8/03/2013

Linesman Tools Help Restore Power

By Lela Perkins


Some storms come during certain times of the year that can interrupt the power supply to communities over large geographical areas. The utility companies servicing these area have crews that will go out into the storm and try to reconnect the power so people can stay comfortably in their homes and not wander out into an ice storm or hurricane. There are some linesman tools that are specially made to help the workers get to where the downed wires are located and help them reconnect the wires back to the poles and restore the electricity to a community.

The primary piece of equipment linesmen use in the field are the large utility trucks made for this kind of work. They have a lot of compartments where the workers can place the various tools that are going to need on a job site. These are large vehicles that weigh tens of thousands of pounds and are big enough to be seen from far away.

The utility trucks also come with a lift bucket attached to the top of the truck. The lift bucket is designed to place workers in spots where they can perform their job. There is a hydraulic boom that can move the bucket in and out to get close to the top of poles to reconnect lines.

Workers have to be very careful when working around fallen trees. The trees can shift and drop suddenly to the ground. A worker standing in the wrong place could get seriously injured or killed. The bucket can keep the person cutting up a tree above it and add a measure of safety to protect the person.

Chainsaws are standard equipment for linesmen. They are kept on the trucks and are used to cut up the trees. There can be different sizes stored in the compartments to use for different size limbs and trees.

Another measure to ensure the safety of workers in the buckets is to wear a safety harness. These harnesses are strapped around the body and then connected to the rails of the bucket. If a worker over reaches and falls out of the bucket, the harness will keep them from crashing to the ground and possibly get seriously hurt. Safety helmets are also worn by all workers in case items drop on their heads.

Linesmen often wear heavy leather belts to store their hand tools in. When a utility employee works on connecting wire back onto a pole they often use screwdrivers, utility knives and wire crimping devices. These are easily stored in the pockets on a utility belt and are always in reach when an employee needs to use them.

Storms can cause a lot of problems when they rage over a community. Electrical power can be interrupted when trees fall down on the lines and cause them to disconnect from the poles. The various linesman tools utility company workers use can help them restore the power.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment