What does it take for linemen to
safely work on energized power
lines carrying up 500,000 volts
of electricity?
Training.  Lots of training.
In May, PG&E completed
annual training for a
special group of linemen who
perform upgrades, maintenance
and repairs on energized
transmission power lines that
carry 60,000 to 500,000 volts of
electricity. The technique is
called Barehanding in the
utility industry. PG&E began
implementing Barehand work
procedures in 1990.
With the Barehand methods, we're
able to keep the lines energized
to keep all the customers hot.
Their power doesn't have
to go out. And it's actually,
for the worker, a safer work
practice and it's easier on
their bodies. Workers are
protected from energized
equipment on
high voltage power lines by
using
insulated tools, ladders and
aerial lifts and by wearing a
special suit that acts like
a shield to prevent electric
current from flowing through
their body. The suit also
eliminates the discomfort
associated with working on high
voltage power lines.
That suit you put on to keep the
electricity flowing around your
body instead of through it. If
you don’t have that suit on,
you'll feel the electricity
going through your body. 
Even though you're at the same
potential, like a bird
landing on a wire, it's not
comfortable.  When you put
that suit on and have that
electricity going around your
body, you don't feel a thing.
Because of this specialized
training, PG&E can reduce the
number of planned outages and
shorten timeframes needed to
upgrade, maintain and repair its
electric system. In 2014, PG&E
customers experienced the fewest
number of outages
in company history.
It just feels good that you can
provide a service to the
public, and you don't interrupt
their daily routine.
For Currents, I'm Brian Swanson.
