Coopelesca Visitors Train at Adams Electric
(International Foundation, July 2010)

“The Gloving techniques we’re teaching here are much more efficient and can cut job time in half,” says Ron Plank, vice president of operations for the co-op.

In Costa Rica, much of the work the linemen do on energized lines or “hot” lines is done with an 8-foot insulated hot stick. By learning to work wearing properly insulated and electrically tested gloves and sleeves as well as working in insulated bucket trucks, the Coopelescan line crews will be able to work in closer proximity to the lines they are trying to connect or repair.

“These are skills that usually take our linemen several years to process,” says Plank. “But the fundamentals that these men are learning this week, become something they can build a program on and take back with them to teach others in their company.”

During their stay in Gettysburg, the linemen also learned how to properly operate a line truck and use several pieces of hydraulic equipment, such as drills and cutters, plus how to insulate and isolate themselves from energized conductor.

During the week, safety was stressed at all times. “This type of work takes time but safety is always of the utmost concern,” says Plank. Following the week of training, each lineman received a certificate of completion.

LEARNING THE LINES – Adams Electric Journeyman Lineman Randy Hoover, second from left, instructs Coopelesca R.L. line workers Deiby Castro, and Walter Salas on how to properly glove and work around live wires, through Coopelesca engineer and interpreter Marlon Vargas.