American experts to train DTEK Dnipro Grids electricians on live line working
For three months, Tim Self, an Altec representative, will train Ukrainian energy workers to maintain lines without power disruptions. This approach guarantees uninterrupted power supply for residents in the Dnipropetrovsk region during scheduled or emergency outages.
“DTEK serves the interests of customers and changes the standards of customer service. Now more than 35% of maintenances are already carried out without power disruption. At the end of 2022, we plan to do 57% of the work this way. For this we have purchased special equipment, protective equipment, and special-purpose machinery. We also invited a leading American specialist to do the training for 16 of our employees,” says Andrii Tereshchuk, General Director at DTEK Dnipro Grids.
The training is carried out at a specially equipped training ground in the village of Mezhirich, Pavlograd region.
“We highly appreciate the efforts of DTEK Dnipro Grids to master new technologies. It is worth noting the training ground the company built to conduct high-quality training for the employees as well. We will focus on practical skills during the training. DTEK Dnipro Grids people will become pioneers as they will be trained on the world's best practices and approaches. They will also receive international certificates and be able to train their colleagues. So that there could be more people who can safely do the live line working on 6-20 kV lines,” says Altec expert Tim Self.
The hot maintenance method is a worldwide practice that has only recently begun to be used in Ukraine. In 2018, a pilot project was launched in the Dnipropetrovsk region. DTEK Dnipro Grids specialists underwent training in Poland. After that they trained their colleagues in the field. Now they are expanding the list and complexity of work that can be carried out without power disruptions for customers. To do this, the company will be the first one to master the technique on medium voltage lines 6-20 kV.
Altec is a leading provider of products and services to the electrical and telecommunications markets in over 100 countries. For nearly 20 years, Altec Sentry® has been helping employers educate and certify employees in the safe equipment operation.
As previously reported, in 2020 DTEK Dnipro Grids carried out more than 16,000 hot maintenances without power disruptions for customers. Now, the company is reconstructing the training ground in Mezhirich and is building an indoor training ground there, where training without power disruptions will be carried out year-round.