Infrastructure Informative

Infrastructure Informative The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful region, boasting diverse terrain and all types of weather. Here in Oregon, where STANLEY Infrastructure is headquartered, we have mountains, deserts, rivers, rain forests, and a front row seat to the Pacific Ocean. This environment is the perfect place for our company since we see just about every possible type of hydraulic need right in our backyard; so it’s not surprising that STANLEY Infrastructure has grown to be the go-to special- ist in heavy duty tools for railroads, municipal waterworks, and electric utilities. Just as the development of our specialty hydraulic tools has thrived in the Pacific Northwest, so too has a school focused on training the region’s best utility workers. The VOLTA line training academy , established in 2004, provides the highly special- ized classroom and field experience that linemen need to complete their training. Linemen in this region must learn to negotiate varied and rugged terrain, while also working in extreme weather conditions. In order to perform at their peak, line workers need a deep skillset which is honed by countless hours on the job and additional education at a specialized line training school. VOLTA caters to both newcomers who are just starting out in the field, and experienced linemen who want to improve their skillsets. The VOL- TA center is a unique facility, located within the Camp Rilea U.S. Army training complex on the Oregon coast. In the extensive outdoor yard you’ll find numerous wooden distribution poles, metal transmission structures, transformer boxes, and a few key pieces of line construction equipment. There’s also an indoor area featuring numerous wooden utility poles, classrooms and a mockup of an underground electrical vault. STANLEY Infrastructure recently visited VOLTA and took part in a custom mini-class designed by VOL- TA director, Don Jamison. We learned about the electric distribution system in North America, wire sizes and types, connector types, pole hardware, and some of the more common tasks a lineman faces on the job. After the classroom session, Don set up a live demo for us in the pole yard. We were able to see a switch changeout, conductor tensioning, and the installation of a wood utility pole. Plus, we got to test out the new STANLEY crimping and cutting tools in real world applica- tions. In the comic relief portion of the day, Don allowed us to try on a linemen’s climbing belt and gaffs, and after some convincing we each climbed a few feet on a utility pole. While that brought a lot of laughs, all in all it was a serious and very useful day, and our team walked away better informed about the electric utility trade and to the chal- lenges that workers face every day. STANLEY Infrastructure strives to create meaning- ful relationships with our neighbors here in the Pacific Northwest and around the country. This inital session at VOLTA was a great example of our efforts. Going forward, we are excited to have this valuable resource as we work to create a new generation of tools that will make linework easier, more time efficient, and safer. For more information about VOLTA visit their website: https://www.voltalineschool.com/ 9