'Hot Glove' teams: the world's most dangerous job

21 diciembre 2007

First time I saw these guys over the power lines I thought it was a fake. But linemen who work from helicopters are for real and they are considered a highly specialized area of line work; few linemen have the special training to perform it.


Incredible as it seems, live high voltage transmission lines can be worked barehanded. According to ‘Wikipedia’, "the lineman must be isolated from the ground by using an insulated bucket truck or other method. The lineman wears special conductive clothing which is connected to the live power line, at which point the line and the lineman are at the same potential, allowing the lineman to handle the wire safely".


"Live wire work is extremely common on low voltage distribution systems within the UK as all linesmen are trained to work 'live'. Live wire work on high voltage distribution systems within the UK is carried out by specialist teams. These teams are sometimes referred to as 'Hot Glove' teams".




Other linemen workers use some kind of cages to move along the power lines. Their work is also very dangerous and spectacular.



More videos: 1, 2, 3