Index
Intro
Electrical power line and cable workers construct, maintain and repair overhead and underground electrical power transmission and distribution systems. They are employed by electric power generation, transmission and distribution companies, electrical contractors and public utility commissions.
The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Main Duties
Electrical power line and cable workers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Install, maintain, troubleshoot and repair electrical distribution and transmission systems including overhead and underground power lines and cables, insulators, conductors, lightning arrestors, switches, transformers and other associated equipment
- Erect and maintain steel, wood or concrete poles, towers and guy wires
- Splice, solder and insulate conductors and related wiring to connect power distribution and transmission networks using splicing tools, related electrical equipment and tools
- Inspect and test overhead and underground power lines and cables and auxiliary equipment using electrical test equipment
- Climb ladders or operate hydraulic buckets when working aloft on poles and towers, or work in confined spaces such as trenches and tunnels to install power lines and cables and associated equipment
- Install and maintain street lighting systems
- Communicate with other workers to co-ordinate the preparation and completion of work assignments.
Employment Requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a provincial three- or four-year lineman/woman apprenticeship program
or
A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in electrical technology is usually required for electrical power line and cable workers. - Trade certification for powerline technicians is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- Trade certification for powerline technicians (construction) is available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Trade certification for distribution construction linemen/women is available, but voluntary, in New Brunswick.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified powerline technicians upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
All Titles
- apprentice line maintainer – electric power systems
- apprentice lineman/woman – electric power systemsapprentice lineman – electric power systems, apprentice linewoman – electric power systems
- apprentice power line repairerapprentice power line repairman, apprentice power line repairwoman
- assistant transmission lineman/woman – electric power systemsassistant transmission lineman – electric power systems, assistant transmission linewoman – electric power systems
- cable installer – electric power systemscableman – electric power systems, cablewoman – electric power systems
- cable installer – electrical power
- cable installer and repairer – electric power systemscable installer and repairman – electric power systems, cable installer and repairwoman – electric power systems
- cable jointer – electric power systems
- cable line worker – electric power systems
- cable repairer – electric power systemscable repairman – electric power systems, cable repairwoman – electric power systems
- cable splicer – electric power systems
- cable splicer – electrical power
- cableman/woman – electric power systems
- conduit installer – electric power systems
- construction lineman/woman – electric power systemsconstruction lineman – electric power systems, construction linewoman – electric power systems
- construction lineman/woman – electrical power lineconstruction lineman – electrical power line, construction linewoman – electrical power line
- distribution construction lineman
- electric meter installer – electric power systems
- electric meter setter – electric power systems
- electrical cable splicer – electric power systems
- emergency line repairer – electric power systemsemergency line repairman – electric power systems, emergency line repairwoman – electric power systems
- emergency servicer – electric power systemsemergency serviceman – electric power systems, emergency servicewoman – electric power systems
- high voltage lineman/linewomanhigh voltage lineman, high voltage linewoman
- high voltage lineman/woman – electric power systemshigh voltage lineman – electric power systems, high voltage linewoman – electric power systems
- high-voltage maintenance lineman/womanhigh-voltage maintenance lineman, high-voltage maintenance linewoman
- high-voltage power line patroller – electric power systems
- high-voltage tower lineman/womanhigh-voltage tower lineman, high-voltage tower linewoman
- installer, electrical cables – electric power systems
- lead lineman/woman – electric power systemslead lineman – electric power systems, lead linewoman – electric power systems
- lead lineman/woman – electricity production and transmissionlead lineman – electricity production and transmission, lead linewoman – electricity production and transmission
- line checker – electric power systems
- line installation trainee – electric power systems
- line maintainer – electric power systemsmaintenance lineman – electric power systems, maintenance linewoman – electric power systems
- line patroller – electric power systems
- line repairer – electric power systemsline repairman – electric power systems, line repairwoman – electric power systems
- line servicer – electric power systemsline serviceman – electric power systems, line servicewoman – electric power systems, service lineman – electric power systems, service linewoman – electric power systems
- lineman/woman – electric power systemslineman – electric power systems, linewoman – electric power systems
- lineman/woman – electric streetcarlineman – electric streetcar, linewoman – electric streetcar
- lineman/woman trainee – electric power systemslineman trainee – electric power systems, linewoman trainee – electric power systems
- lineman/woman trainee – electricity production and transmissionlineman trainee – electricity production and transmission, linewoman trainee – electricity production and transmission
- lineworker – electrical power systems
- maintenance lineman/woman – electric power systems
- meter installer – electric power systems
- power line lineman/woman, electricalpower line lineman, electrical, power line linewoman, electrical, power lineman, power linewoman
- power line maintainer – electric power systems
- power line patroller
- power line repairer – electric power systemspower line repairman – electric power systems, power line repairwoman – electric power systems
- power lineman/woman
- power lineman/woman – electricity production and transmissionpower lineman – electricity production and transmission, power linewoman – electricity production and transmission
- powerline technician
- repair lineman/woman – electric power systemsrepair lineman – electric power systems, repair linewoman – electric power systems
- service lineman/woman – electric power systems
- splicer, cables – electric power systems
- streetlight repairerstreetlight repairman, streetlight repairwoman
- streetlight repairer – electric power systemsstreetlight repairman – electric power systems, streetlight repairwoman – electric power systems
- streetlight serviceman/woman – electric power systemsstreetlight serviceman – electric power systems, streetlight servicewoman – electric power systems
- streetlight servicer – electric power systems
- tower line maintainer – electric power systems
- tower lineman/woman – electric power systemstower lineman – electric power systems, tower linewoman – electric power systems
- traffic light repairertraffic light repairman, traffic light repairwoman
- transmission lineman/woman – electric power systemstransmission lineman – electric power systems, transmission linewoman – electric power systems
- underground cable splicer – electric power systems
- underground lineman/woman – electric power systemsunderground lineman – electric power systems, underground linewoman – electric power systems
- wire splicer – electric power systems
Exclusions
- Other linemen/women and cable installers (See 7245 Telecommunications line and cable workers)
- Power system electricians (7243)
- Supervisors of electrical power line and cable workers (See 7202 Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations)