I have been working in the electric utility business as a lineman, supervisor and safety training consultant for a very long time. I am at the point where I am ready to fade away like a light fog on an early summer morning. I dearly love the work, and I have the greatest respect for the utility employees who are doing the work. But it is time for me to say goodbye to the industry, enjoy my retirement, and spend time with my grandchildren and other family.
My career in this industry started in 1967 in Macon, Georgia, when I was hired as a helper on a line crew. I progressed from journeyman all the way through to supervisor at Georgia Power, and when I first retired, I became a safety consultant for distribution and transmission. Over the years, I’ve been blessed to work with some of the greatest people in the world. In particular, I want to thank Jerry Cates, Jim Lancour and Billy Carver for all the knowledge and understanding of OSHA regulations and consensus standards that they shared with me. I cherish my memories and appreciate what I learned from the many people I worked with at Georgia Power. That family means the world to me, and there’s certainly not enough room to list the names of all those people who influenced me and made me a better person simply from having known and worked with them.
I started my consulting group – Raines Utility Safety Solutions – when I left Georgia Power and have been involved with that for the past 15 years. During that time, I have had the pleasure of employing some of the best trainers and engineers in the business; they have had an enormous part in making the consulting group so successful. Just as I felt about my time at Georgia Power, I am so blessed to have had the relationships I formed because of my consulting group.
Right before my retirement from Georgia Power, I was actively involved with the Inter-Utility Overhead Training Association – often referred to as IUOTA – and then along came Carla Housh and Incident Prevention. I have so thoroughly enjoyed working with the iP staff over the years. No finer people exist on this earth. While working with the iP group for the past 15 years, I have met and made some of the best friends ever.
Now that I’m retiring for good, Wayne Hardin, David McQuaig and Carley Abner will continue to provide training upon request. I’ll still be around, though – I’m keeping the same phone number and will provide virtual training, write articles and record podcasts if asked and I am needed. I simply need to stop traveling so much and start spending more time with my family. I now have two great-grandchildren! I also am working on a book, yet to be named, about my personal experiences over the past 55 years. It will be a series of short stories that I hope will interest lineworkers everywhere. I plan to have it ready for publication late this year.
Thanks to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your lives. You have helped make me a better person and I treasure the friendships I have made. Please know I plan to attend the iP Utility Safety Conference & Expo in Orlando April 26-28. I hope to see everyone there for one more gathering.
God bless you all, stay safe and train well.
About the Author: Danny Raines, CUSP, safety consultant, distribution and transmission, retired from Georgia Power after 40 years of service and operated Raines Utility Safety Solutions LLC for nearly 15 years.
Learn more from Danny Raines on the Utility Safety Podcast series!
