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 Researched by Katie E. |
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Dedication
I would like to dedicate
my project to my dad, Dennis Everts, for letting me interview him, he
was a big help. I would also like to dedicate my project to Mrs.
Heitman and Mrs.Goodpaster for helping me with my project’s structure.
Lastly I would like to thank friends and family for support along the
way.
Why I Chose This Topic
There are
several reasons I decided to take this opportunity to study all about
Linemen. First, I was wondering which topic would best suit a
girl my age. Although you probably wouldn’t see me studying electrical
linemen, I stuck with it all year because my dad always had something
interesting to say about his job even when I didn’t want to hear about
it. I wanted to find out why his job sounded so exciting so I took this
opportunity to learn more about linemen.
Research Summary
Introduction
Electricity
is a big part of our life, from the way we eat, to the way we bathe and
it affects just about anything. All this comes from the great workings
of “linemen”. If you look at the dangers of working you might
come to appreciate this exciting job. I learned that linemen do many
things others than encounter dangers from my dad and now you will learn
those things from me. Lets get started.
History of Linemen
There is much history when being a lineman all the way from the 1840’s to now so get ready.
The
history of linemen began with the widespread use of the telegraph in
the 1840’s. Before power lines were used, wire would be strung on
trees, though the wooden pole idea was soon adopted. The term “lineman”
was created to describe people who strung wire on wooden poles. This
term continued when the telephone was created around the 1870’s.Then,
linemen had their work cut out for them when electrification became
widespread in the 1890’s. This paragraph is now history.
What they do
Linemen
have a busy work day. In any given day, they might be climbing power
lines, working in the substations, and juggling hard working hours.
Being a lineman is very dangerous because they are working on many
things like energized lines and linemen that may forget there safety
gear, are likely to get severely hurt. Linemen are a lot closer to
electrification than just about anyone. Working as a linemen climbing
power lines was proven to be way more hazardous than the telegraph or
telephone work. Since a lineman is risking much safety they will make
about this much As you can see linemen do more than just climb power
poles and give you electricity.
Training
To
become a lineman you must have qualified training. First you must have
a high school diploma. Next you go to 3 years of classes. You attend
the classes every other Saturday. On top of the classes you do 3 and
half years of on the job training. This is what it takes to become a
lineman
Working Hours
Linemen have tough
working hours. As a lineman you don’t just have regular working hours.
This is because most likely you could be called in random, if you are
called in to work extra hours outside the normal work day. If this
happens, you would usually have to get ready immediately, but if you
are not in the area you work in, the manager will be calling more
workers trying to find someone. Being a lineman means waking up around
6:00 A.M. to leave to work and usually getting home at 4:00 or 5:00
P.M. Linemen really do have tough working hours.
How a Power Line Works
Power
lines work like this. First the power is generated through
dams/gas/nuclear power plant. Next this power is sent to sub stations.
This has many megawatts. After this is done the power is sent to
transformers. Finally the transformers send electricity where it is
needed.
Precautions
When being a lineman you have to
take some precautions, because the linemen work is very dangerous with
horrible electrocution and its very unsafe when linemen are not using
the special safety equipment. First of all, being a lineman you must
look out for the danger of electrocution, a lineman might be
electrocuted if they are working on energized lines, accidentally
touching a cut cable wire, (ect.) Climbing power lines can bring you at
least 60 feet in the air which can be a scary moment if you are afraid
of heights. A linemen must also wear a hard hat, gloves and safety
glasses to be sure they are safe. When linemen first started doing this
dangerous work, one out of two apprentices were killed just as they
were learning this job. Fortunately, linemen today take more safety
precautions.
Conclusion
I myself would be
scared to work as a lineman because it’s so hazardous. Overall a
lineman does a lot of work. First when the electricity is made sent to
the power lines. The power lines are either being fixed knocked down or
made by the linemen. Over time though tools and safety precautions have
been greater by a lot. That ends my report.
How I Evaluate My Entire Project
(1) How thorough and complete was my project?
I feel my report is thorough but, next time I need to prepare more.
(2) What would I do differently if starting over again?
I
would probably pick a different report topic where information is
easier to get. Along with that I would try to find many more sources in
books or from another experienced person.
(3) What major strengths does my project have?
The
major strengths my project has is somewhere around Internet notes and
my product diorama. I also find strengths around the writing part.
(4) What weaknesses or problems does my project have?
My
rough draft weaknesses are probably found in the sources area, I need
to work on finding topics that are known though I don’t know too much.
(5) What did I learn to do better during this project?
I learned to work harder at finishing things not at the last minute, and to try to succeed better.
(6) In what ways did I enjoy my study and work?
I
enjoyed that instead of contacting someone I don’t know my dad was
really easy to talk to. Along with that making my diorama was really
enjoyable.
Who Helped Me With My Project
I would like to
thank the following people: Mrs. Heitman for helping me through with
wise choices, Mrs. Goodpaster for structuring my product and many more,
my dad for giving me great interview, My great friends that helped me
with my product, and my family for all of the support.
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