Discos lineman safety training programme: USAID finalises plan for launch

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) Power Distribution Program (PDP) has finalised the plan to launch a safety training program for the linemen of nine discos all over Pakistan. The training will be kicked-off in December 2011 and initially 620 linemen of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) will receive intensive safety training.
Thereafter, this program will be replicated in other discos all over the country including Sepco, Lesco, Gepco, Fesco, Mepco, Iesco, Pesco and Qesco. In this regard, the training of trainers has already been completed this month.
The assistance to discos is provided as part of the US government's commitment to support the government of Pakistan in reforming the power sector and helping discos improve their performance. The SAID) implements a number of programs for assistance, which also include institutional improvement of discos through capacity building and trainings in all the functional areas.
"The statistics of deadly electrical accidents in distribution companies present a very grim picture showing no signs of reduction; rather there has been an increase in the in the number of accidents in the last few years. More than 100 linemen lost their lives in 2010-11 which left miserable effects on their families and an equal number was injured seriously or disabled. Analysis of the accidents clearly indicates that the majority of accidents are due to non-adherence of safety procedures.