About This Career

Installs or repairs cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution systems. May erect poles and light or heavy duty transmission towers.

This career is part of the Energy cluster Installation and Repair pathway.

A person in this career:

• Adhere to safety practices and procedures, such as checking equipment regularly and erecting barriers around work areas.
• Drives vehicles equipped with tools and materials to job sites.
• Opens switches or attaches grounding devices to remove electrical hazards from disturbed or fallen lines or to facilitate repairs.
• Climbs poles or uses truck-mounted buckets to access equipment.
• Installs, maintains, and repairs electrical distribution and transmission systems, including conduits, cables, wires, and related equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, and switches.
• Inspects and tests power lines and auxiliary equipment to locate and identify problems, using reading and testing instruments.
• Coordinates work assignment preparation and completion with other workers.
• Replaces or straightens damaged poles.
• Strings wire conductors and cables between poles, towers, trenches, pylons, and buildings, setting lines in place and using winches to adjust tension.
• Attaches cross-arms, insulators, and auxiliary equipment to poles prior to installing them.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 50 lbs., sometimes up to 100 lbs. You will need a lot of strength at this level.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Lighting is either extremely bright or inadequate
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation requires being outside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves use of special protective items such as a breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suit, or radiation protection
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
• Work at heights above 8 feet more than once a month on structures such as ladders, poles, scaffolding, and catwalks

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Maintaining a body position that prevents falling when in an unstable position
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Judging how far away an object is, or which of several objects is closer or farther away
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly at a distance
• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
• Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Irregular hours
• Overtime work
• Weekend work