By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa Valley High School Ag Mechanics students recently got a front row seat to witness the power of electricity. On March 12, an Overton Power District (OPD) crew brought a display and presentation on electricity that taught, not only about safety when working around electricity, but also about some of the science behind this powerful force.
The presentation was taught by OPD Journeymen/Linemen Corey Dalley, Ben Jantz and Steve Barlow.
Dalley showed the kids what it takes to be safe when working around electricity. He explained that linemen wear special nonflammable clothing and other gear to help keep them safe. He allowed students to model some of the safety gear that linemen wear.
Freshman Faith Witter was one of the students who tried on the gear. When she got it all on and Dalley asked her how it felt.
“Heavy!” she replied.
Dalley explained that not only is the gear heavy, the rubber liners that linemen wear under their leather protective gear gets hot in the summer months and are cumbersome to work with. If one of the liners has even a pin-sized hole in it, it can be fatal for the worker wearing it, he said.
Students were challenged to put on the gloves and attempt to thread a nut onto a bolt, a skill that linemen must perform often. All agreed that it was a challenge.
Ag mechanics students study electricity and welding, so a career with a power company is something that interest many of them. Dalley took time to talk to the kids about what was necessary for a career as a lineman. He explained that potential linemen go attend lineman college. This school takes 6-9 months to complete and costs $10-15,000. But certified linemen are always in demand, so many companies hire straight out of college at a starting salary of about $20/hour.
A beginning lineman spends his first 4-6 years as an apprentice, during which time he completes several phases of training, Dalley said. Once he has passed his apprenticeship, he becomes a journeyman with a beginning salary of about $80,000/year. There is room for promotion and salary increase as well, with journeyman being followed by troubleshooter, lead lineman, line foreman, and so forth.
Dalley taught the difference between voltage and amperage, explaining that while voltage will damage tissue and hurt if it comes in contact with you, it is actually amperage that will kill you. One-tenth of the amount of amperage found in a normal household socket is enough to be fatal, he said.
The three men used a demonstration trailer to explain the different lines and what they mean, and what a transformer does. Dalley explained how to treat downed lines. He explained that any line carrying over 2,400 volts is considered high voltage. But most of the lines in Moapa Valley carry between 7,200 and 12,470 volts, he said.
The highlight of the presentation for most students was the high voltage demonstration done by Jantz and Barlow. Using a dummy dressed in safety gear on the trailer, the men showed the students the repercussions of coming in contact with high voltage electric current. They demonstrated how a hard hat protects and what arcing electricity looks like.
At one point, they even fixed a pickle on the dummy. They said the dummy approximated the same density as a human body. They touched the dummy’s rubber glove, which had a pin-sized hole in it and the pickle immediately caught on fire and burned. They also showed a similar experiment with a hot dog, which pretty much exploded.
The demonstration made a lasting impression on students who were awed by the force that they witnessed. Ag student Kayla Lyon was given an opportunity to try to use a pole to simulate a repair much as a lineman would.
“I learned a lot of stuff about electricity that I didn’t know before,” Lyon said. “I really liked the demonstration, especially when they fried the pickle.”
Isaac Bradshaw agreed, saying, “Learning from a demonstration like this is valuable because it sticks with you longer and you get to participate instead of just sitting in a chair or in front of a computer.”
Junior Bronc Barlow said, “I really like getting power at my house so I have a renewed appreciation for the work these guys do. Plus, I really like the tips on how not to get electrocuted.”
Ag mechanics adviser Denise O’Toole explained why demonstrations like this are valuable for her students. “I always really appreciate OPD coming and teaching the kids,” she said. “This is a great career opportunity for kids so I love that they teach them what they need to do now and in the future to go into this field.”
