I was doing some wiring today and it reminded me of a story I was told.I worked for a sub contractor to the local power company.They have a safety program that is just first class.So here is the story:

There was a young guy working for a power company for the summer while he was out of school.(college that is)

They had a overnite job and he was working driving the truck.Major grid work that required shutting down blocks in the city at a time.The guys that handle this stuff all the time are equipped with long fiberglass poles to shut off the breakers on the transformer and are dressed on no contact shoes and clothing that doesn't burn.They where doing this grid because it have deteriorated to the point if they hadn't,it would fall down and really hurt someone.It was overhead and underground systems being replaced.So there was a huge crew on hand.

One of the guys in a bucket truck that the college student drove to the site was in the process with his long fiberglass pole shutting down one of the transformers.Without warning the 440 line dropped to the ground in the middle of the street.The college student for this summer job,jumped out of the truck and grabbed the line to move it out of the street.With all the noise he likely didn't hear the guy in the bucket yell at him.The student was wearing sneakers,T-shirt,and jeans.In a instant the sneakers melted to the ground and his t-shirt and jeans where on fire.The guy in the bucket almost fell out of it trying to get the transformer breaker off.The student was told a number of times never,ever get out of the truck.

The next morning at a news broadcast the young man's mother and the foreman on the job said in tears for a guy that was liked by all,what a terrible loss.Said:

He was just supposed to drive the truck...............

Question is why am I sharing this here?.Well as I said,I was working on wiring my compressor and it brought to mind all you guys that I want you all to be careful when doing the same thing.I really like all of you and if anyone got hurt or worse it would really bug me.The other reason is this time of the yr many of us have college age kids home working a summer jobs.Take you kids and set them down and tell them if they are ever told to do something that is a hazard,come home and you will be sure to support them or working it out some other way.That no summer job is worth all that.

Thanks for listening,

Gary