LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has introduced new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for scaling electricity poles in order to avoid accidents anymore.

Lesco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has recently suspended over 20 officials of various ranks for showing negligence in observing SOPs before repair work on electricity poles. As many as seven linemen have lost their lives, including two during the ongoing month during repair work on electricity poles. It has alarmed bells in the management, followed by issuance of new SOPs.

As per the new SOPs, the Line Superintendent would be bound to obtain the electricity supply suspension permit and no one would be allowed to get it on telephone. The Line Superintendent would be bound to submit the permit at the relevant grid stations before seeking suspension of power supply for repair work.

The SOPs also required from the Line Superintendent to ensure his presence on the spot during the repairing work.

The linemen have also been instructed to ensure bucket van, crane, and protective gear before climbing up the electricity poles. Also, they have been barred from climbing up such poles where wires of electricity meters and cable connections are hanging freely. Similarly, no lineman would be allowed to carry out repair work independently at any electricity pole.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021