In a recent workshop with a client in southeast Louisiana, a breakout session reached a tipping point. The rhythmic flow of dialogue among the seven supervisors in the group found an unscripted but purposeful path of its own. The task given to the group involved...
Rural cooperatives are hard at work, discovering how their members can benefit from the Empowering Rural America Program (New Era). Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering rural electric cooperative utilities and...
Avocado toast has become all the rage at restaurants and on social media posts over the past several years. I eat it; it is delectable. You make it by toasting some bread, adding some ripe avocado and maybe some salt, and then maybe some tomatoes or sprouts. Easy,...
Workers in the electric utility industry face various hazards, and in cooler climates, this includes potential cold stress. Cold stress occurs when the skin’s temperature drops, lowering internal body temperature and inhibiting the body’s ability to warm itself. If...
Is decentralization the answer to extreme weather events fueled by global climate change? Officially autumn begins in September, and it can’t come soon enough! Copernicus, the European Union’s climate change service said the Earth saw the hottest June on record. That...
Sometimes safety isn’t all that it seems There are striking similarities in how we respond to incidents, injuries and fatalities in our industry. Safety stand-downs are held. Utilities and contractors conduct incident investigations that are typically wrapped up...
It is a given that linework, whether transmission or distribution, is hazardous work. Safety is of the utmost priority in an industry where lethal voltages are regularly involved. In 2018, 8.5% of all construction-related fatalities were electrocution-related....
The Quail Effect: An Indicator of Safety Culture It is not uncommon for a flock of birds, such as quail, to scatter when people get too close to them. This sometimes happens on work sites, too, but instead of birds, it’s workers who scatter when they see safety...
Words of Wisdom from a Longtime Safety Man I first got into the electric utility industry in 1965 when I was hired to work as a lineman’s helper. Lineman’s helpers were also called by another name: grunt. At that time, you were not considered a grown adult until you...
Lower Risk Of Wildfires Along T&D Systems Long Term The catastrophic fires that have struck the U.S. states of California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona in recent years are proving to be part of a new era and no longer isolated occurrences....
