Anticipation is high among electric utility companies and line workers across the region for the return of the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation’s (CARILEC) annual Line Worker Field Safety Training & Rodeo Competition. The event returns to the CARILEC’s calendar from April 15th -16th following a three-year pandemic-imposed hiatus. It will be conducted at Pigeon Point, in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia with the Saint Lucia Electricity Services (LUCELEC) as the host utility.
Line workers from 10 Caribbean islands will vie for the rodeo championship as they wrestle the much-coveted award from the Anguilla Electricity Services Limited (ANGLEC). This is the Rodeo’s fifth year since inception, and LUCELEC is co-hosting this event for a second time. The rodeo has been held as an island road show, in the islands of Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent in previous years. While the Rodeo Competition will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on April 16th, the Safety Training Workshop will be held virtually on April 15th.
Line workers are critical to the efficient operation of electric utilities and perform their jobs in a multi-hazard environment which demands technical knowledge, expertise, and continuous training. This year the Field Safety Training & Rodeo Competition will be held under the theme Championing Caribbean Line Workers for a Resilient Energy Future. It aims to build on the success of CARILEC’s Line Worker Reserve Corps Training conducted late last year, which focused on technical aspects of post-disaster power line and electric infrastructure restoration, safety, and security. Eighty utility line workers and contractors from 13 Caribbean countries benefited from that training.
CARILEC’s Learning and Development Manager, Laurena Primus describes the Caribbean line worker as, “the backbone of the utility whose role can best be appreciated for the exceptional maintenance of power grids and the restoration of service in the wake of storm, flood, or hurricane, to the highest standard of safety and security”. In light of the pivotal role line workers play in the efficient running of the electric utility sector, safety and standards are priority training areas for utilities and the sector in general.
The Line Worker Field Safety Training & Rodeo Competition is an integral aspect of CARILEC’s work in Disaster Management. It is held ahead of the annual Hurricane Season, as part of the preparation of teams for post-disaster restoration activities at the utility, national or regional levels, should a regional deployment be necessary.
The evidence of this training is put on display for the education and awareness of the public during the Rodeo. With its high spectacle of skilled drills and friendly competition, the Rodeo component has historically been one of the most highly subscribed events on CARILEC’s calendar by electric utilities, as well as by national audiences who gain an appreciation of the singular importance of the work of the line worker in the operation of the utility. Pole Top Rescue, Basketball on a Pole, HV Cut-out Installation, HV Earth Installation and Hurtman Rescue drills are among the planned highlights of the event. It is a fun Sunday for friends and family to support their local teams from LUCELEC and the other islands.
The Line Worker Rodeo and Safety Training is open to utility line workers, contracted line workers, and utility safety managers. This event is free for the public to attend.