Line Clearance Certification

[NebClimber]

I am looking into doing line clearance work. I am not sure how to obtain "certification". Looks like a number of entities will give line clearance certification, including the ISA, the TCIA, and others. Can one legally contract to clear lines w/o certification if the utility company does not require it? Is OSHA compliance the only controlling legal facor in this case?

NebClimber

 

[xander9727]

I would proceed with caution. You really should look into taking a class on line clearance. Tom Dunlap taught a EHAP class a month ago that I sent my employees to. Ask him when the next one is. It only cost $15 and it could save your life. Making money is great but with line clearance you may only get one mistake. A little knowledge could really extend your life expectancy. I got certified through ACRT. I need it for certain jobs just to bid on them and I really like to know what I am doing. I strongly recomment ACRT. They are very professional and focus on the skills not the gear. My $.02

 

[diltree]

Certification

Its about liability; the number one cause of fatalities in agriculture is electrocution. I don't know of any line clearance contracts that do not require certification. Every one my company has ever bid required all your line trimmers be certified. Without certification, or without receiving documented training from an experienced line trimmer you are not " qualified" by OSHA standards. The result being you have no business being within 10 feet of a primary, even if it is just a private job. We Use to work for Boston Edison, Mass Electric, and a few municipal light departments. Now we are down to one line clearance contract in our home town. Asplundh had the rates SO low in our area there is very little money in it any more, and you have to own so many rigs no more then 6 years old, just to be a qualified bidder. There is much more money in the private work. If you do go in that direction, you will need certified employees, on the books at your states prevailing wages for line trimmers and groundman.

 

[diltree]

In addition, our employees are certified through the ACRT, but the ISA does certification as well now. The only catch is you have to be a certified arborist to take the ISA test, this is not the case with the ACRT. The ACRT's program, is actually hands on not a written test like the ISA. The hands on seminar is much better in my opinion, cause knowing what your doing will save your life, line clearance is no joke.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

There will be two EHAP trainings in Portsmouth, NH at the end of August. One is penciled in Atlanta at the end of September, nothing firm yet. Another is hoped for on our western islands to Any word Leon?

Certification means many things. The best way to know exactly what is required is to ask the utility that you're bidding from. There are many definitions so make sure you have the right paperwork.

 

[NebClimber]

I have already completed an EHAP through the TCIA. Some contracts for smaller towns in this area have been awarded to outfits with absolutely no training in electrical clearance and little experience in tree trimming. No certification from any authority on either clearance or general tree work. When I heard as much I did not believe it to be true. But it is. I enlisted in the EHAP simply to aid in my private work. After the program I was confused as to what it meant to be "certified" in the field, and what it meant to be "qualified". I conclude that a utility is free let a contract for clearance to anyone whatsoever (it may choose to impose stipulations), but OSHA guidelines dictate safe work practices. And that's about all there is to it.

Sound about right?

 

[Tree Wizard]

Being an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist does not make you a qualified line clearance trimmer. Although a qualified line clearance trimmer can certainly become an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist.

OSHA speaks of only qualified line clearance trimmers being able to get closer than 10' to electrical conductors. The ANSI Z133 has definitions of what qualified line clearance trimmers and qualified line clearance trimmer trainees are.

 

[diltree]

If what you say is true, things are pretty messed up in your state. There is not one Line clearance contract in mass that does not require some sort of certification to work around " their wires". A. you could kill yourself if you don't know what your doing, resulting in OSHA investigation. B. You could burn the wires down, resulting in a lost of income for the utility, that pre-buys their electricity, which counters the whole purpose of providing clearance. Are you sure you are reading the contracts closely enough, maybe the town manager who usually awards the contracts in small towns, is letting it slip, and all you have to do is speak up to have the low bid thrown out.

 

[NebClimber]

diltree:

You hit the plan on the head. I want to become qualified to work around power lines to meet OSHA standards. Certification from some authority would carry some weight in demonstrating such qualification to a contracting utility. Then I would point out to the utility the exact expectations of OSHA and how my company plans to meet compliance. The potential liability - or plain foolishness - in hiring unqualified contractors would then become glaringly evident to the utility. Hopefully, the end result being my acquisition of the contract. But this is a few years away. I am just starting to set the table.

 

[matthias]

Being an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist does not make you a qualified line clearance trimmer. Although a qualified line clearance trimmer can certainly become an ISA Certified Arborist / Utility Specialist.

Good call Tree Wizard. The course I took for qualified line clearance trimmer was 10 days long and while the electrical training was a must the climbing training was terrible: spike up with lanyard (I had a polestrap) tie a tautline and rappel down. You should have seen that stand of poplars after 15 guys spiked the piss out of them for two days.

 

[clearance]

Matthias-ha ha hilarios about the poplars, b.f.d.. I am a certified utility arborist in B.C.. Two year course, six weeks at school, 1200 hours of supervised work around the power from12kv to 500 kv.
The I.S.A should stay away from powerline work, they should stick to what they know. One mistake and its over for you, but not for your family or co-workers, they don't call it power for nothing.

 

[diltree]

I agree clearance, you do not want people gaining a false sense of security around the lines, just because they have a certification from the I.S.A.....we require certification and two years experience on the ground with a line clearance crew before you come anywhere near ten ft. of a primary.

 

[NeTree]

I agree clearance, you do not want people gaining a false sense of security around the lines, just because they have a certification from the I.S.A.....we require certification and two years experience on the ground with a line clearance crew before you come anywhere near ten ft. of a primary.

Ditto. It may look easy from the ground, but it's an art, for sure.

 

[lxt]

nebclimber, If you want lctt line clearance tree trimmer cert. pittsburgh`s local 1919 is the best!! ISA and Acrt thats garbage this local provides all aspects of tree trimming and to boot it was them who pilgrimed this cert. anyway. utility tree trimmers were defined as migrant farmworkers Local 1919 changed that & now the isa & acrt wanna make $$$$ training people what a joke they are!! niagra mohawk in up state NY. has lctt training also good group of guys, my advice jump into an apprenticeship and obtain your credentials cause isa & acrt will charge ya!! and when you come to my local and wanna job you gonna be tested for journeyman status and ISA and ACRT`s training program wont even scratch what a 1st rate apprentice knows!! good luck choose the right path!!!! DOUG LXT.............

 

[xander9727]

Union jobs are the best............if you like coffee breaks.......limits in salary.......coffee breaks.......dues.....being taught at a fourth grade level........coffee breaks.......overpaying for benefits.......being told how long it takes to learn something......coffee breaks........having to quit your job because some of the people you work with feel they should be paid more.........having to work for several companies in the same year, month, week.......coffee breaks........having to stop working as fast as you can for fear of becoming an outcaste.......working for some incompetent **** because he's been there longer than you.......coffee breaks......being told what kind of car you have to drive.........using inferior equipment because it is on the union ok list......coffee breaks......

Your right LXT unions ROCK!!!!!!!

 

[diltree]

Acrt

I was ACRT trained as well as a line clearance apprentice, and i have been working around the wires for several years. I have done allot of trimming and some serious take downs around open(bare) 3-phase; without burning the lines down or causing an outage. Id have to say that the ACRT helped me become a cautious, safe, and efficient utility specialist. Why would you attack the ACRT without ever taking part in the program.

 

[xander9727]

That's a really good question diltree...........I can't wait for the answer.

 

[lxt]

diltree, did take part in their program problem is they are now a money oriented bunch of booksmart knowitalls. their programs are a good foundation, but far from realistic your one of the lucky ones!! ive seen what their program puts out 90% are nowhere near ready for lctt trimming. oh & zander 972736 etc... LOCAL 1919 ya know coffee break central. helps acrt with job placement and provides training references(books,manuals,etc...) this local pilgrimed their lctt classes. but acrt saw a money making opportunity and all who attend will pay, and pay you will.!!!! LXT

 

[stehansen]

The only companies doing line clearance work around here are the big guys, Davey, Asplundh, Trees Inc., and Windy.

Last year I had a guy working for me who used to work for Davey and Asplundh, and he said that he worked on the ground for six months, then was promoted to apprentice climber and started working under the guidance of a certified line clearance trimmer and after another six months they handed him his line clearance card.

 

[stehansen]

I have to tell you a Davey tree story.

I had a job taking down a 50' bull pine tree that was between the power lines and a construction company office. There was approximately 20' between the office and the lines with the tree being right in the middle. The tree went about 20' higher than the lines. The construction company owner was pretty nervous about us doing it so he called the power company guy and had him meet me and him at the tree to discuss any hazards. The power company guy said that his guys (Davey Tree) would take the tree down to the level of the lines and leave everything there there for us to clean up and we could take it from there. This was agreeable to me and the next morning the Davey Tree guys were there and they had 2 crews and trucks, and were setting up to take the whole top down at one time. I mentioned to my guy that it looked like too big of a piece and that it would drag on the top of the office roof. Well it was even worse than that. He rigged a false crotch with a block and sling at the level of the power lines and had us helping hold the rope wrapped around another tree. When he cut it the block pulled right through the loop in the sling and the whole thing came down with no control what so ever right on top of the office roof. The office was a metal building with a white foam roof on it and the top of the pine tree poked over a hundred holes in the foam. There was no structural damage to the building and the nervous construction company owner was fuming mad, and all of his office ladies were all standing in the parking lot as they had come running out of the office when the peice hit the roof. We just stood there and we really felt like the "good" tree company. This is my only experience with "line clearance".