Crews Band Together to Make Power Poles Safe
By Carol Tucker
It was all hands on deck when LADWP’s Power Transmission and Distribution Division (PTD) launched a concerted campaign to clear a backlog of needed repairs to about 670 power poles, cross-arms and other overhead electrical equipment identified as “Priority 1” jobs and made them safe for the public.
The work to resolve immediate safety-related “Priority 1” repairs began April 6 and was completed by May 16, meeting the deadline pledged by General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin L. Adams to customers. Identified through annual inspections, “Priority 1” repairs are poles and other overhead electrical equipment in need of repair that pose a threat to public safety.
“I want to commend our crews, who have worked tenaciously to meet the May 16 deadline for completing the necessary safety-related repairs,” Adams said. “Going forward, it is our commitment that all ‘Priority 1’ repairs will be made within 24 hours, consistent with LADWP and state standards.”
“We acted immediately to prioritize the backlog, split them up within our geographic districts and lined up multiple crews in every district to work down their list. What made this successful was teamwork. We work this way through many storms and other emergencies – we know how to tackle tough jobs.”
Walter Rodriguez
Director, Power Transmission and Distribution Division
Altogether, an average of 30 crews worked every day, including weekends, to clear the backlog of high-priority jobs. The majority were district crews from Distribution, Construction and Maintenance, but crews were also deployed by other PTD groups, including the Electric Trouble, Overhead Transmission and Street Light Maintenance groups. Overhead Distribution Design (ODD) was also critical in assisting the districts with design work. Toward the end of the process, contract crews were brought in to assist with closing out remaining jobs.
Also important to public awareness about the “Priority 1” pole repair effort were Power GIS and the Information Technology Division's Enterprise GIS & Application Integration. The two groups worked together to create an interactive online map updated daily, enabling the public to find “Priority 1” projects in their area and track the progress. In addition, Customer Service Division’s Meter Services and Field Operations group, assisted by Key Accounts, hand-delivered letters to customers living near those poles, advising them of the needed repairs and urging them to use caution near the poles.
Initially, inspections had shown that 800 out of LADWP’s 300,000 poles did not meet regulatory requirements and needed safety-related repairs. About 1,450 jobs related to those poles were identified through drive-by and in-person inspections entered into a database. Upon review, PTD determined that many were duplications or work that had already been completed, and was able to reduce the number to about 670 poles.
The majority of the work required repairing faulty cross-arms, which hold up the wires and are often more dangerous than a damaged pole. Completed work also involved repairs or replacement of electrical distribution equipment attached to the poles, high voltage wires and attachments, or replacement and repair of the pole itself.
Jeffrey Williams, Electric Services Manager Level 3, directly assisted Rodriguez in coordinating the repair work. One of the biggest challenges for district superintendents was controlling the scheduling and completion of the work at a particular location.
For example, a problem involving one pole could require work by a District crew, an Electric Trouble Hot Stick crew and a Pole Spotter from ODD. The ODD Pole Spotters field-checked poles listed in the backlog to determine if work was still needed at a location. A “Hot Stick” crew includes Electric Distribution Mechanics who work on live 34.5 kV lines.
The Van Nuys District, where the majority of “Priority 1” poles were located, was pivotal in meeting the campaign’s deadline. In one instance, the District closed out 23 separate “Priority 1” and “Priority 2” violations at one pole.
“The goal was to make sure we used the right crew on the right job to complete the work efficiently. Line crews did more complex work and smaller crews worked on less complex jobs. It was a coordinated effort among all of us. When we work together on projects like this one it builds a bond and friendships. When the call went out, people responded without a second thought.”
Jeffrey Williams
Electric Services Manager Level 3
Photo by Art Mochizuki
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