Customer
Duke Energy
Location
Gastonia, NC
Highlights
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Aging Infrastructure Hazard Caught Before Failure
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Fast-Tracked Replacement via Field-to-Planning Escalation
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Model of Field-Led Asset Reliability Strategy
Identifying End-of-Life Infrastructure Before Failure
The Challenge
- Structural failure
- Uncontrolled equipment drop
- Power outage or energized equipment risk
- Risk to crew safety during nearby construction work
The Solution
- Escalated the issue immediately to the project engineer
- Ensured the structure was entered into the replacement queue with urgency
- Documented the condition to support prioritization in Duke Energy’s asset planning system
Key Benefits
- Prevented potential structural failure that could have resulted in a switch falling, customer outages, or energized equipment risk
- Reinforced the value of pre-construction field reviews as a frontline defense for identifying silent infrastructure threats
- Enabled timely, proactive replacement of end-of-life components
- Reduced client and customer risk through vigilant on-the-ground assessment
The Results
- The failing structure was flagged and scheduled for immediate replacement
- No outages or safety incidents occurred
- The case is now referenced internally as an example of the importance of infrastructure risk detection during routine site visits
- Supports Duke Energy’s commitment to system reliability and public safety through proactive inspection