People who install and maintain electric, telecommunication and/or cable lines are known as line workers. Most of these personnel are properly trained and skilled in pole-climbing and working from a bucket truck with power lines, exposing themselves to electrocution and other aerial hazards. For example, if a line worker is jolted with electricity and subsequently collapses inside a bucket truck, then foremen, supervisors and other ground crews must have enough knowledge to safely lower that person to the ground in order to administer first aid.
Safety Training
Most personnel working on such lines today use aerial lifts to accomplish power line tasks much faster and more safely. It is very important for them to individually understand the proper safety procedures so that rescue procedures can be administered to save co-workers lives if necessary. There are various rescue procedures that can be utilized in the event of an emergency involving the bucket truck.
Overriding the Upper Control – Superseding the upper control using the lower control is the safest way to lower the bucket and rescue an unconscious employee who has been electrocuted. In cases where lowering the boom cannot be accomplished in this way, the ground crew can use the auxiliary system or bleed the pressure valves in order to lower the boom safely and revive the unconscious worker as quickly as possible.
Quick Release Device – Extricating an unconscious worker safely from the bucket may require the platform to be lowered to the ground. The bucket quick release device can be activated in order to detach the platform from the boom. When the platform is placed safely on the ground, extricating and administering first aid to the injured person can be better accomplished.
Harness and Rope – There are cases where lowering the boom by any normal means is impossible. Workers who are injured but not incapacitated can use their harnesses and rope to lower themselves to the ground. Other employees can climb up the pole near the bucket to help the employee be lowered to the ground.
Annual Basic Training
Utility companies should have annual basic training for their workers so they can practice and refresh safety education. Operation managers should watch and guide their personnel as they undergo this drill. Pole top rescue training can be done using simulation with a dummy, making it as close to real life as possible. Each employee can take turns performing the rescue by using both the pole top and aerial bucket truck. Training for a four-person crew with three workers will usually take a full day.
Encouraging Safety Practices
There are several ways to encourage line workers, crews and service personnel to practice safety and give their best effort. One idea is to have employees participate in competitions hosted in nearby communities that are designed for such rescues. The contest will most likely include situations involving an injured dummy line person on a pole-top; other workers will call dispatch, climb the forty-foot pole, and climb down bringing the injured dummy to the ground. At that time, the personnel take off their climbing gear and administer first aid including CPR within a certain time limit.
Prioritizing safety practices is very important for every utility company. Rescues from aerial bucket trucks should be included in all annual training so workers can be prepared for any emergency scenario. Then these workers will indeed be prepared for any potential aerial bucket truck rescue!
A degree in engineering is one of the most respected and the demanded degrees, not only in India, but across the globe. The students are very much firm about choosing their career option and leading it in a positive direction. The number of engineering colleges has been growing in India and therefore the students get more opportunities to opt for their courses of their choice. Engineering sector has been grooming very fast and there are few industries, which have developed a lot and are expanding its wings for more of the new talents to give their inputs in their expansion. One of such sector is telecom industry. The industry has a large number of opportunities, and a student can find a safe and a secure future in this sector. Telecommunication has become an important part of the lives of human beings, therefore giving way to a large number of new opportunities to come up. Advancements in the telecom and IT industry, has made the life so easy and hence each and every development made in this sector, is welcomed with open arms by the common, resulting to the success and growth of the telecom industry.
The advancements in the telecom and IT industry have lead to the increase in demand of courses and colleges, teaching these developments and making the students capable of progressing in the respective industry. The Indian telecom industry is the second largest in its category in the globe, and therefore has abundant opportunities for the students taking education in the telecom sector. The students opting courses in telecom field, need to have a science background and must have strong basics in maths, computers and physics. Bachelor in Telecom Engineering is the basic four year graduation course, which the students opt for making career in this field. There are many other degree as well diploma courses in this field, doing after which a student can aim for a prospering future in the telecom industry. Few of the IT courses are:
Bachelor in Telecommunications Engineering
Diploma in Telecom Engineering
Bachelor in Computer Technology
Certificate courses in Computer Science
Bachelor course in Mobile Internet Communication Informatics
Bachelor in Information Technology
Other than the above mentioned courses, there are specialised management courses in the telecom sector, which are provided by a number of colleges in India. The telecom management courses are provided by the top management schools of India and have both the undergraduate as well as post graduate courses for the same. Following is the list of the colleges in India, providing courses in the field of telecommunications:
Academy for Aeronautics and Computer Science, Pune
International Institute of Information Technology, Kolkata
Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management, Pune
Sathyabama University, Chennai
Amity Institute of Telecom Technology and Management, UP
St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Chennai
Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune
Indian Institute of Telecom Management, New Delhi
CIEM (Calcutta Institute of Engineering and Management)
Ansal Institute of Technology , New Delhi
Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Information Technology, Bangalore
After completing these courses, a student can pursue his career in specialisation of his choice. There are courses available in these colleges as per specialisation choice of the student also, which can be wireless communication, signal processing, computer networking, satellite communication, speech and audio processing, networking security, etc. Attaining these specialisations, a student can lead his career in the direction he wants with a more refined manner. Telecom engineer, Telecom manager, Systems developer, Telecom analyst are few of the major job fields, where the students can apply for jobs after completing their education in the telecom sector. There is tremendous number of job opportunities available in the telecommunication sector of India, which consumes the students hailing from different specialised education fields.
This piece provides an overview of T1 Internet Service for those businesses that need higher reliability and availability. Since T1 Internet service comes with a service level agreement (SLA), usual uptime is much higher than DSL or cable. Also, with T1 Internet service, the upload and download speeds are a constant. This is vital for critical information needs, where limited downtime can be tolerated and productivity depends on consistently fast Internet access. Also, for voice applications a T1 can include quality of service (QOS) to ensure the access speed and consistency required for quality voice traffic.
Many small business use low-priced Internet links, such as DSL, cable, and fios. To keep costs down, all of these methods use sharing techniques to connect users to the Internet itself. Also, reliability is not assured, athough a “best effort” is made to preserve connectivity. A business Internet T1 data line, although using technology identical to SDSL, is given a higher value by the telcos. A T1 failing will be repaired within hours whereas a DSL, cable, or fios user could possibly experience a 5 day turn around time for repair.
Telecommunications vendors provide higher-end services, such as business Internet T1 service, in order to address higher reliability and consistency needs in some companies. As a business grows and adds employees, the value of an Internet connection increases and the business often needs higher availability. Often, the usage and reliance on the Internet also increases after services such as voice, and shared data services are moved to the “cloud.” In the neighborhood of 10 employees, a company will find it’s telecommunications needs more feasibily served by a business Internet T1 service.
Voice over IP (VOIP) has become widespread as well as various shared data services. Examples include popular applications such as SalesForce.com, GoogleApps, and many more. Generally, the quality of information available on the Internet has improved over time, causing more extensive dependence on connectivity to applications and online data sources. Changing business operations and usage all require additional bandwidth and reliability. Sales revenue and productivity of employees can be affected for each minute of downtime. How many businesses would survive with no telephone service for several days?.
Although hard to measure, timely information or lack thereof can make or break many small enterprises. This is especially true for companies using “cloud computing,” where online collaboration and information for daily operations in office calendaring, documents and financial data are only accessible through the company Internet link.
With business Internet T1 service, the SLA offers a “guarantee” of reliability and availability of crucial Internet services. Although many don’t realize it, a company’s Internet connection is an essential resource as more business functions and information needed for daily operations now must have reliable access. Loss of connectivity even for hours or a few days at a time can be fatal to daily operations or even the enterprise.
As T1 prices continue to decrease and businesses’ need for connectivity increases, a greater number will turn to the reliability and availability of T1 Internet service for day to day operations. The SLA distinguishes T1 Internet service from less expensive and unreliable DSL, cable, and fios services that many are using today. The SLA will be the deciding factor in order that critical operations are maintained, productivity remains high, and adequate sales and revenue is achieved for survival.
Cold weather can wreak havoc on your skin, your heating bill and the air pressure in your tires, but did you also know that it can destroy your cabling if its not handled properly? One such cable, easily susceptible to cold weather deterioration, is THHN cable.
What is THHN cable?
While the terminology of some cables is convoluted and difficult to understand, most of the names of cables are acronyms or abbreviations. The name “THHN” simply comes from “Thermoplastic, High-Heat Resistance, Nylon-Coated.” THHN cable is classified under Hook-up Wire and is a very popular cable, typically used as general building wire. “General” simply means that it has several different applications, all falling under the building industry. Like all general use cables, there is no one “correct” application for THHN cable. However, it is very important to understand any cable’s strengths and weaknesses, what environments it can and cannot be used.
THHN Cable Strengths
Knowing where the name THHN comes from helps identify the cable’s strengths. Because it is a thermoplastic material it can be heated and cooled several times to reshape it, but like any material it has high and low temperature limits that it can withstand before becoming unstable. These specific temperatures can differ between individual manufacturers.
With the “High Heat” rating in its name, that infers it can be used in high temperature applications. What specific applications depend on the actual specifications of the cable, and the operating temperature ranges must be known to determine this. “Nylon-coated” identifies a specific thermoplastic material being used. THHN also has thermoplastic PVC material as insulation, but the Nylon is used as the cable’s jacket and is exposed to the elements. Nylon is a strong material, and is so widely used that THHN cable is more cost effective than other building cables made to withstand more demanding environments.
THHN Cable Weaknesses
The very same materials that give THHN cable it’s strengths also lend weaknesses as well in the right (or should I say wrong?) environments.
Because of the Nylon coating, THHN cable can become stiff at lower temperatures. Temperatures lower than 14F can make it susceptible to cracking. Thermoplastic materials need to undergo a process called plasticizing to function at constant low temperatures, but for cables that will be installed and then never move this isn’t necessary. Proper handling will allow for the cable to withstand installation and then cold temperatures up to the lowest end of the operating temperature range.
The term “thermoplastic” is defined as a material that melts into a liquid at high temperatures and freezes at lower temperatures. The colder it gets, the more it freezes, until the slightest agitation will cause fracture. Bending the cable causes one side of the jacket to compress and the other to expand, which is just the type of agitation needed to cause cracking.
Proper Installation of THHN Cable
To make sure that your THHN cable doesnt crack during installation, there are a few simple steps to follow:
Store cable indoors when the weather turns cold; a stable temperature of 65F is best.
If this is not possible, bring the cable inside at this temperature for 24 hours before installation
Never install THHN when the temperature outside is below 14F
While exposed to cold temperatures, do not drop it to the floor and protect the cable from impacts from other objects as this can crack the stiffened material.
After proper installation, THHN cable can safely operate in outside temperatures below 14F given that it remains stationary.
About Allied Wire & Cable, Supplier of Electrical Wire
Allied Wire & Cable is one of the largest privately owned value-added manufacturers and distributors of electrical wire and cable products in the United States. Family owned and operated since 1988, Allied services many of the largest industries in the country, from the government and the military to aerospace, automotive and telecommunications. Allied supplies all the wire, cable, tubing and accessory needs of these industries and more everyday. Headquartered in Collegeville, PA, Allied has offices in Florida, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, along with several warehouses across the country.