High-Risk Bonding of Power Line Workers

Power line workers have one of the most dangerous professions, with fatality rates roughly around 42 deaths for every 100,000 workers. For every fatal accident, there are 20 non-fatal injuries. The rate of non-fatal injuries is approximately 105 per 10,000 workers. High-voltage cables can be instantly fatal, and workers must use insulated tools and specialized equipment to lower risks. Working at elevated heights also poses a risk, as the lineworkers have to climb utility poles and high towers regularly. This high-stress, high-risk job is consistently ranked as having one of the highest fatality rates across industries. 

Working in this profession requires laser focus to safely handle silent voltages that can kill you in an instant with a simple mistake. Experience and practice is what it takes to succeed, on top of handling internal fears of heights, dangerous mistakes, and disastrous weather emergencies. One must find mental fortitude and courage in doing this work, as well as have the ability to slow down to follow the strict safety protocols and ensure that things are executed precisely. The training for the job is unusually grueling, with an intense mix of physical, psychological, and technical processes. These processes are meant to identify the workers that would not be overtaken by fear, and to engender practiced, habitual, repetitive safety routines that become reflexes. Working while fatigued is also a major concern as sometimes they must work long hours through the night, and there is required muscle memory training. They undergo mandatory night coaching, with simulated bad weather and emergency situations. Workers are instructed not to panic or freeze under multiple real-world scenarios, asked to think clearly, and double check work through their exhaustion.

Power line workers must find the courage to face this potentially fatal line of work, but because of psychological conditioning, they are able to find their way through the fear. There is also another intrinsic factor that workers have expressed that allows them to move forward, which is the brotherhood that is built working together. There is a powerful sense of community purpose in training to do this job and working with others. A tight, high-risk bond is formed where trust is built and workers rely on each other for survival.