Oak Ridge's Poletop Rescue and Fall Protection Training

March 23, 2016
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s team of veteran linemen test out harnesses and learn pole-top rescue techniques.

A compact line crew maintains miles upon miles of overhead and underground lines at the U.S. Department of Energy’s largest energy and science laboratory—Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Up until eight years ago, five linemen serviced the entire laboratory, and ORNL contracted out the construction work to external construction crews.

Recently, however, ORNL has ramped up its field workforce. By hiring more linemen, ORNL can handle not only maintenance, but also construction work. As the ORNL line crew brings more linemen on board, training has become paramount—especially when it comes to fall protection and pole top rescue. Through the refresher courses and investment of new equipment, the supervisors are striving to create and promote a safety culture at the lab to protect their field workforce.

Following are snapshots from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's new pole training yard where the veteran linemen took part in a refresher course. The photos and full article are featured in Transmission & Distribution World's April "Electric Utility Operations" section.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of T&D World, create an account today!

Related

Dreamstime
Utility Business

Algonquin Investor Pushes For Big Board Changes

March 22, 2024
The owner of 9% of the utility’s shares says some directors are ‘impeding progress’ while other are ‘either passive or complicit.’
Photo 123697421 © Alexandersikov | Dreamstime.com
Smart Utility

How Automation Can Help the Utilities Industry Address the Impending Workforce Gap

March 22, 2024
The fact that the P&U (power and utilities) industry is staring down the threat of a significant workforce shortage is undeniable. Over the course of the next ten years, the...
Home

Anita Peterson

March 22, 2024
Anita brings over 17 years of experience in client support and relationship management. At Invoice Cloud, she is responsible for Client Services, helping the service teams provide...
Home

Mital Kanabar

March 22, 2024
Mital Kanabar, PhD, PE Senior Director of Innovation at GE Vernova’s Grid Solutions business