Power Line Workers

Line workers build and repair the electric grid, often on energized lines, at height, in storms. It’s one of the most dangerous jobs in the country and requires years of training.

• Utilities

Top hazards

• Electrocution and arc flash from energized lines and equipment
• Falls from poles, towers and aerial devices
• Backfeed from generators and induced voltage on de-energized lines
• Struck by traffic, poles, trees and equipment
• Storm work: fatigue, debris, flooding

Key practices

• Hold a job briefing before every job and whenever conditions change.
• Maintain minimum approach distances unless using insulated tools, rubber goods or other approved methods.
• Wear rubber insulating gloves and sleeves of the right class, tested on schedule; air-test gloves daily.
• Treat lines as energized until they’re tested and grounded with equipotential grounding.
• Use fall protection on poles and in aerial lifts; inspect climbing gear.
• Wear arc-rated clothing matched to the incident energy.

Becoming a line worker

Most line workers start as groundworkers or pre-apprentices, then complete a multi-year apprenticeship (often around four years) covering climbing, rigging, energized work methods, grounding and storm restoration. Line workers must be trained and qualified for the voltage and methods they use. See Apprenticeships.

Groundworkers

Groundworkers aren’t qualified for energized work, but they work right next to it: rigging materials, handling lines, and working around bucket trucks and digger derricks that can become energized. They need to stay clear of energized equipment, avoid touching trucks during energized work unless they’re protected, and follow the job briefing.

Grounding for protection

• Test lines for voltage before grounding them.
• Install grounds in the right order (ground end first) and remove them in reverse.
• Use equipotential grounding to keep the worker’s body at the same voltage as the line.
• Treat induced voltage from nearby energized lines as real, even on de-energized lines.

Storm work

• Long shifts and hazards everywhere: downed lines, debris, flooding and damaged poles.
• Watch for backfeed from customers’ portable generators.
• Get rest between shifts; fatigue causes mistakes. See Fitness for Duty.

Job briefing checklist

• Hazards and voltages for the job identified
• Work procedures and minimum approach distances reviewed
• Energy source controls and grounding plan agreed
• PPE and rubber goods inspected and tested on schedule
• Traffic control and public protection set
• Rescue plan for pole-top and bucket rescue

Last updated: October 1, 2026