Line
installers and repairers, also known as line workers, install or repair
electrical power systems and telecommunications cables, including fiber optics.
Duties -
Power line installers and
repairers generally do the following:
- Install,
maintain or repair power lines that move electricity
- Identify
defective devices, voltage regulators, transformers and switches.
- Inspect
and test power lines and auxiliary equipment.
- Chain
the power lines between poles, towers and buildings.
- Scale
poles and transmission towers and use truck-mounted buckets to reach the
equipment
- Use
electrical equipment when installing and repairing poles, towers and lines
- Driving
work vehicles to workplaces.
- Follow
safety standards and procedures.
Telecommunication line
installers and repairers generally do the following:
- Install,
maintain or repair telecommunication equipment.
- Inspect
or test lines or cables
- Place
the underground cable, including fiber optic lines, directly in the trenches
- Pull
the wires into the underground conduit.
- Install
overhead cables, even on lakes or rivers.
- Operate
electrical equipment during installation and repair of poles, towers and lines
- Drive
work vehicles to work sites.
- Configure
customer service
A
complex network of cables and physical power lines provides consumers with
electricity, fixed telephone communications, cable television and Internet
access. Line installers and repairers, also known as line workers, are
responsible for the installation and maintenance of these networks.
Line
installers and repairers can specialize in different areas depending on the
type of network and the sector in which they work:
Power
line installers and repairers install and maintain the electricity grid, the
electricity grid that moves electricity from generation plants to customers.
They usually work with high voltage electricity, which requires extreme
caution. Electricity can range from hundreds of thousands of volts for the long
distance transmission lines that make up the electricity network to less than
10,000 volts for distribution lines that supply electricity to homes and
businesses.
Line
workers who maintain the work of the interstate power grid on equipment that
travels to locations in a large region to serve transmission lines and towers.
Workers employed by local public services work primarily with low voltage
distribution lines, maintaining equipment such as transformers, voltage
regulators and switches. They can also work on traffic lights and street lamps.
Telecommunications
line installers and repairers install and maintain the lines and cables used by
network communications companies. Depending on the service provided, local and
long distance telephone, cable television or Internet, telecommunications
companies use different types of cables, including fiber optic cables. Unlike
metal cables that carry electricity, fiber optic cables are made of glass and
transmit signals with light. Working with optical fibers requires special
skills, such as the ability to splice and terminate optical cables. In
addition, workers use specialized equipment to test and solve network and cable
problems.
As
these systems are complicated, many line operators are also specialized in the
service:
Line
installers install a new cable. They can work for construction contractors,
public services or telecommunications companies. Workers generally start a new
job by digging underground trenches or building poles and towers to transport
wires and cables. They use a variety of construction equipment, including
excavation towers, which are trucks equipped with augers and cranes that are
used to dig holes in the ground and place the posts in place. Line installers
also use trenchers, plows and directional drilling machines, which are used to
cut openings in the ground to lay underground cables. When the poles, towers,
tunnels or ditches are ready, the workers install the new cable.
Line
repairers are employed by utilities and telecommunications companies that
maintain existing power and telecommunications lines. Maintenance needs can be
identified in several ways, including remote monitoring, aerial inspections and
customer service interruption reports. Line repairers often have to replace
obsolete or obsolete equipment, so many of these workers have installation
activities in addition to their repair activities.
When
a problem is reported, line repairers must identify the cause and resolve it.
This generally involves diagnostic tests with specialized equipment and repair
work. To work on poles, line installers generally use trucks with a bucket to
climb to the top of the structure, although all workers on the line must have
experience climbing poles and towers when necessary. Workers use special safety
devices to prevent them from falling while climbing poles and towers. Storms
and other natural disasters can cause significant damage to power lines. In the
event of a power outage, line repairers must work quickly to restore customer
support.