National Lineman Appreciation Day
Electrical line workers perform one of the most important infrastructure functions in the United States, but they rarely receive any recognition for their work. These men and women build, maintain, and repair the nation’s electrical power grid, from high-voltage transmission lines to lower-voltage distribution.
We rely on electricity in nearly every aspect of our lives. It is essential for all the conveniences of modern life: from television to air conditioning, as well as necessities, like access to clean water and advanced medical equipment. We usually take this easy access to electrical power for granted, but it is only made possible by the more than 100,000 line workers in the United States.
Even though many of us don’t think about it very often, electrical line workers risk their lives on the job every day to provide safe, reliable electricity to homes and businesses. They are regularly exposed to live power lines that can cause severe injury if an accident occurs.
In addition to the risks that come from working with live electricity, overhead line workers also work high off the ground with little working space. They are the first people on the scene to restore electrical service when natural disasters bring down power lines, and harsh weather often makes their job even more dangerous.
These high-risk conditions make overhead line work one of the most dangerous jobs. In fact, overhead line work has some of the highest fatality rates of any industry in the U.S. Despite the occupational hazards and the necessity of their services, line workers rarely receive the recognition they deserve.
To raise public awareness and appreciation for U.S. line workers, the U.S. Senate introduced a resolution to recognize linemen and their contribution to public safety. The resolution outlined the general nature of overhead line work and the dangers associated with servicing the electric power grid, and it established April 18 as National Lineman Appreciation Day.
National Lineman Appreciation Day is a great way to recognize the often-overlooked work of line workers in the U.S. One simple way to celebrate National Lineman Appreciation Day is to share the #ThankALineman and #NationalLinemanAppreciationDay hashtags on social media. If you see a line crew on the job, be sure to give them a friendly wave and thank them for all the hard work it takes to keep the nation’s power on.
Linework is an incredibly dangerous and sometimes thankless job, but National Lineman Appreciation Day is a simple way that we can acknowledge the many hours line workers spend away from their families, in dangerous situations, and through harsh weather in every season to keep the lights on. Think about their hard work any time you turn on a TV, use your refrigerator, or get hot water from your tap. Thank a lineman any time you see a crew. They deserve it!