Randy Hill of Planters Electric Membership Corporation performed high voltage demonstrations during the Wagon Barn’s annual Fall Festival Saturday, October 28.
Randy Hill is the manager of membership services at Planters Electric Membership Corporation. fuse cutout switch
He said the mischievous rodents run across the lines causing a loud popping noise. However, it is not the approximately $2,000 transformer they cause to blow, but instead a $5 fuse. Still, the power is out and it requires an experienced lineman to restore the electricity. It takes employees about nine years to gain enough knowledge to work in a journeyman line position. However, once a person achieves the position, they are part of an elite group of people trained in an industry that is in high demand throughout the world. Certified linemen are the only people in Georgia with the credentials to fix what a squirrel has broken.
“Our new meters are digital meters and we pretty much know when it goes out,” Hill explained. “We still ask you to call and let us know, but typically we know immediately when your power is out.”
Restoring the power requires that the lineman re-fuse the transformer with a ride up in a bucket truck and with the use of an extended stick.
Planters EMC performed high voltage demonstrations during the Wagon Barn’s annual Fall Festival Saturday, October 28. Hill’s demonstration showcased electricity at 120 volts and at 7,200 volts. The demonstration also included what happens when a tree touches a line.
Hill warned people not to cut trees off lines themselves. Additionally, drivers who hit power poles are advised to stay in their vehicles until help arrives. If a person steps out of the car and touches the vehicle and the ground at the same time, they can become the conductor for electricity. When there is fire or arching, Hill advised to exit the vehicle on the opposite end of the car from where the line is touching. However, he recommended that passengers and drivers jump out of the car to avoid touching the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
Humans do not have to make contact with a power line to get burned. Hill recommended that people never get closer than 10 feet from a downed line.
Linemen dress in flame retardant apparel. Although the clothes may lack comfort, they help protect them from injuries associated with arch flash. Their gloves are designed to withstand different levels of voltage and are tested every few months.
“This electric business is overall a very safe industry but it can be a hazardous job and very dangerous,” Hill said. “But if you work safely, you will go home every night.”
The demonstration included a reminder that during extended storm outages, people who are using generators to provide temporary electricity should unplug their appliances and run extension cords to them. Residents should plug straight into the generator outside, instead of rigging the extension cord so that the generator is plugged into the home.
“You are putting primary voltage out on the line, which has taken the lives of many linemen in the United States,” said Safety Coordinator Ross Zittrouer “It is extremely dangerous for us.”
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