"Think of an arc welder. That type of flame comes from 480 volts."
Then there's climbing school. The difficulty there, Grant said, comes in disregarding a common instinct to hug the poll. A lineman has to lock his knees and rely on his climbing gear. He said some trainees come down with chunky splinters in their arms from doing it wrong.
The training during the four-year apprentice program makes safety the top priority.
John Pitre, who overseas JEA's line-maintenance teams, said the program is standard in the utility business before letting a worker handle live wires. New employees will be given other jobs at a work site, such as cleaning up debris and discarded wire, until their training is complete.
"You talk about how dangerous a police or firefighter job is. We love them like a brother, but every day when you go up in that bucket, every day you have to have that intense focus," Pitre said. "It only takes one slip."
Since 2005, the number of accidents JEA has had to report to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has dropped, from 13 a year to four last year.
Job wins award, has rewards
Accidents have become so rare that the American Public Power Association gave JEA first-place honors for safety last May. The award places JEA ahead of 200 other public utilities nationally that were vying for the title.
JEA's linemen have also placed first in state and national skill competitions, where they're timed while performing on-the-job asks like replacing transformers.
Still, accidents happen.
Nick Stafford, a fourth-year JEA apprentice, said he separated his shoulder in the rush to escape when a circuit he was working on two years ago exploded.
He's 30, married with a year-old daughter. He said he can't let the danger of the work rattle him. That type of stress poses its own risk.
"I like the camaraderie of everyone here," Stafford said. "For the most part, it's a laid-back job where most people have to laugh and look lightly at it, or they'd be putting their lives in danger."
david.hunt@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4025
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