At Prairie Electric Cooperative (Norton, Kansas), our rubber goods, gloves, sleeves, blankets or “guts” as we call them get used every day. Every truck carries at least two blankets, a bag of guts and a pair of gloves and sleeves. We also carry an assortment of extra guts. Our covers fit about 90% of our lines and insulators so we don't have the issues with larger insulators that coastline utilities have. These tools are susceptible to getting pinched or crimped, so they are visually inspected each time we use them for checks and cracks. They also get a dielectric pass-fail test once a year.

One rule of thumb is to avoid leaving gloves and covers in the sun. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can be harmful to natural rubber products. When we are not using them, we put them back in the truck bin or bag.

We carry some insulator caps that slip over larger insulators. These cover-ups, along with gloves and hoods, are stored in the line bag on the trucks. It is every lineman's responsibility to inspect and maintain the rubber goods. Proper storage is crucial — never store a blanket folded or leave gloves or sleeves inverted. Distention escalates deterioration.