Cobb EMC Linemen Lasso in Awards
There's nothing easy about climbing a 40-foot pole. Add 30 pounds of safety gear to the climber's back, and the pressure of reaching the top in less than 15 seconds, and you'll find a typical Cobb EMC lineman.
Several apprentice linemen, and a team of Cobb EMC journeyman linemen, strapped on work belts and hard hats in October for the 23rd Annual International Lineman's Rodeo in Kansas City.
Although the term "rodeo" implies a competition similar to a sporting event, it actually aids linemen in practicing and demonstrating job safety skills, leading to first-rate service for Cobb EMC members. Errors during competition merely cost teams points; errors on the job might cost linemen their lives.
At this year's competition, Cobb EMC's apprentice linemen experienced another rewarding year, bringing home several individual awards. The rodeo, which attracted more than 600 linemen from EMCs, investor-owned utilities and electric cities, including teams from around the U.S. and four other countries, is divided by journeymen and apprentice competitions.
Cobb EMC linemen work countless hours in dangerous situations to ensure that our members maintain a consistently high quality of service without disruption to the normal routine of life. For example, your typical workday is very different from a lineman's. When your alarm clock jolts you out of bed each morning you probably flip on the light switch and turn on the radio or TV. Then you might head to the kitchen to brew some coffee before driving to work where you type on your computer and answer phone calls. Without electricity, none of these appliances would work. A Cobb EMC lineman's typical workday places him in dangerous situations as he works to ensure members have reliable service and can continue with their daily routines.
Dressing for line work is different from the average member's workday as well. For a lineman, getting ready for work isn’t as simple as lacing up a pair of shoes, throwing on some clothes and heading out the door. Before climbing a pole or jumping in the bucket of a truck, a lineman must put on approximately 30 pounds of safety gear, including safety glasses, fire-resistant clothing, a hard hat, two sets of gloves, a harness, line belt, climbing hooks and more. This gear protects linemen from dangers such as high-voltage electric shock and falling from a bucket or pole.
Cobb EMC spends a great deal of time on training, making safety a top priority for our number one asset -- our employees.
The rodeo gives linemen the opportunity to showcase the agility and quickness required of those who work on tree-high poles strung with high-voltage lines. Since performing a lineman's job can literally mean the difference between life and death, the rodeo is a fun way for workers to increase safety skills and educate others about the importance and risks associated with their profession. Events are judged on safety, work practices, neatness, equipment handling, communication and timely completion.