Customer
AEP
Location
Ohio
Highlights
-
Field Crews Averted a Major Roadway Incident -
Real-Time Escalation Through Proper Utility Channels -
Demonstrated Safety Accountability and Team Leadership
Downed Lines Ahead: How Early Detection and Fast Action Prevented a Roadway Hazard
The Challenge
While en route to a job site, a crew following behind a contractor’s bucket truck encountered a serious and unexpected hazard: a primary conductor was lying across the roadway, and the neutral line hung only 8 feet above the pavement. Upon further assessment, the team identified four total spans that were down—posing significant risk to oncoming traffic, nearby contractors, and surrounding infrastructure.
This incident presented a high voltage safety threat, a public risk, and a potential work stoppage had it gone undetected.
The Solution
The crew responded immediately and decisively:
- Roadway Blocked
- Both lanes were physically blocked to prevent vehicles from driving over the energized lines.
- Distribution Contacted via DDC
- The DDC (Distribution Dispatch Center) was alerted, and a request for immediate distribution response was submitted.
- On-Site Oversight Maintained
- The crew stayed at the site until distribution crews arrived and safely took over the scene.
Key Benefits
- Accident Prevention: The proactive intervention prevented potential injury, equipment damage, or public harm.
- Efficient Communication: Escalating through the DDC ensured the right teams were activated without delay.
- Reinforced Safety Ownership: By staying on-site, the team demonstrated full accountability and situational leadership.
- Model Protocol Execution: The event validated the effectiveness of existing utility safety protocols for field teams encountering energized hazards.
The Results
- No injuries or vehicle contact incidents occurred.
- Distribution responded promptly and secured the scene.
- The event has since been shared as a model example of field awareness and protocol-driven response
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