Position Title:   

Apprentice Lineworker

Department:

Electric

Reports To:

Working Foreman

Hrs/Week:

40

Rate:

$37.10-$48.90, DOQ

Grade:

E2-E3, DOQ

Appointing Authority:

Electric Light Manager

FLSA:

Non-Exempt

General Summary

The Electric Light Department (ELD) is a proud member of the Ipswich community.  Not only do we strive to provide our customers with the highest level of electric service, but we also provide service to the community in a variety of other ways.  The ELD can be seen raising banners for community events and hanging holiday decorations downtown.  We also provide the Town with public streetlighting, private floodlighting, and fiber optic networking for public buildings.  Ultimately, we believe that the cooperation of public power utilities, like the Ipswich ELD, makes communities better places to live.

The Ipswich ELD is responsible for approximately 7,000 electric customers. To serve these customers, the distribution crew maintains over 3,500 utility poles, 1,000 transformers, and over 100 miles of circuits, which are connected via 3 substations. Under the direct supervision of the Working Foreman, the Apprentice Lineworker is part of the distribution crew, performing construction, maintenance, and repair of the electrical distribution system in a safe, efficient, and effective manner.  The Apprentice Lineworker must be willing to listen and motivated to learn; a strong work ethic and personal integrity are both critical to succeeding in this role.  The work requires an ability to learn specific skills, techniques, and procedures, as well as how to operate a variety of specialized equipment and vehicles.  Conditions can be adverse at times – working long and/or irregular hours, in foul weather, darkness, or otherwise difficult environments should be expected.  The Apprentice Lineworker must be able to work confidently with electricity and from heights.

Essential Job Functions

The Apprentice Lineworker can work on all voltages, up to 15kV, under close supervision of a Head Lineworker.  Training and development will be in a progressive manner that is consistent with the demonstrated skills, knowledge, and qualifications of the Apprentice Lineworker.  Early focus will be on groundworker support and deenergized work to build familiarity with the tools and techniques of the job.  Depending on the specific situation, including the comfort and skills of the crew, the Apprentice Lineworker may advance to aerial work at voltages <5kV, single-phase voltages <15kV, and eventually three-phase voltages <15kV under close supervision of a Head Lineworker.

Under direct supervision of qualified personnel, the Apprentice Lineworker supports all types of installation and maintenance associated with underground and overhead electrical distribution systems.

• Installs, repairs, and maintains system equipment, including, but not limited to the following:
  • All types of conductor, cable, or wire
  • Poles, cross arms, guys, and other overhead distribution infrastructure
  • Splices, terminations, arresters, transformers, fuse cutouts, switches, lighting fixtures, and other auxiliary equipment and devices
  • Conduit, junction boxes, transformers, and associated underground distribution equipment
• Install, repair, and maintain service equipment, as required/directed
  • Makes proper house service connections and tests for correct voltage
  • Installs and repairing of underground transformers, primary oil switches, fuse cutouts and secondary junction boxes.
  • Phases cables and transformers for proper connections
  • Makes proper house service connections, testing for proper voltage
• Troubleshoots problems with the electrical distribution system and makes necessary repairs to restore power
  • Installs temporary recording and/or testing equipment
  • Splices cables
  • Investigates outage source; refuse cutout
  • Coordinates with forestry personnel (when/if necessary) to remove interfering vegetation
  • Replace damaged transformers, insulators, or other distribution hardware
• Climbs poles, or otherwise works aloft from a ladder, scaffolding, aerial lift or other means; enters surface or underground vaults; works from the ground in a dynamic environment
• Performs circuit switching, as necessary/directed, to including making/breaking load via switches, breakers, elbows, or other equipment
• Observes all necessary precautions to perform the job in a safe, reliable manner that is compliant with applicable standards, regulations, and laws
• May be assigned to other divisions within the Electric Light Department as needed, including but not limited to the meter division and the power plant
• Under the direction of supervisors, supports operations involving ELD generation, including, but not limited to the Ipswich Power Plant, wind turbines, solar (photovoltaic) arrays, and/or other ELD generation or battery storage assets
• Under the direction of qualified supervisors, works in and around substations to perform basic maintenance and support activities
• Works with supervisors to support metering operations, including, but not limited to the following:
  • Receives and executes job orders for the installation and removal of residential, commercial, and industrial electric meters
  • Installs and repairs high voltage meters, including 3-phase meters; tests, installs/removes, repairs, and maintains electric meters for residential, commercial, and industrial services
  • Inspects meters and connections for defects, damage, and unauthorized connections
  • Takes manual meter reads from the field, as required
  • Shuts off customer power for nonpayment and restores power as directed
  • Interprets maps, develops and maintains plans and sketches of system and services
• Completes administrative functions as necessary/directed including, but not limited to the following:
  • Work order entry
  • Timecard self-reporting
  • Safety checklists
  • Inventory documentation
• Performs DigSafe underground utility locating and identification, as directed
• Assists in assembling material drawn from inventory and in loading and unloading materials and salvage to and from work vehicles
• Completes reports and other documentation and communicates same with supervisors
• Maintains and operates equipment including, but not limited to the following:
  • Aerial bucket trucks, digger derricks, fork lifts, and trailers
  • Hydraulic, pneumatic, gas, and electric tools, including chainsaws, jackhammers, and crimping tools, meggers, and similar equipment
• Communicates with customers in a courteous manner and functions as a team player in cooperation with other employees.
• On occasion, may be called on to assist with manual labor to support the ELD and its facilities; specific activities might include, but are not limited to moving furniture/equipment, cleaning gutters, changing lightbulbs, or minor landscaping maintenance
• Demonstrates ability to perform work at the next, senior job position for short periods of time, in a progressive manner (e.g. during absences and when called upon to do so)
• Performs other duties as assigned within industry safety guidelines

Qualifications & Abilities

• Demonstrated ability for professional growth and improvement
• Maintain passing grade in NEPPA linework training program
• Strong familiarity with OSHA 1910.269 requirements, National Electrical Safety Code and National Electric Code sections pertaining to electric utility work
• Certification as a qualified groundman within 3 months of hire; including, but not limited to first aid, CPR, and bucket/pole-top rescue qualifications
• Valid Massachusetts Class B commercial driving license (CDL) permit with airbrake endorsement (Class A CDL preferred); must earn CDL within 12 months of hire
• Valid motor vehicle operator’s license required
• Establish and maintain residency within 45-minutes of ELD with reliable method of commuting required
• Valid Massachusetts DPS Hoist Engineers License 1B within 12 months of hire
• Must be available for stand by duty at specified times and in cases of emergency, may be called for duty at any time
• Progressively increasing knowledge of and ability to perform line work
• Possesses thorough knowledge of the APPA Safety Manual. Maintains safe work habits by actively listening to Head Linemen and following directions.
• Familiarity with substation equipment, maintenance and operations is a plus
• Familiarity with maintenance and operations of generation equipment, including wind turbines, solar arrays, and/or diesel engines equipment is a plus

Tools & Equipment

Motorized vehicles and equipment including a cable truck, aerial bucket truck, material handler, digger derrick, power winch, cable trailer and other equipment commonly used in the electrical distribution industry; hand and power tools; ammeters and voltmeters; and common office equipment.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms.  The incumbent is frequently required to sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear.  The incumbent is occasionally required to smell.

The incumbent must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perceptions, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent regularly works in outside weather conditions.  The incumbent occasionally works near moving mechanical parts, in confined spaces and in high precarious place and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, traffic, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, and vibrations.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud in the field.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to do this job.  The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required.