Repairing Nature’s Wrath in Arkansas
In the early evening of Oct. 18 winds exceeding 75 mph damaged 20 homes in Proctor, Ark. The winds also damaged nearby Entergy facilities, including portions of the Keo to West Memphis 500 kV transmission line.
Restoration scouts found that the high winds had destroyed a lattice tower located just off Arkansas state highway 147 causing a line outage.
Staging Restoration --- Safety First
Early on Oct. 19 transmission line crews assembled in Little Rock for a safety discussion and to collect the necessary materials before mobilizing. The crews completed a Job Hazard Assessment. The JHA addressed safety issues around several railroad crossings in the vicinity without power.
Three Days to Restoration
Throughout Oct. 19, 20 and 21 the restoration teams secured the 500kV conductors, removed the failed structure and replaced it. The team completed work on the 500kV line near midday Oct. 22. The line was not reenergized due to planned relay maintenance that same week.
The safety discussions also included precautions while traveling to the site along with safety measures to take once on site. With the preliminary restoration plan in place and the JHA completed, the crew started the two hour drive to the job site.
This event offered a unique opportunity to implement several key safety initiatives including 100% Fall Protection. The crews completed restoration in timely fashion, with no safety incidents while exceeding current safety requirements.