Life Saving Skills in Practice
Pole-Top Rescue is an important safety procedure in the electric industry and a vital skill for linemen to have. When a lineman has become unconscious or unresponsive and they are not able to climb down the pole on their own, a pole-top rescue will be necessary.
In 1967, Randall G. Champion, a 29-year-old apprentice lineman, was performing maintenance atop a power pole in Jacksonville, FL. What was seemingly routine work turned into horror when Champion brushed a low-voltage line at the top of the utility pole. His safety harness prevented a fall, and Thompson, who had been ascending below him, quickly reached him. The now infamous picture titled. “The Kiss of Life,” shows utility worker J.D. Thompson giving mouth-to-mouth to co-worker Champion. When Thompson felt a slight pulse, he unbuckled his harness and descended with Champion on his shoulder. Champion was administered CPR on the ground, and miraculously made a full recovery.
It is this instance, and unfortunately others that have occurred throughout the history of electric utility workers, that initiated pole-top rescue and other linemen safety trainings into what they are today. “Safety is our priority in everything we do at Lane-Scott,” said Chris Terhune, Lane-Scott Electric Safety Coordinator. Every year Lane-Scott Electric, like most electric utilities’ practice pole-top rescue. “The biggest challenge of pole-top rescue training is there is no way to enact the panic and adrenaline that would take-over if one of our brothers contacted a line. Often, we are in the middle of no-where with two-man crews. If this were to happen for real, we would have to depend upon muscle memory to guide us in making the right decisions. The only way to get that muscle memory is to practice,” explained Terhune. “This is why we are so adamant about our safety training.”
During training, the linemen must instruct those around them to call 911 and notify the Lane-Scott Electric office of the emergency. They evaluate the situation and surrounding areas keeping in mind potential energized wires, extreme heights, and the victim’s position. It is imperative the rescuer uses the proper PPE and equipment, or his safety could also be in jeopardy. The lineman then climbs the pole, ties a safety rope around the victim, carefully frees the 250 lb mannequin from its harness, and lowers it to the ground. Lane-Scott Electric linemen are also certified in CPR and would be able to perform this until emergency personnel arrived.
We pray we will never be forced to use this training in real life, but if a tragedy were to happen, we know our Lane-Scott Electric linemen have been skillfully trained to handle the situation as best as possible.
To watch our pole top rescue training, go to: https://youtu.be/PFhYFLSFq8s