A School in the Sky Provides Hands-On Training for Line Crews

• Published in: Transmission & distribution Vol. 42; no. 12; p. 38
• Main Author: Whalen, Pat
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.1990
• ISSN: 0041-1280

Recently, some 40 skilled members of United Power Association's (UPA) 10 line crews assembled in a "classroom" 100 feet up on one of the 1,600 steel towers supporting UPA's 400-mile, 400-kV dc line running between Underwood, North Dakota, and Buffalo, Minnesota. All sessions began with crew members laying out tools and participating in a "tailgate" session in preparation for installing a boom and ladder, positioning crew members on the ladder, installing bull line, yoke, and strain poles, attaching cradle to the insulator string and lowering the string to the ground, replacing damaged insulators and reinstalling the insulator string, removing tools, and reviewing the procedure in a final tailgate session. Frequent training is standard in UPA, and most of it is done on a local basis, from on-the-job development of apprentices through the regular attendance of UPA line workers and supervisors at annual hot-line schools in Madison, South Dakota, and in Minnesota. Monthly safety sessions are also conducted at all UPA locations.