Police officers wear badges and vests. Firefighters wear fire resistant and reflective pants and coats. Our lineworkers also gear up when they work on energized power lines and equipment.

I&M lineworker Khris Henderson demonstrates the personal protection equipment (PPE) needed to climb a power pole and work on power lines. Fire retardant fabric and stitching shirts and jeans along with safety toed boots are the first items lineworkers wear to work. Lineworkers all need to have electrical hazard rated boots with a defined heel for climbing and overshoes for safety.

To safely climb a power pole and work, a lineworker needs the following:

• A Hard Hat that is impact and electrically rated with an inner suspension system and extended brim to protect from potential debris.
• Safety Glasses with side shields block and prevent debris or dust from getting into a worker’s eyes.
• Rubber Gloves and Sleeves are rubber insulated gloves for electrical protection up to 36,000 volts of electricity.
• Rubber Glove Protectors with leather gloves that attach to the orange cuff and are worn on top of insulated rubber gloves to minimize the risk of puncturing or tearing from sharp objects or equipment.
• Climbing belt holds harnesses to enable a lineworker to stay on power pole without the risk of free falling.
• Climbers are a leg iron that wraps around the bottom of the foot and has a gaff, or a spike, near the ankle to dig into wood.

Altogether, the PPE weighs 57 pounds. Lineworkers wear the safety equipment in all weather from freezing temperatures to sweltering summer heat. They often climb and work on 45–70-foot poles and in elevated bucket trucks or on transmission towers more than 100-feet high.

I&M maintains more than 25,000 miles of power lines. I&M employs nearly 500 electrical workers and contractors who support its 24-county service area in Indiana and 6-county area in Michigan, which consists of 164 communities across more than 4,500 square miles.

Lineworkers are not only responsible for operating and maintaining electrical equipment, but they also raise their families, volunteer at local organizations and are active members of the communities they call home. For more information on a career at I&M or AEP, visit www.aep.com/careers.