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inside your co-op ■ Raymond Allen


Job: Journeyman-lineman for Choctaw Electric Cooperative. Age: 31


Pre-gear Weight: 152lbs. Full-gear Weight: 182 lbs.


Deconstructing a Lineman Line workers carry a heavy load when they climb a pole.


HARD HAT: Linemen and women are hard headed, and that’s a safety requirement. Hard hats provide insulated protection from electrical hazards and protects the head from falling objects or blows to the head.


HAND LINE: Complete with steel clips and a pulley block, this rope, which hangs from a pole’s crossarm, is strong enough for any job, from routine hoisting to lifesaving missions.


EQUIPMENT BELT: With clips, loops and D rings, the belt allows a lineman to carry virtually every tool they might need—on the ground, up the pole or in a bucket truck.


DITTY BAG: This canvas bag holds the nuts, bolts, connectors, wires etc,


that a lineman need for any number of jobs.


CLIMBERS: Contoured leg shanks made of aluminum hold gaffs in place on lineman’s boots. Climbers are strapped on just below the knee, with Velcro pads to provide comfort and support.


GAFFS: Razor sharp steel points that are strapped to boots for climbing poles. The tips dig into the pole, helping a lineman climb more safely and efficiently.


INSULATED GLOVES: Insulated rubber gloves, tested at 30,000 volts, provide protection against electric shock and burns. They are worn inside leather gloves, or gauntlets, that protect the rubber against cuts, tears or punctures.


TOOLPOUCH: This bag also hangs from the back of the equipment belt and carries a variety of tools such as pliers and wrenches.


SAFETY STRAP: When a lineman reaches the top of a pole, he or she unhooks one end of the safety strap from the equipment belt, loops the straps around the pole, and re-hooks the strap to the belt. Having “buck- led off” the lineman can now safely work with both hands free.


PULLEY BLOCK: A signature component of the hand line, the pulley block is used to raise and lower heavy equipment.


BOOTS: Typically 16 inches tall, these boots help prevent linemen from gaffing, or gouging themselves in the leg as they climb. Serrated heels provide for a better grip when climbing, and steel shanks built into the soles provide extra support on the pole.


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