“A smart man can’t beat a hardworking man and a hardworking man can’t beat a happy working man.” – Taeyang
Day or night, rain or shine, the linemen of MORE Power work very to bring power, comfort and convenience to the homes and offices of the consumers of the power utility. These hardworking men risk life and limb. After all, their line of work is dangerous. Live work or line repair without cutting the power in an area is one of the hazardous tasks the linemen must endure. On a regular basis, they encounter live wires and dizzying heights! So, they need to be trained continuously in dangerous scenarios they frequently encounter.
This June, the team of linemen underwent a five-day seminar/training that included lectures and actual field work “to enhance their knowledge and skills so that they may be fully equipped when they are sent back to the field. Part of the seminar/training were safety protocols and standard operating procedures when responding to various line work, including live work.
One of the veteran linemen of MORE Power, Rodelio Dapatnapu Jr., a Metering Services Lineman, is among the recipients of this free training. He has this to say, “I am grateful to MORE Power for training us in live works. It greatly helps us increase our knowledge, especially in serving the consumers where we can perform tasks without causing a brownout. This training allows us to further enhance our knowledge and receive proper training to perfect our work.”
Following the lectures, the training continued with actual field training using various equipment while responding to various scenarios they are expected to encounter. It was extremely dangerous, as one mistake could cost their lives.
“Basically, this live works training greatly helps not only our supervisors but also the linemen in performing their tasks efficiently when we are in the field,” says Engr. John Paul Balsomo, Chief Operations Specialist, Networks Operations Department of MORE Power. “At the same time, we become aware of the hazards and procedures we need to follow in the area, especially when performing live works.”
A yearly allocation of resources is set aside for training to educate and fully equip their linemen to meet the demands of their daily operations. “When it comes to this training, it greatly strengthens our response,” enthused Engr. Balsamo.” For example, when there are troubles that require immediate attention, we can dispatch a response team capable of performing live works in the area.”
Despite the bulk of repairs and upgrades in its franchise area, MORE Power achieved 1 million safe man-hours in June of 2022.