By Aaron Howell, and Alan Drew, Utility Safety Magazine,
October 1999, Volume 2, Number 5

With the demand for electricity in the United States at its highest, the need for linemen to avoid or fix outages has made it necessary for them to work on "hot" lines. As a result, linemen are at greater risk for electrocution, flash burns and other injuries. Knowing the proper procedures for rescuing unconscious or injured employees from an aerial lift or utility pole could mean the difference between life and death.

When the first method and procedures were developed for overhead line contact rescue, it was determined prudent to give the injured employee initial CPR in the air before lowering them to the ground. Experience showed that the initial CPR was not very effective and the best procedure is to get the injured person to the ground and start CPR in a horizontal position where it can be most effective.

We now have the basic objective for every situation where injury from electric contact or flash burn occurs: get the injured person safely to the ground as soon as possible, start CPR, and get professional medical assistance. To accomplish this objective safely it is extremely important that the injured person be safely cleared from any electrical contact so that the injury is not increased and the employees performing the rescue are not injured.