatly affect the safety of the job site and linemen.

Hot Sticks are one of the most important safety measures on the job. Hot sticks save

countless lives every day. The wire sponsored Laura King-Homan to write about what hot sticks

do and how linemen use them. “A “hot stick” is a fiberglass rod that is long enough to keep

linemen at a safe distance from energized equipment while they work.” she writes. Using hot

sticks saves lives every time one is used. Laura also states, “Being made of fiberglass allows the

stick to not conduct electricity. And keeping a lineman 6-10 feet out of energized equipment also

keeps them out of the dangerous arc zone.” Clover Electric describes the arc zone as “Electric

arcing, which is when electricity jumps from one connection to another. This flash of electricity

reaches temperatures of 35,000°F.” Being out of this zone is super important for linemen and
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their safety. Being hit by electricity in the arc zone will more than likely lead to death. Hot

Sticks Are one of the most important safety measures on the job because they reach places

linemen can't without any injuries.

Linemen are one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: even with all the safety

precautions, they still get hurt. Some think that linemen don't take safety seriously; linemen take

their safety seriously and don’t mess around with safety. Linemen can decrease their chances of

getting hurt just by thinking and making sure that their tools are used the right way and are all

working properly. Technology keeps improving, and so do safety precautions for linemen.

Hopefully, with these improvements, the fatalities of linemen will go down significantly.
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Bibliography
Electric Clover. “What Is Electrical Arcing and What Are the Warning Signs?202.” Clover Electric

Cleveland Electrician, 2023, www.cloverelectric.com/what-is-electrical-arcing. 18 Dec. 2023

Blog, Lug-all. “Professional Linemen: Avoiding Life-Threatening Accidents.” Lug, 2023,

lug-all.com/blogs/blog/professional-linemen-avoiding-life-threatening-accidents. 10 Dec. 2023

Electrical Supply, Salisbury. “Hot Sticks & Tools.” Hot Sticks & Insulated Tools | Salisbury Electrical

Safety, 2023, www.salisburyshop.com/catalog/shop/Hot-Sticks-Tools/dept-8NO. 18 Dec. 2023

Industrial Supply Co., MSC. “Basics of... Lineman’s Gloves.” Mscdirect.Com, 2023,

www.mscdirect.com/basicsof/linemans-gloves. 17 Dec. 2023

King-Homan, Laura. “How Does That Work: What Is a Hot Stick? - OPPD.” The Wire, 4 Sept. 020,

oppdthewire.com/hot-stick-how-works-2020-oppd/#:~:text=A%20%E2%80%9Chot%20stick%E2

%80%9D%20is%20a,of%20the%20dangerous%20arc%20zone. 17 Dec. 2023

Lyme Disease, CDC. “Lyme Disease.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Jan. 2022, www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html. 14 Dec. 2023

Miller, Kristin. “Hot Line Tool Safety: Cleaning, Maintenance and Sanitizing.” Border States, 3

May 2021,

solutions.borderstates.com/hot-line-tool-safety-cleaning-maintenance-and-sanitizing/#:~:text=The

%20proper%20care%20and%20cleaning,lineman%2C%20causing%20a%20deadly%20hazard. 18

Dec. 2023
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Rich, Fletcher. “The Overlooked Dangers of Linemen Work: A Deeper Look at One of the Most

Challenging Jobs.” R&R Lotion®, 19 July 2023,

rrlotion.com/2023/07/the-overlooked-dangers-of-linemen-work-a-deeper-look-at-one-of-the-most-c

hallenging-jobs/#:~:text=With%20thousands%20of%20volts%20of,physically%20demanding%20

but%20mentally%20taxing. Dec 14. 2023