Unitech’s Smart Interlock System is a computer-based interlocking system designed to minimize human switching errors in substations. The system provides a real-time simulation system that accurately models the connectivity of the substation and verifies the logic of switching sequences. Through simulation, each switching step is proven safe before switching takes place.

With the unified standardized lock cylinder, the operator only needs to carry the smart key to open all locks. By the use of RFID verification, the smart key enforces that the switching personnel operates the equipment in the correct sequence according to the switching order.

Unitech    www.ut-power.com

To help with heat stress-related problems and to save lives, CoolShirt Systems has developed SafeTemp, a heat stress alarm that sends an audible alert to warn workers when their body temperature is reaching dangerous levels – before they begin to feel dizzy, headachy or nauseous. With SafeTemp, you can help employees work more safely and maintain their level of performance longer in hot environments. Only 1.5 inches in diameter, the alarm is worn against the skin and is held in place by the band of a hard hat, cap, visor or moisture-resistant adhesive bandage.

CoolShirt Systems    www.coolshirt.com/safetemp.html

The AES Raptor patented Grabsafe Portable ladder extension is the solution for easily and safely climbing from a ladder to a roof and vice versa. The Grabsafe Portable provides the OSHA-required 3 feet of vertical extension past the elevated surface. The split design allows workers to step through the ladder extension instead of dangerously stepping around the ladder. The GrabSafe Portable also provides patented horizontal handhold rungs, enabling the worker to form a weight-sustaining grip at all times.

According to fall safety expert Dr. Nigel Ellis, GrabSafe Portable designer and inventor, gripping vertical rungs or rails, like the sides of a ladder, provides false safety because a person cannot hold his own weight in this way. If a person slips and falls, his hand will slide down until it hits something and he will then lose his grip. The GrabSafe Portable solves this problem with horizontal grips. It is also lightweight, fits most ladders and is extremely easy to attach.

AES Raptor    www.raptorsafety.com

With copper theft on the rise, utility companies and municipalities are looking for a solution to keep thieves and vandals from breaking into poles and transformer bases. Keep your community safe with Pelco’s Copper Safe suite of products.

The Copper Safe product line is durable, weather resistant, and an ideal cover for a variety of pole structures and sizes. A vandal-resistant handhole cover latch securely locks the cover and requires a Pelco specialty tool to open it. Pelco’s installation kit has everything you need for installation of one or many covers. The spring-loaded installation is convenient and fast – taking five to 10 minutes – and can be done by one person. Handhole covers are reusable and can be taken on and off easily with the specialty tool. All covers have been tested for strength and are shatter and pull-off resistant. The entire Copper Safe product suite is powder coated and constructed of durable steel for a lasting finish.

Pelco Products    www.pelcocoppersafe.com

EZ SPOT UR Attachments has introduced the Pole Jack into its family of utility attachments. The Pole Jack is used to extract utility poles from the ground and joins the Heavy Duty Pole Setter in a line of attachments aimed at utility companies, electrical cooperatives and electrical contractors.

The Pole Jack makes it safe and easy to pull transmission poles up to 100 feet in length. The new attachment also allows the operator to work from the safety and comfort of the machine’s cab, which will increase productivity and decrease the risk of job site accidents. For more information, visit www.ezspotur.com or call 877-433-5733.

EZ SPOT UR Attachments    www.ezspotur.com

Hubbell Power Systems Inc. is producing “Storm Soldiers,” a documentary intended to bring awareness to journeymen lineworkers and the critical role they play in keeping the power on. The feature-length film is scheduled for release in January 2013. The extended trailer – available at www.stormsoldiersmovie.com – is already gaining attention in the power utility segment.

Over a year in the making, “Storm Soldiers” tells an intimate story of brotherhood, family, faith and pride as lineworkers share remarkable stories about the work they do and the dangers they face every day. Lineworkers are the unsung heroes, especially during storms or natural disasters. They brave extreme conditions to restore power. Many travel great distances and endure time away from family, and some even give up vacation time to offer support to their fellow lineworkers in need. If you would like to submit video footage or pictures of lineworkers in action, please contact Crystal Mistretta at 803-216-2613.

Storm Soldiers    www.stormsoldiersmovie.com
Hubbell Power Systems    www.hubbellpowersystems.com

Michelle Larson, an elementary school teacher, wrote “Lineman, The Unsung Hero” after she couldn’t find any children’s literature about lineworkers. The book, illustrated by Susan Shorter, was created for children, but is also a token of appreciation for lineworkers everywhere. It honors Larson’s husband, Matt, a lineman for We Energies, which provides service to customers in portions of Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Individual copies of the book can be purchased through Farwest Line Specialties (www.fwlsp.com) and Alexander Publications (www.alexanderpublications.com). Bulk orders can be placed by contacting Larson directly at 520-403-5232 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Deb Group has launched the world’s first and only heavy-duty industrial hand-cleansing foam with suspended bio-scrubbers. GrittyFOAM delivers the performance and effectiveness of traditional heavy-duty hand cleansers in a user-preferred foam format to gently remove tough soils while making hands feel great.

This unique product, delivered through Deb’s proprietary dispensing system, comes in response to market demand for a powerful cleaner that is gentler on hands to help address the challenge of reducing potential for occupational dermatitis in the industrial sector.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10-15 percent of all occupational illness is caused by skin disease. GrittyFOAM benefits include:
• Improved compliance, effectiveness and safety – Cleans and rinses quickly, leaving hands dirt-free and sanitary without potential irritation.
• Enhanced sustainability – With eco-accreditation and USDA BioPreferred status, GrittyFOAM is formulated with renewable resources and only essential ingredients.
• Greater cost-effectiveness – The power of foam means less product, less water and less energy must be used to get hands clean.

Deb Group    www.grittyfoam.com

The Electrical Insulating Cover was developed by lineworkers at Sioux Valley Energy to protect their associates from the devastating effects of electrical arc flashes. The cover provides a protective shield from electrical connectors associated with the transmission of electrical power through pad-mounted electrical equipment. When performing repairs on energized pad-mounted electrical equipment, the cover – along with industry standard operating procedures – assures the safety of lineworkers by reducing the risk of accidental arc flashes, as well as the resulting flash-related injuries and damage to equipment. The Electrical Insulating Covers are designed to meet ASTM D1049 specifications for rubber insulating covers (Type III/Class 2).

For more information, contact RESCO at 800-356-9370, ext. 305.

According to the 2008 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there were 29.8 deaths per 100,000 lineworkers with 35 total fatalities during that year alone. To prevent future incidents, an electric utility safety engineer partnered with William Frick & Company to design the Truck Quit Flag, which can be seen at a distance in the sunlight and features reflective strips for dusk and nighttime.

The Truck Quit Flag is intended to be displayed when workers experience glitches operating their trucks from dangerous heights and cannot safely move down to ground level without outside assistance. Constructed with vinyl material and UV-stable inks, the product is designed to last decades and can be tightly wrapped to minimize the amount of space it takes up.

The flag can be used across all industries that utilize bucket trucks, including electric utilities, telecom companies, and transmission construction and maintenance operations.

William Frick & Company    www.fricknet.com

ESC Services Inc. has launched ScanESC – an iPad application solution – to help companies stay in compliance with the fifth most cited OSHA regulation, 29 CFR 1910.147, which covers lockout-tagout.

ScanESC allows companies to internally manage, audit and maintain their programs by utilizing QR codes. The latest iPad’s high-resolution camera and QR scanning capability make it easier than ever to stay in compliance with OSHA when utilizing the ScanESC application.

ScanESC eliminates the guesswork that is associated with auditing multiple locations in large corporations by allowing companies to conduct audits cost effectively with in-house resources and then demonstrating real-time compliancy status. ScanESC is the only application in the world that provides this kind of real-time status update, which effectively reduces OSHA fines and accidents that are associated with outdated programs.

ESC Services Inc.    www.escservices.com

WeedEnder Utility Pole Mats from U-TECK – a developer of specialized products for the telecommunications, utility, municipal and transportation industries – provide fire-retardant vegetation control around utility poles and other structures. This variation of U-TECK’s flagship WeedEnder product is designed to provide power distribution companies with a simple, effective method of maintaining the areas around nonexempt structures that are potential fire hazards.

The WeedEnder Utility Pole Mats were created specifically to help electrical companies in California meet the requirements of California Public Resources Code 4292. Made of 100 percent postconsumer recycled, fire-retardant materials, the mats control potentially hazardous vegetation growth around structures such as lightning arresters, transformers and switchgear without the need for herbicides, mowing, raking or erodible firebreaks. By minimizing flammable vegetation growth, power distribution companies in California can not only comply with the public resources code, but can also reduce the chance of a spark from a power surge causing a fire, or a nearby grass fire spreading and damaging the pole.

WeedEnder Utility Pole Mats can easily be cut to fit any area and remain in place for a minimum of 15 years, unless intentionally removed. The highly durable product requires little to no maintenance, enabling power distribution companies to better allocate their resources and send fewer workers into the field to mow or trim the areas surrounding power distribution structures.

U-TECK    www.weedender.com

HD Electric Company’s TAG Voltage Detectors are direct-contact voltage detectors for detecting distribution and transmission voltages. They test for the presence of voltage to help ensure the safety of line personnel. The detectors include TAG-200, a single-range distribution voltage detector with typical ranges of 4-12 kV or 12-35 kV; TAG-200MR, a dual-range distribution voltage detector with typical ranges of 4-12 kV and 12-35 kV; and TAG-330, a single-range transmission voltage detector with typical ranges of 69-230 kV or 138-500 kV. 

When in direct contact with an energized conductor, the TAG emits an audible and visual alarm to clearly warn the user if the conductor is energized. All TAG Voltage Detectors can be used in overhead and underground applications with the appropriate probes.

HD Electric Company    www.hdelectriccompany.com

ASI Health Services provides nationwide on-site, mobile health testing services to conserve the health and quality of life of industrial workers and their families, all while assisting industrial companies with compliance to OSHA regulations. Services include a hearing conservation program, a respiratory protection program, noise surveys, vision testing, pulmonary function testing, regulatory compliance and cost reduction consulting and training, and industrial hygiene services.

ASI’s competitively priced, convenient on-site services save additional expenses for companies by minimizing idle wages, lost production time, and the liability of transporting employees to and from an offsite location. The company’s programs surpass OSHA, MSHA and NIOSH standards.

ASI Health Services    www.asihealthservices.com

Bigfoot has launched E-Plastic, its new line of plastic outrigger pads. The pads are designed for the utility equipment industry, offer the lowest cost in the market and come in two sizes – 18x18x1 and 24x24x1. Bigfoot, which has been manufacturing pads for more than 16 years, offers the largest line of wood and plastic pads in standard stock and custom sizes. For more information, call 888-743-7320 or visit www.outriggerpads.com.

Bigfoot Construction Equipment    www.outriggerpads.com