What Can WE Do to Make This Trade Safer?

An Accident Every 4 Days. A Lineworker Death Every 12 Days.

Those numbers should stop every one of us in our tracks.

They aren't just statistics. They're fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, and friends who never made it home.

Recently, we asked one simple question to the line community:

"What can WE do to make this trade safer?"

This wasn't meant to start another union vs. non-union debate.

It wasn't about blaming contractors, utilities, management, apprentices, or journeymen.

It was about one thing...

Making sure every lineman, apprentice, troubleman, contractor, and groundman goes home to their family.

The response was overwhelming.

Thousands of comments poured in from experienced linemen, apprentices, foremen, retired hands, contractors, utility workers, and safety professionals.

While opinions differed on some topics, several powerful themes kept appearing over and over again.

1. Slow Down

If there was one message repeated more than any other, it was this:

Stop rushing.

Many believe production goals, unit work, deadlines, restoration pressure, and profit have slowly become more important than taking the extra few minutes to do the job right.

No outage, schedule, or bonus is worth someone's life.

Power can wait.

Families shouldn't have to.

2. Bring Back Mentorship

One of the biggest concerns was the loss of experienced linemen teaching the next generation.

Many apprentices commented that they spend too much time watching instead of learning—or worse, never being taught at all.

Veteran linemen reminded everyone that someone invested time teaching them.

Now it's their turn.

Experience cannot be replaced by speed.

Knowledge must be passed down before it disappears.

3. Teach the WHY—Not Just the HOW

Many comments focused on understanding electrical theory and why procedures exist.

Anyone can memorize steps.

The safest linemen understand:

• What could happen
• Why cover-up matters
• Why grounding matters
• Why testing matters
• What action creates what reaction

Understanding creates confidence.

Memorization creates shortcuts.

4. Speak Up

Perhaps the most emotional responses centered around one simple idea:

Be your brother's keeper.

If something doesn't look right...

Say something.

If someone is rushing...

Say something.

If someone forgets a step...

Say something.

No ego.

No embarrassment.

No worrying about hurting someone's feelings.

Speaking up may save a life.

5. Stop Promoting Before People Are Ready

Many experienced linemen voiced concern that people are being advanced too quickly.

Journeymen who aren't ready.

Foremen without enough field experience.

Supervisors who haven't mastered the work.

The trade desperately needs people—but experience still matters.

Lives depend on competence.

6. Training Can't End After the Apprenticeship

One comment stood out:

"In Canada, training never stops."

Many agreed.

Continuing education, hands-on training, competency evaluations, and yearly refreshers shouldn't be optional.

The work changes.

Equipment changes.

Hazards change.

Training should too.

7. Accountability Matters

Many commenters felt accountability has disappeared.

Passing apprentices who aren't ready.

Allowing unsafe habits.

Ignoring repeated mistakes.

Looking the other way because someone is a friend.

The overwhelming message was simple:

Holding someone accountable isn't punishment.

It's protection.

8. Learn From Every Accident

One frustration appeared repeatedly.

Too many accident investigations disappear behind closed doors.

The industry cannot learn from mistakes it never hears about.

Without sharing lessons learned, history repeats itself.

Knowledge should travel farther than rumors.

9. Safety Is More Than PPE

There was debate regarding gloves, sleeves, cover-up, and work methods.

Some wanted more PPE.

Others believed too much PPE creates complacency.

Regardless of opinions, nearly everyone agreed on one point:

PPE is only one layer.

Planning.

Communication.

Training.

Situational awareness.

Respect for electricity.

These save lives.

10. Culture Starts With Leadership

The strongest safety programs don't begin in the office.

They begin with crew culture.

Foremen.

General foremen.

Journeymen.

The people who set expectations every single day.

If leadership accepts shortcuts...

Crews will too.

If leadership refuses shortcuts...

That culture spreads.

What We Learned

The responses weren't divided.

They were remarkably united.

The words changed, but the message stayed the same:

• Slow down.
• Train better.
• Mentor more.
• Respect the work.
• Speak up.
• Stop rushing.
• Hold each other accountable.
• Never stop learning.

This trade has always been dangerous.

But dangerous doesn't have to mean deadly.

The Conversation Can't End Here

Real change won't come from another policy manual.

It won't come from another slogan.

It will come from thousands of linemen making one decision every morning:

Today, nobody on my crew gets hurt.

One conversation.

One correction.

One lesson.

One extra minute.

One life.

If every one of us commits to being our brother's keeper, the numbers can change.

An accident every four days...

A lineworker death every twelve days...

That should never become "just part of the trade."

Not one more.

Stay safe. Watch each other's backs. Make sure everyone goes home.

— The Linejunk Community