Lineworkers are ranked as one of the 10 most dangerous jobs in the country. Our OREMC lineworkers work rain or shine, in often challenging conditions to ensure you have reliable power. To honor our heroes in hardhats, we’re celebrating Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 18.

 The Danger

A lot of people know linework is dangerous because the work centers around high-voltage electricity. Move just the wrong way or lose focus for a split second, and it could be deadly. Lineworks have to be aware of their surroundings for their safety and the safety of the person next to them. Much to people’s surprise, they often work on energized power lines, which you can’t always tell if they are energized just by looking at them. There is no margin for error.

That environment compounds the pressure, because when you need power most is usually when the weather is worst. Lineworkers often work in storms with rain, wind, extreme heat and cold, in the dark, or on the side of the road next to fast-moving traffic. Yes, it’s dangerous, but it is what they are trained to do.

Many may not realize it, but lineworkers undergo years of training before they can officially be certified. Typically they start as a groundperson, helping crews with tools and keeping job sites safe, then transition to apprentice status, which  spans about four years of on the job training and book work. After their apprenticeship, with more than 7,000 hours of training, they earn their journeyman lineworker certification.

But the education is ongoing. Lineworkers continuously receive training to stay mindful of safety requirements and up to date on the latest equipment and procedures.

The Physical Demand

The daily expectations of a lineworker are physically demanding—loading heavy materials, climbing poles and in and out of buckets. A lot of times, they go places the trucks can’t, which might require hiking through the woods loaded down with 40 pounds of personal protective equipment, or bogging through the swamp. But that’s the job.

The Sacrifices

There are some sacrifices to being a lineworker. They are often first on the scene of an emergency, seeing things that are devastating like car accidents, structure fires and damage from severe storms. They don’t know what type of situation they are going to face or when you’re going to face it, as they respond calls all hours of the day and nigh, including weekends. There are times when they miss little league games, family dinners and holiday gatherings. They make sure there is nothing standing in the way of helping their friends and neighbors by getting the lights back on.

It’s Worth It

One thing you always hear lineworkers say that makes the job worthwhile is the camaraderie. OREMC is their second family, and the line crews are a brotherhood In this line of work, they have to depend on the person beside them in life-or-death circumstances. It’s a culture of trust, teamwork and service. It’s all about keeping the brother beside them safe and the lights on for everybody else.

And that is why they do it. They get so much satisfaction in hearing someone yell “Thank you” from the window after the lights come back on, or seeing people flipping the light switches on their porches after an outage is restored. No matter how tired they are or how long they’ve been working, that feeling always makes it worth it.

OREMC and its employees are members of this community. We live in the same neighborhoods. We shop at the same stores. Our kids go to the same schools. If your lights are off, there is a good chance ours are off too. So, you can trust that we are doing our very best to get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible–– so you can get back to normal life.