Special Apparatus Class I

Maximum of two (2) students per company per week with no refunds for cancellations.

Classes on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will be held at the Mesa Hotline School building at 441 29 Road, Grand Junction CO 81501.

Monday, TBA – Single Phase Oil Circuit Reclosers and Controls

Tuesday, TBA – Three Phase Oil Circuit Reclosers and Controls

Wednesday, TBA – Line Voltage Regulators and Controls

Thursday, TBA – Capacitors and Capacitor Controls

Thursday, TBA – Substation Overview

First Year Hot Sticking

This course is intended for Linemen with little or no practical experience in hotline work. Instructors will strive to teach safe clearance of distribution voltage and lineman positioning on pole as well as safety. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, work boots, hand tools, rubber gloves, and climbing equipment. Students will spend two days in the field and two days in classroom training.

I. Safety Check

  • Tailgate discussion
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Personal tools
  • Hotline tool check and identification
  • First Aid
  • Review of voltages
  • Appropriate clearance

II. Planning

  • Check prints, work orders, or staking sheets
  • Check construction standard
    1. Reference to specifications manual, safety codes, clearances, etc.
  • Tailgate discussion
    1. Importance of the discussion
    2. How crew will perform the job; pole and tie check
  • Make up of all materials
    1. Brief discussion on importance of proper material handling
    – To assist in good warehousing and records
    – Care in making sure of proper materials; care in handling to keep breakage to a minimum
  • Selection of tools and equipment for the proper tool layout
  • Commencement of job
    1. Shall any special line protection be utilized for safety of men and equipment? (i.e. inline fuses OCR’s or OCB’s placed in manual, “one shot” options, reclosers, relays blocked, etc.)
    2. Proceed with the job

III. Guide of Work Single Phase Primary Work

  • Other
    1. Rope Demonstration
    – Care
    – Hotline knots
  • Insulator change, tangent
    1. Wrap lock tie
    2. Armor Rod and tie
  • Suspension insulator change
  • Single phase transformer change

Advanced Hot Sticking

This field is intended for the intermediate lineman, instruction is on the more difficult phases of hot sticking, as well as more difficult tasks he may encounter every day in hot work. In addition, it will familiarize experienced people with clearance and safety procedures. Students will spend two days in the field and two days in classroom training. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, work boots, hand tools, rubber gloves, and climbing equipment.

I. Safety Check

  • Tailgate discussion
  • Rubber Gloves
  • Personal tools
  • Hotline tool check and identification
  • First Aid
  • Review of voltages
  • Appropriate clearance

II. Planning

  • Check prints, work orders, or staking sheets
  • Check construction standard
    1. Reference to specifications manual, safety codes, clearances, etc.
  • Tailgate discussion
    1. Importance of the discussion
    2. How crew will perform the job; pole and tie check
  • Make up of all materials
    1. Brief discussion on importance of proper material handling
    – To assist in good warehousing and records
    – Care in making sure of proper materials; care in handling to keep breakage to a minimum
  • Selection of tools and equipment for the proper tool layout
  • Commencement of job
    1. Shall any special line protection be utilized for safety of men and equipment? (i.e. inline fuses OCR’s or OCB’s placed in manual, “one shot” options, reclosers, relays blocked, etc.)
    2. Proceed with the job

III. Guide to Work

  • Rope use and care
  • Cut in/out double dead-end
  • Conductor change
  • Cross-arm change

IV. Double Arm

  • Double arm tangent
    1. Proper tie removal
    2. Proper armor rod removal
    3. Damper installation

V. Pole Change

  • Tangent
  • Angle
  • Dead-end
  • Dead-end with tap 1 phase or 3 phase

Aerial Gloving I

This course was designed with the intermediate lineman in mind, for aerial device rubber gloving, to teach the importance of truck setup, proper grounding of equipment, inspection of equipment, proper care in covering up materials and basic aerial device rubber gloving. Students will spend two days in the field and two days in classroom training. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, work boots, hand tools, harness, rubber gloves, and rubber sleeves.

Prerequisites: Must have knowledge of voltages and clearances, basic electricity, operation of bucket truck, rubber gloving testing, tool terminology and proficient climber. Second year Apprentice Lineman.

I. Safety Check

  • Rubber gloves
  • Personal tools
  • Bucket Truck

II. Rope Use and Care

III. Planning

  • Check prints
  • Check construction standards
  • Tailgate discussion
    1. How the crew will perform the job
  • Make up of all materials
  • Get all tools and equipment out
  • Proceed with the job

IV. Cover Up

  • Identification
  • Care

V. Insulator Change

  • Wrap lock tie
  • Armor rod and tie
  • Dead-end

VI. Cross-arm Change

VII. Pole Change

VIII. Reframing

IX. New Transformer Installation

X. Install New Cutouts

XI. Pole Change Device

XII. Evaluation

Aerial Gloving II

This field course is designed for the intermediate to advanced lineman, to explore and do different manners of achieving a task of rubber gloving day to day in a safe manner, to minimize potential danger in a complex job. Students will spend two days in the field and two days in classroom training. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, work boots, hand tools, harness, rubber gloves, and rubber sleeves.

Prerequisites: Must complete Aerial Gloving I to enter class. Knowledge of normal distribution systems.

I. Safety Check

  • Rubber gloves
  • Personal tools
  • Bucket truck

II. Rope Use and Care

III. Planning

  • Check prints
  • Check construction standards
  • Tailgate discussion
    1. How the crew will perform the job
  • Make up of all materials
  • Get all tools and equipment out
  • Proceed with the job

IV. Aerial Device Capabilities and Capacities

V. Suspension Insulator Change

  • Angle
  • Dead-end

VI. Resagging (Dead-end)

VII. Mid-span Splice and Repair

VIII. Pole Change

  • Dead-end
  • Angle
  • Tangent

IX. Transformer Replacement

X. Cutout replacement

XI. Conversion and Re-insulating

XII. Rope Use and Care

XIII. Evaluation

Transmission

The transmission course is designed for the member systems that work on voltages from basic 230kv down to 44kv levels. The hot sticking provided is pointed toward the hotline maintenance procedures, teaching proper tool maintenance and care. Lineman should be comfortable at heights of taller poles (intermediate to advanced climbers). Students will spend all four days in the field. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, work boots, hand tools, two safety straps, and climbing equipment.

Prerequisites: Experienced Lineman. Some experience on poles taller than distribution poles. Knowledge of safe working with clearances and transmission voltages. Basic knowledge of rigging.

I. Tailgate Discussion

II. Insulator Change

  • Pin
  • Angle
  • Dead-end

III. Pole Change

  • Angle
  • Dead-end
  • Tangent

IV. Reframing

V. Hastings and/or A.B. Change

VI. Cross-arm Change

VII. Student’s Choice

Hot Tension Stringing

This field course is designed for advanced lineman. “Hands-On” approach to re-conductor using energized conditions without disruption of service. Class is held one day in the classroom and three days in the field. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, long sleeve shirt, work boots, hand tools, harness, rubber gloves, and rubber sleeves. Students will spend four days in the field.

Prerequisites: Aerial Gloving experience equal to Gloving II

I. Same as Gloving II

II. Same as Gloving II

III. Same as Gloving II

IV. Aerial device capabilities and capacities

V. Introduction to stringing equipment

VI. Sag techniques

VII. Methods of conductor replacement

  • Hot conductor sheaves
  • Hot lay-out arms (hot arms)

VIII. Bucket truck rescue

IX. Load cut-over

X. Conductor retirement

XI. Evaluation

Installations

Field instruction will consist of hands-on application of underground devices for installation of 7200 volt primary loop and radial system. Students will install three phase switches, potheads, transformers and conductors. This class will accommodate all levels of experience. This class has been revised recently so students will spend more time in the field with hands on training and less time in the classroom. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, work boots and long sleeve shirt. Students will spend two days in the classroom and two days in classroom training.

I. Safety check

  • Tailgate discussion
  • Personal tools
  • Equipment (trencher, boring machine, etc.)

II. Planning

  • Check prints work orders, or staking sheets
  • Check construction standards
    1. Reference of specifications manual, safety codes, etc.
  • Tailgate discussion
    1. Importance of discussion
    2. How crew will perform the job: voltage check, soil test, etc.
  • Make up of material
    1. Importance of cleanliness and proper material handling
    2. Care in making sure of proper materials for the job at hand
  • Selection of tools and equipment for the job.
  • Commencement of job
    1. Shall an special protection be utilized for the safety of men and public?
    – Barricading, shoring traffic control, etc.
    2. Proceed with job layout

III. Guide for work to be performed

  • Trenching and installation of cable
    1. Trenching safety
    2. Wire installation
  • Boring and installation of cable
    1. Boring safety
    2. Conduit installation
    3. Wire pulling and equipment safety
    – Rope or cable inspection on pulling equipment
  • Pneumatic boring
    1. Hole punching safety (compressed air, trench sloping, etc.)
  • Setting of equipment
    1. Transformer or switching cabinets
    – Sling inspection and rating
    2. Meter pedestals
  • Terminations
    1. Tools and techniques
    2. Splicing of cable
    3. Rubber and porcelain terminations
    4. Elbows 200 amp and 600 amp
    5. Secondary

IV. Evaluation

Switching & Troubleshooting

Field instruction will consist of hands-on switching operations and general field operating procedures. This class has been revised recently and students will have more hands on field training and less classroom instruction. Acceptable safety and troubleshooting procedures for an underground system. Students must bring their own PPE including hardhat, safety glasses, work boots, rubber gloves and long sleeve shirt. Students will spend two days in the field and two days in classroom training.

I. General field operation procedures for primary and secondary

  • Safety procedures
  • Mapping and mapping symbols
  • Protective devices (fuses, OCR’s, relays, etc.)

II. Troubleshooting procedures for primary and secondary

  • Safety rules
  • Voltage detection primary and secondary
  • Sectionalizing of equipment and cable

III. Switching procedures

  • Safety rules
  • Mapping and mapping symbols
  • Switching cabinet operations
  • Load break elbows, parking stands and feed through bushings

IV. Evaluation

Cable Testing & Fault Locating

Field instruction will consist of hand on underground cable locating and will include locating and repairing secondary and primary underground faults using the latest technology equipment. Students must us proper PPE (rubber gloves, safety glasses, long sleeve shirts, work boots) when working in and around simulated energized cabinets and underground cable.

I. Classroom instruction

II. Tailgate discussion

III. Secondary locating equipment demonstrations

IV. Fault Locating

  • Secondary fault locating
  • Repair secondary faults

V. Fault Locating

  • Primary fault locating
  • Primary fault repair