The crew had done difficult work using fiberglass ladders previously. One crew member saw another company using a suspended work platform and the idea was brought to the group. They researched existing platforms and designed one that would be safe, efficient, and worker-friendly. Safety and methods personnel approved the design which was then built. Additional equipment was acquired and designed to transport the platform safely. The first project using the new platform was completed in February 2013, demonstrating how challenges were overcome through collaboration to create an improved work method.

1. From an idea to a valuable tool, that is how the work platform came about for the ASG. The crew
had done a suspended dead end project last fall, using the traditional fiberglass hook ladders. The work
was tedious and difficult, maneuvering on the ladder while it was hung in a horizontal position.
After the project, one of the ASG crewmen, Ron Kellett was driving out west, and saw another
company’s linemen doing the same type of dead end work, but those linemen were standing on a suspended
working platform. He mentioned this to the group, and Mike Jones started researching on-line and found
working platforms used in the utility industry. Mike did a rough sketch of what our group could use and
the drawing was presented to Carl Fowler. Carl found a photo in a transmission magazine showing a power
company, PGE, using a work platform. Mike Jones contacted the PGE contact person and received more
pictures of the platform being used. Each member of the ASG, Mike McClintock, Jeff Richards and Ryan
Grover with the aforementioned members discussed at length the positives and negatives and possible
challenges of the work platform together. Once the pictures, sketches and notes were together, Carl set up
a meeting with ASG personnel, Com-Ed Safety and Methods personnel, Lin Taibl and Ed Suarez along
with a representative from Safeway, whose company makes suspended platforms for window washing and
bridge repair applications.
From this meeting, the wheels were set in motion to use all the input from the different groups to
design a suspended work platform that would be worker friendly, cost effective and most importantly, the
safest for the workers and anyone handling it.
Once the design was agreed upon and approved by safety and methods and Carl Fowler, Safeway
built the platform. While the platform was being fabricated, Com-Ed fleet was notified so that the 16 foot
tool trailers used by the ASG could haul the 28 foot platforms. Jim Ortega with fleet came up with a very
safe and efficient bracket on the trailer to secure the platforms while in transit to the work locations.
The platforms were delivered to the ASG reporting center the end of December 2012. There were
additional attachment slings and brackets that were approved and purchased thanks to Brian Runowski with
projects so that the week of February 11, 2013, the ASG was able to put all the hard work in planning and
designing of the work platform into doing a suspended dead end project on line 0102.
Each challenge getting to this point was met head on and worked through in a process that serves
our company well. The challenges were never seen as dead ends, but rather an opportunity to be on the
cutting edge of efficiency, proficiency, and above all, safety to complete a task.
From an idea to a valuable tool…