You tend to not notice linesman working on telephone poles as it is a common sight, just part of the landscape here in Sacramento, California, as you drive by.
Most of today’s line work takes place out of a bucket truck or on ladders but there are still a lot of folks climbing poles to keep the utility systems running everyday.
It is a dangerous job. Interestingly, those linesmen who work at lower altitudes like telephone lines at 20 feet above the ground, have more falling accidents than their power line brothers who work at 40 feet and higher. The explanation is that the lower height linesmen become more careless and take more shortcuts to get the job done.
In any case, whenever any linesman falls, as soon as the lineman reports the accident to the supervisor (assuming they are not already in an emergency room) the linesman is sent off to see a doctor. Even when the linesman says they feel fine, no problems, the company insists on sending them to be checked by a doctor. They do this because they, the company, know that an expert opinion is absolutely necessary to ensure that no damage has been done to the employee. Most linesmen are not physicians and are not experienced enough to make the call.
Are these companies simply pro-employee or are they simply doing what is necessary to ensure employee productivity and avoid legal exposure? Most likely they are all of these things. Constructing and maintaining aerial utility lines are their business and they know what they need to do to be successful.
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