The first Lineman Appreciation Day took place on April 18, 2013. This began an annual reminder for us to appreciate the work linemen do in any way we can from a hashtag (#ThankALineman) to a handshake.
The Risks
It’s clear these guys put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis. Sure, they’re always willing to risk their lives for our safety, comfort, and ease of living. Working with electrical power will never be 100% safe and easy.
In fact, it continues – year after year – to be one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. Climbing a 40-foot pole in bad weather to restore power and maintain the grid requires far more than physical strength. A lineman must be courageous, well-informed, educated, physically strong and constantly aware of both his surroundings and his team’s safety.
The Danger
The nature of working on electric power lines every day gives us pause. This is no minor feat. While many people work in climates that involve risk, how many are capable of working effectively after climbing a 40-foot pole?
Add weather to the mix – searing heat in summer, icy winds in winter – and you have a job that requires seriously strong constitutions. Line workers might as well be made of steel.
The Sacrifice
In addition to the risk, the work doesn’t fall in a 9:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday schedule. Instead, linemen must be available to respond at any time – day or night. They give up holidays with family, nights, weekends, and days off to get the job done when it needs doing.
When storm season brings power outages that threaten to leave thousands of homes without light, heat, air conditioning and more, these first responders leave the comfort and stability of their homes to push through to get the job done.
The Courage
Linemen are the last of the cowboys. The final line of defense against any storm, blistering heat, rain, or blizzard that might affect your family’s power and well-being.
Linemen are always ready and willing to work in terrible working conditions – where forgetting one procedure could them killed or maimed for life.
All this is done so the rest of us can have the power we need and the lives we want.
How Bevins Shows Appreciation
Keeping linemen safe is our #1 priority. With tools like the Wireless Phasing Set, Multi-Range Voltage Indicator, and the Analog Phasing Testers, linemen are more efficient and better protected from many of the dangers that come with the job.
We’re not just thankful on April 18th, but all year. Linemen deserve this day, and we will not only honor it, but encourage everyone we can to do the same.