Line installers and repairers work on the vast networks of wires and cables that provide customers with electrical power and voice, video and data communications services. Electrical power-line installers and repairers, also called line erectors, install and maintain the networks of powerlines that go from generating plants to the customer. Telecommunications line installers and repairers install and repair the lines and cable that provide such services as cable television, telephone service, and the Internet to residential and commercial customers.
All line installers construct new lines by erecting utility poles and towers, or digging underground trenches, to carry the wires and cables. They may use a variety of construction equipment, including digger derricks, trenchers, cable plows, and borers. Digger derricks are trucks equipped with augers and cranes. Workers use augers to dig holes in the ground and use cranes to set utility poles in place. Trenchers and cable plows are used to cut openings in the earth for the laying of underground cables. Borers, which tunnel under the earth, are used to install tubes for the wire without opening a trench in the soil.
When construction is complete, line installers string cable along poles and towers or through tunnels and trenches. While working on poles and towers, installers use truck-mounted buckets to elevate themselves to the top of the structure, but sometimes they have to physically climb the pole or tower. Next, they pull up cable from large reels mounted on trucks, set the line in place, and pull up the slack so that it has the correct amount of tension. Finally, line installers attach the cable securely to the structure using hand and hydraulic tools. When working with electrical powerlines, installers bolt or clamp insulators onto the poles before attaching the cable. Underground cable is laid directly in a trench, pulled through a tunnel, or strung through a conduit running through a trench.
Other installation duties include setting up service for customers and installing network equipment. To set up service, line installers string cable between the customers' premises and the nearest lines running on poles or towers or in trenches. They connect wiring to houses and check the connection for proper voltage readings. Line installers also may install a variety of network equipment. When setting up telephone and cable television lines, they install amplifiers and repeaters that maintain the strength of communications transmissions. When running electrical powerlines, they install and replace transformers, circuitbreakers, switches, fuses, and other equipment to control and direct the electrical current.
In addition to installation, line installers and repairers are responsible for maintenance of electrical, telecommunications, and cable television lines. Workers periodically travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to visually inspect the wires and cables. Sensitive monitoring equipment can automatically detect malfunctions on the network, such as loss of current flow. When line repairers identify a problem, they travel to the location of the malfunction and repair or replace defective cables or equipment.
Bad weather or natural disasters can cause extensive damage to networks of lines. Line installers and repairers must respond quickly to these emergencies to restore critical utility and communications services. This can often involve working outdoors in adverse weather conditions.
Installation and repair work may require splicing, or joining together, separate pieces of cable. Each cable contains numerous individual wires; splicing the cables together requires that each wire in one piece of cable be joined to another wire in the matching piece. Line installers join these wires and the surrounding cables using small hand tools, epoxy (an especially strong glue), or mechanical equipment. At each splice, they place insulation over the conductor and seal the splice with moistureproof covering. At some companies, specialized cable splicing technicians perform splices on larger lines.
Telecommunications networks are in the process of replacing older conventional wire or metal cables with new fiber optic cables. Fiber optic cables are made of hair-thin strands of glass, which convey pulses of light. These cables carry much more information at higher speeds than conventional cables. Splicing fiber optic cable requires specialized equipment that carefully slices, matches, and aligns individual glass fibers. The fibers are joined by either electrical fusion (welding) or a mechanical fixture and gel (glue).
The work performed by electrical power-line installers and telecommunications line installers and is quite similar, but there are some differences. Working with powerlines requires specialized knowledge of transformers, electrical power distribution systems, and substations. In contrast, working with telecommunications lines requires specialized knowledge of fiber optics and telecommunications switches and routers.
Work environment. Line installers and repairers must climb and maintain their balance while working on poles and towers. They lift equipment and work in a variety of positions, such as stooping or kneeling. Their work often requires that they drive utility vehicles, travel long distances, and work outdoors under a variety of weather conditions.
Line installers and repairers encounter serious hazards on their jobs and must follow safety procedures to minimize potential danger. They wear safety equipment when entering utility holes and test for the presence of gas before going underground. Electric powerline workers have the more hazardous jobs. High-voltage powerlines can instantly electrocute a worker who comes in contact with a live cable, so line installers and repairers must use electrically insulated protective devices and tools when working with such cables. Powerlines are typically higher than telephone and cable television lines, increasing the risk of severe injury due to falls. To prevent these injuries, line installers and repairers must use fall-protection equipment when working on poles or towers.
Since line installers and repairers fix damage from storms, they may be asked to work long and irregular hours. They can expect frequently to be on-call and work overtime. When performing normal maintenance and constructing new lines, line installers work more normal hours.
| 1. | Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas. |
| 2. | Open switches or attach grounding devices in order to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs. |
| 3. | Climb poles or use truck-mounted buckets to access equipment. |
| 4. | Place insulating or fireproofing materials over conductors and joints. |
| 5. | Install, maintain, and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches. |
| 6. | Identify defective sectionalizing devices, circuit breakers, fuses, voltage regulators, transformers, switches, relays, or wiring, using wiring diagrams and electrical-testing instruments. |
| 7. | Drive vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites. |
| 8. | Coordinate work assignment preparation and completion with other workers. |
| 9. | Inspect and test power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments. |
| 10. | String wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension. |
| 11. | Test conductors, according to electrical diagrams and specifications, to identify corresponding conductors and to prevent incorrect connections. |
| 12. | Replace damaged poles with new poles, and straighten the poles. |
| 13. | Install watt-hour meters and connect service drops between power lines and consumers' facilities. |
| 14. | Attach crossarms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them. |
| 15. | Travel in trucks, helicopters, and airplanes to inspect lines for freedom from obstruction and adequacy of insulation. |
| 16. | Dig holes using augers, and set poles, using cranes and power equipment. |
| 17. | Trim trees that could be hazardous to the functioning of cables or wires. |
| 18. | Splice or solder cables together or to overhead transmission lines, customer service lines, or street light lines, using hand tools, epoxies, or specialized equipment. |
| 19. | Cut and peel lead sheathing and insulation from defective or newly installed cables and conduits prior to splicing. |
| 20. | Clean, tin, and splice corresponding conductors by twisting ends together or by joining ends with metal clamps and soldering connections. |
| 21. | Pull up cable by hand from large reels mounted on trucks. |
| 22. | Lay underground cable directly in trenches, or string it through conduit running through the trenches. |
| 23. | Cut trenches for laying underground cables, using trenchers and cable plows. |
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