there are three operational levels of safety for a utility lineperson (lineman) working on any

distribution line:
1. Always follow safety procedures. Utility distribution line work occurs during either routine
maintenance, where a line is purposefully turned off, or during an unexpected event, where repairs
are necessary. In either case, a utility lineman should always follow basic safety procedures to test a
line and make sure it is not energized with electricity. Linemen can work on lines that are either "hot"
(energized) or "cold" (not energized) and there are different safety requirements for each
circumstance. Standard requirements for working on a "cold" line include isolate, measure and
ground. If linemen find an energized line where one shouldn't be, they won't get physically hurt, but
the repair might be delayed while they track down the source of the electricity.
2. UL/IEEE Inverters. All grid-connected PV systems are required to use listed inverters that have
been evaluated according the UL/IEEE anti-islanding requirements and that can quickly sense when
the grid is down and consequently shut down the PV system. The only way these inverters turn back
on is if they measure stable and normal grid voltage and frequency for a minimum amount of time.
It's interesting to note that there are cases where the inverter shut-down set-points are so sensitive
that minor grid voltage fluctuations affect PV system performance because the inverters turns the
system off and on.
3. External Disconnect Switch (EDS). The third safety level is the use of an external disconnect
switch, which is essentially a lever that a utility lineman can use to shut down a homeowner's PV
system and physically isolate it from the grid while he/she does maintenance or repair work. When
the work is done, linemen then turn the EDS switch back on. From a practical standpoint, not many
EDS's are actually ever used driving around to various homes, businesses or farms to turn off the
DG systems in the area delays repairs. PG&E and SMUD announced earlier this year that they
weren't requiring an EDS for inverter-based systems served by self-contained meters. Not only do
both utilities trust that inverter technology works as it should, but also the practicality of physically
going to each PV system (PG&E has over 20,000 PV systems in its service territory) led to this
change in requirements. The self-contained meter provides a back-up means for isolating the DG by
pulling the meter. As another side note, advanced meters, i.e. smart meters, which many utilities are
now installing may have the ability to disconnect the house and/or PV system remotely, saving time
and resources. However, these devices would need to be approved for this purpose.
Finally, while not a safety aspect, many states or utilities require PV system owners to have a
minimum amount of liability insurance, and for small systems, this is often just homeowners
insurance. Most insurers don't "exclude" PV systems from insurance policies, an indication of the
safety record.

Maintain your hot equipment

We use hot sticks all the time in switching and live-line work. The last time you used a hot stick,
however, did you wipe it down before you used it and performed a visual inspection?
Don't forget to follow the rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in
1910.269(j)(2)(i), which says, Each live-line tool shall be wiped clean and visually inspected for
defects before use each day.

Take care of your rubber gloves

Rubber gloves may be the most important tool that a T&D worker uses. One's life literally depends
on the care and integrity of that glove. But do we perform a visual inspection and a field air test on
our rubber gloves before every use? Sure, we test them when they are new and probably before a big
job, but probably not before every time we use them.

Wear your steel-toed boots

I understand rules vary across the country based on job responsibilities and exposure, but I also
understand that many companies require steel-toed boots at all times.
Several years ago, an apprentice lineman had a nice pair of high-end steel-toed line boots. After a
couple years of wear, he sent them back to have them rebuilt. Instead of buying another pair of steeltoed boots to wear when his good ones were out of service, he chose to wear an older pair without
steel toes. He thought it was only for a couple of weeks and nothing could happen. Five days later, he
was on a crew working some URD, and he dropped a manhole cover on his foot. Without steel-toed
boots to protect his feet, he broke three toes and needed pins to repair them.

Inspect your slings

Most of the time, we grab a sling from a truck and use it. After all, if it's on the truck, it must be OK.
Yet OSHA, 1910.184(d) tells us to inspect a sling and all of its fastenings and attachments before use
every time.

Look at your wheel chocks

Many companies require, as do manufacturers, that if the boom is in the air, wheel chocks must be in
use. What is your habit and do you even have a chock on your truck?