Workers in many industries deal with hazards daily, but few compare to the dangers faced by those in the utility industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the utility industry faced an average of 25.6 fatalities a year from 2016 to 2020. Injuries are even more common; Urbint says, "the incidence rate for nonfatal injuries in utility system construction, for example, was 73.6 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2020 alone."

Utility workers often perform their duties in adverse weather conditions or at night, working with electricity or water. Sometimes, they are high up on poles while doing this work.

These challenging conditions have likely contributed to the utility industry's high turnover rate in recent years. A 2023 survey from the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) said that employee turnover has reached an all-time high since the bi-annual survey's inception in 2006.

A significant portion of utilities workers in the United States are approaching retirement age, nearing the ends of their careers. Meanwhile, technology jobs are emerging in the industry. Although they represent a  small portion of the overall workforce at 2.6 percent, their share has increased 4 times from 2021 to 2023. Data from CEWD suggests that experienced utility workers are leaving their positions to move into these new roles. 

Finally, some employees may struggle to cope with the physical demands and risks of the job. Some careers in the utility industry, such as being a lineman, are incredibly dangerous. Those hazards, among the other aforementioned circumstances, have left much to be desired for utility industry safety. 

How dangerous is lineman work?

There's a growing demand for electrical linemen in the US, one of the most common jobs in the utilities industry. Lineman Central anticipates the demand is expected to climb by 8.5% by the year 2026. According to 3M states the rising power demand is driven by: 

• Increased population
• Increased use of electrically-powered tools like smartphones and smart home devices
• More electric vehicles, which may account for 5% of the electricity use by 2040 

There are many benefits for utility workers pursuing these new jobs. Linework tends to pay well, as linemen are crucial in restoring utilities after natural disasters. 3M goes on to say that "Severe weather is the number one cause of power outages in the United States, costing the economy between $18 and $33 billion every year in lost output and wages, spoiled inventory, delayed production and damage to grid infrastructure."

Linework is also a great fit for thrill seekers and problem solvers. There's also a great sense of satisfaction in serving your community this way. Georgia Power lineman Cody Anderson says, "When you restore that power to a family that’s been out of power for two, three days due to a storm, and they come out and thank you and the crew, it makes it all worth it."

However, it's hard to deny the dangers of lineman work. Even with safety education and equipment, working with broken gas lines and electricity is inherently dangerous.  Power lines are most commonly damaged during storms and in the darkest hours of the night. As Bevins says, the threat of lightning strike, strong winds, and unexpected precipitation is always present. 

Modern society demands immediate access to utilities such as electricity, gas, or internet, so distribution lines are often worked hot to avoid service disruptions. This means that a lineman's safety equipment is constantly in danger of getting damaged. When equipment, such as insulated gloves are damaged, the utility worker risks suffering serious burns or electrocution. It's dangerous, but linemen are the only people qualified to get service back up and running as soon as possible.

"It's after hours, it's at night, it's on holidays. It's when you have a vacation planned. And everybody wants power, and they look to us, and that's our job. It's what we signed up for," Lineman Cole Boss told KBZK 7.

Utility work is often done on aerial lines, meaning the risk of falling from a great height or having an object dropped on you is a very real. The demanding nature of this work takes a mental and physical toll on workers, which can impact a worker's ability to focus on the task at hand. 

Finally, linemen who work on or near the road are at constant risk for near misses or struck-by collisions. Line crews can use all the high-visibility clothing, arrow boards, and traffic cones that they want. But it's never enough, because these analog alerting tools don't get to the problem at hand — the motoring public is driving way too distracted. 

Distracted driving is a significant threat to linemen

Drivers on the road are more distracted than ever. They're texting, singing along to songs on the radio, eating a quick breakfast on the road, and more. The cars they drive may provide their own set of distractions, too. Some vehicles boast sound-deadening underbody shields or installing active noise-cancellation solutions, making it difficult to hear anything outside the car. Gear shifts and in-vehicle infotainment centers have become more complicated and distracting, which have the potential to take a driver’s eyes off the road for just a few seconds too long.

Move Over laws were created to prevent work zone collisions. They require drivers to slow down and move over to allow safe clearance to emergency personnel, roadside workers, and other incidents and hazards on the road. Every state, along with Washington, D.C., has their own version of Move Over laws that protect roadside utility job sites. 

Additionally, states are continuously expanding and improving Move Over laws to make them more effective. These efforts are driven by driven responders and safety leaders looking to increase awareness and adherence. These expansions can include increased fines and harsher penalties, increased efforts in community education, and broader definitions for the vehicles and incidents that drivers should Slow Down and Move Over for.

But despite that, distracted driving remains a threat to utility workers. Motorists are still driving distracted and work zone crashes continue to persist. The National Safety Council says that 891 people were killed and 37,701 people were injured in work zone crashes in 2022. 

Utility workers may not be working alongside busy highways often, but city, residential, and rural roads provide their own risks. These roads — especially rural ones — often include bends and hills. Those locations may be where a utility job site is situated. If a person is driving mindlessly and a little too fast down those roads, they won't have time to react when a utility job site seemingly comes out of nowhere. 

The implications of these crashes are felt across the community. If an employee is injured, there are hospital bills, workers' compensation, and short or long term disability to be paid. Utility work is a highly-specialized job, which makes it harder to recruit people to temporarily replace injured workers. If a truck is damaged during a collision, those are incredibly costly to replace. 

In the worst cases scenario, people are killed in these collisions. When that happens, utility companies have to deal with the worst consequence of all — telling a utility worker's family they will not be coming home. 

Job site safety tips to better protect utility workers

Utility work will always be a dangerous career. But there are steps that can be taken to better protect line crews on the job. Putting the right safety practices in place ensures workers are protected from injury and work sites can continue to operate smoothly. Here are some utility job site safety tips to consider sharing with your crew:

• Adjust your pace to the terrain: Utility crew often work in conditions that can lead to tripping, falling, and slipping. But when they slow down and assess the surrounding environment, they'll be able to spot hazards that can lead to potential injuries. 
• Properly clean worksites: Tripping, slipping, and falling hazards don't just come from the terrain. They can be brought on by improperly maintained worksites, too. Make sure to regularly clean job sites to ensure workers always have clear pathways. 
• Train workers on proper ladder usage: While it may seem like common sense, CAT says that one of the most common causes of falls is the improper use of a ladder on the job. Make sure every employee uses ladders properly on solid and even surfaces to keep everyone protected from preventable accidents. 
• Require workers to wear PPE: Utility workers need to outfit their workers with the right PPE for their specific job. Before a job begins, make sure to evaluate a work site to best assess what task workers will be doing and what type of PPE they should be wearing. For example, companies doing electrical work should always provide employees with arc-rated clothing and equipment to protect them against electric arcs.
• Put procedures in place to prevent electrocutions: Take all the necessary steps to ensure workers can take steps to protect themselves from electrocutions. Train all employees on OSHA standards and provide them with equipment that prevents them from accidentally touching energized equipment.
• Keep an eye on the weather: You can't control the weather, but you can make sure your employees are prepared for adverse conditions. For example, if you notice it's supposed to be foggy, make sure your workers have reflective vests or proper lighting at their work site so drivers can easily see them. 
• Create a risk assessment for all tasks: Some tasks contain unique risks that won’t be covered by generic safety procedures or standard PPE. Assess every task your workers do and detail all possible hazards. This can help create a culture of safety, demonstrate your commitment to your employees’ well being, and prevent accidents and injuries. 
• Implement a digital alerting system — These systems send electronic notifications that notify civilian drivers of an upcoming hazard, such as a job site along the side of the road, and prompt them to slow down and move over. 

Implement digital alerting into your job site safety processes

A digital alert system is an electronic notification sent directly to a driver. Any alerting vehicle or asset can be equipped with this technology. These notifications inform drivers that there is a nearby or upcoming hazard, such as a lineman working on the side of the road, and they need to slow down and move over.

Alerts are sent up to 30 seconds before drivers come into contact with a hazard in the road. Drivers receive these alerts through compatible in-vehicle infotainment centers and through leading navigation apps like Waze.

Analog alerting tools on their own are no longer enough to catch a driver's attention early and effectively. Digital alerts cut through the noise and meet drivers where they are with visual and auditory alerts. Advanced warning systems like Safety Cloud by HAAS Alert® have been proven to mitigate the risks associated with distracted driving.

HAAS Alert's Tom Parbs told the American Road & Transportation Builders Association that driving and talking on the phone is the equivalent of operating a vehicle with a .08 blood alcohol content.

“The motoring public likes to multitask,” he added. “These alerts disrupt the distractions. They make people aware 30 seconds before the traditional advanced warning area of a work zone.”

Researchers have conducted studies to back up these claims. In 2021, Purdue University published a study to measure the impact of digital alerting-equipped queue warning trucks on hard-braking events. The goal was to discover if warning drivers of upcoming work zones earlier through digital alerting would reduce hard braking events on highways. 

Researchers used 19 queue trucks equipped with Safety Cloud digital alerts. After 3 months of research and 370 hours worth of observation, the study determined that queue trucks with digital alerting decreased hard braking events by 80 percent. 

If you want to ensure the workers in your line crews are protected before drivers reach their job site, implementing Safety Cloud digital alerting is the way to go. Get your copy of Safety Cloud for Utility to learn more about how this technology puts the brakes on distracted driving.