Publisher’s note: “On a Positive Note” is a new feature on the Cherokee Scout’s opinions page set aside to give credit where it’s due, offer pats on the back and praise those who are doing praiseworthy things. If you have someone or something you’d like to recommend, email dbrown@cherokeescout.com.
According to national line worker surveys and utility company data, 42 for every 100,000 line workers are killed on the job each year. This makes line worker jobs one of the most dangerous, only behind loggers and manual laborers in agriculture.
Those same surveys show around 2,400 for every 100,000 line workers suffer serious non-fatal injuries each year. The most common of these serious injuries are electrical burns and broken bones from falls, not to mention nerve damages that can last a lifetime.
Perhaps the most dangerous category of line work is storm recovery, according to linemancentral.com. It was hard not to think about that earlier this month, when temperatures in Cherokee and surrounding counties dropped to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, snow fell and roads iced over, canceling schools, closing businesses and in general making it more difficult to get anywhere and do anything.
However, while we were snug in our beds at night under a cozy blanket with the heater humming along nicely, some stout men and women were fighting off Mother Nature’s worst to make sure the power stayed on. When the weather forecast says people should stay inside is usually when they have to go outside the most.
Despite the dangers, line workers are often taken for granted. Not today.
For keeping electrical outages at a minimum during recent storms – and always being there for us in the past – we give a special thanks to workers from Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corp., Duke Energy and Murphy Electric Power Board. The place we call home is happy you’re here.
– Publisher David Brown