At least your safety guys went through an apprenticeship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rob8210
Well Bobbo, all I can think of that came from us is the fall arrest. The most common pole strap we use is the Jelco pole choker 4. If I remember correctly it was initially developed by 2 lineman from Ontario Hydro and called the Huntsville choker.
As for rubber sleeves, I have only used them when I worked in the US, and man are they a pita!
Some places here still make you wear class 2 gloves for everything, the odd one will make you wear class 4. Believing you have to wear gloves rated for the highest voltage on the pole, even if you are 20 feet away. ( crap)
We contractors fought very hard for clothing and finally got it only in the last few years, we had to supply our own before that, and yeah , upwards of $100.00 for a shirt really hurts coming out of our own pocket. Since we finally won that battle each company does it different. Some just supply the clothing. My company gives us a decent allowance , then we order direct from the factory.
I think our biggest problem here is safety men , that started into the trade, learned enough to be scared, became safety men and then get to tell us what we can and cant do based on their fear! Heck I had one safety man want me to wear rubber gloves on isolated and de-energized line, and install a truck ground, just because there was a 115kv line on the other side of the ROW. His reasoning was "induction man , induction" from over 200 feet away!!!!!
We we had a douche safety guy was a project managers bartender. Didn't know a damn thing. Fired people for not wearing gloves and sleeves soft siding triplex!
our trade is a joke.
we have layers of people who police us. we are policed for the stupidity. And most make more than lineman or foreman. Some places have a company guy making 200k a year, then utility guys making 200 k a year each. The pressure to pay for all these guys plus do your work and comply to all the stupidity, makes this job totally suck. I want to get out and most of my friends want to get out. No ones happy. I would rather make half of what I do in something else and go through less bullshit.
so a crew has to produce more than before, with rules that make it 2 times less efficient. But the companies want the same production and expect it.
For 25 yrs didn't know out of an 8 hour day, federal law we are to have 15 minute break morning and afternoon, plus our lunch. So 20 years, I gave away2 1/2 hours a week to the company. Gave the companies. Gave the companies over 2500 hours in my lifetime. That's a lot of money.
if they want to follow all the dumb shit OSHA has. Follow every law that exists. Follow it to a T. Get the 20 cones, 6 signs up and down the road, even if it's a dead end with one house. At 10 and 2 go to your trucks and have your break, even during outages. Follow the FCSMA laws, don't even know what those are,'but after 16 hours driving stop. The next day you are not aloud to drive til you get your ten hour break. if the government and companies are going to be dicks. Know every law and follow it.
Post all the federal laws on this site,according to driving, spacing out your signs... Everything. Information and knowledge is power my friends. If everyone is going to get goofy, lineman can get goofier. Wear that fucking goofy mask. In Wisconson when it's sub freezing and you cant see out of your mask,just stand in the bucket for eight hours until you can see, even if you have to wait to April. if every lineman in the country just sat there until he could see with his dumbass arc helmet to do the work , dumbsshit will change quick!
Seen guys get banned off,properties for stupid.
When a utility bans you off a property for the most foolish stuff. You are screwed. No way to feed,your family.
yes I hate all this. I hate how everything is. I don't see anyone in our corner. If your banned, I haven't seen a hall have any power over those decisions.
I have seen guys make little mistakes. And they are done.
Seen a young man forget to lock his brake, the truck went down a hill and hit a barn. The young man can't work on that property. A good man.
If if a guy steals copper. That's alright.
just do,what you do to feed your,family. And pray and plee that someone or somebody will give a shit that can change things.
All I see is less and less knowledgeable people getting in. And it's going to get worse'and worse.
too much money can be made with all this madness.