# Wish I was told ____ when I was an apprentice



## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Always check for potential, never ASSUME. Even if someone else says it's off.

Boots with a heel such as lineman's type boots are better for your back.

Steel toed shoes won't cut your toes off.

Cotton is the best fabric to wear.

Baggy loose fitting clothes are not for work.

Don't waste time or money on any other linemen's than Klein's.

Buy tools with a lifetime warranty, no matter how good the cheaper ones look.

Leather pouches conform to tools and won't dump the contents in the truck as easily as nylon.

Just because you have safety equipment in the truck
don't feel it's helping you out. Actually wear it.

I don't care what time it is or how fast you need to be done, never work so fast that you work stupid.

I know you love your gf/wife/etc but leave the cellphone for lunch and off time.

If you look and talk like a professional, people will tend to think you are when communicating with them.


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

RK made some excellent points, especially the first one.

Always remember, safety 1st. It's *your* life.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Never be afraid to ask questions.

Never believe all the answers, do research and/or ask in here.

Read, Read, Read.............................................

Get a code book NOW, do not let it confuse you read sections regarding the type of work you are doing. Chances are a percentage of electricians you are working with are doing it wrong.


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## MechanicalDVR (Dec 29, 2007)

The sharpest tool you want to have is your mind.


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

#1 Always treat a circuit as LIVE [Hot] until YOU know better:thumbsup:

#2 If you THINK it is dead then assume it is LIVE

#3 If you KNOW it is dead it may still be LIVE at some unexpected time in the future

#4 Lock it out, lock it off:thumbsup:


#5 and are you SURE that those testers are working properly / correctly,,,see #1 and #2

The only stupid questions are the ones that you wished that you had asked:thumbup:


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## MF Dagger (Dec 24, 2007)

"Pull your damn pants up!"
-Denis Leary


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

> and are you SURE that those testers are working properly / correctly,,,see #1 and #2


 
Always test your tester

We should consolidate this into one complete list, some great advice here.


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

-I wish I had been as strict about LOTO as I am now / realized that working live 99% of the time isnt necessary and doesnt make you look badass.

-Theres just no reason to do something the wrong way / unsafe way. No matter how desperate people make a situation out to be, Somehow, some way there is always time or money to do something safe. If not, then it shouldnt be done period. Walk away and take your good name with you.

-Im assuming most IBEW locals have a required tool list-cause I know IATSE does Anyway, I guess what Im hinting at is have quality tools, but get whats necessary-not every pair of Klein pliers under the sun. Have what you need to be efficient and effective, not a bunch of usless crap thats gonna weigh you down / youre going to lose anyway.


-A left handed wire stretcher does NOT exist!


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## Trimix-leccy (Dec 4, 2007)

Leaning out from a ladder / steps / scaffold is THE BEST way of hitting that floor a split second earlier

Use the tool for the purpose that it was designed for


Every day is a learning day:thumbup:

Clean up during AND after the job

Give your boss your wife / girlfriends phone number and vice versa...the calls will soon reduce.

Arrive early / on-time

Anticipate what your boss needs, try not to have to be asked for the hammer, screwdriver etc. It saves time, makes you look good and gives the 'impression' that you know what is going on.

Everybody makes mistakes. Making the same mistake twice is unfortunate:whistling2:...making the same mistake numerous times shows that a change of career path may be worth considering:no:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Falls are the number one killer in the construction industry. BE CAREFUL



> There's just no reason to do something the wrong way / unsafe way.


Someone once told be "Why is there never enough time or money to do a job right the first time, but there always enough (time money) to come back to fix/repair.


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## Chris Kennedy (Nov 19, 2007)

ElectricIsDead said:


> I already have ironed a few polyester shirts for my first week of work.


Big electricians don't iron.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Chris Kennedy said:


> Big electricians don't iron.


Maybe he was in the military, I iron. And I'm pretty damn big.


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## Chris Kennedy (Nov 19, 2007)

randomkiller said:


> I iron.


Should have put  at the end of my post.

Very important to so up sharp and clean everyday.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

Chris Kennedy said:


> Should have put  at the end of my post.
> 
> Very important to so up sharp and clean everyday.


I had to respond, it's a Marine thing.:jester:

I knew you were just busting.:thumbsup:

When I read polyester shirts my first thought was Saturday Night Fever and Travolta's shirts.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Chris Kennedy said:


> ...Very important to so up sharp and clean everyday.


And don't try to make a 'personal statement' with your appearance. I doubt these guys have much of a chance at regular employment:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

> Big electricians don't iron.


I also iron, but my shirts go out to the cleaners, like electricity some things should be left to the pros.

My father did 33 years (1942-1976)in the Army and my mom had to ironed everything, pre no wrinkle uniforms. I was brought up with the philosphy that you never go out in wrinkled clothes be it work or play.


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## cmec (Feb 11, 2008)

brian john said:


> Never be afraid to ask questions.
> 
> Never believe all the answers, do research and/or ask in here.
> 
> ...


NOTHING wrong with above advice just dont run up to your boss while he is laying somepthing out ,or talking to a customer or gc etc to ask your question, do it in truck on way back to shop or at school.


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## Rong (Feb 23, 2008)

Hawkeye_Pierce said:


> -I wish I had been as strict about LOTO as I am now / realized that working live 99% of the time isnt necessary and doesnt make you look badass.
> 
> -Theres just no reason to do something the wrong way / unsafe way. No matter how desperate people make a situation out to be, Somehow, some way there is always time or money to do something safe. If not, then it shouldnt be done period. Walk away and take your good name with you.
> 
> ...


 Nope they only make wire stretchers right handed!!!


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## JohnJ0906 (Jan 22, 2007)

I don't think anyone has posted this one yet:

When a person, be it a GC, HO, other trade, etc, asks you a question, or to do something, refer that person to your J-man or foreman.

Very few things annoy me worse than my apprentice promising something he shouldn't, or giving out info he shouldn't, or saying something incorrect.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

> NOTHING wrong with above advice just don't run up to your boss while he is laying something out ,or talking to a customer or gc etc to ask your question, do it in truck on way back to shop or at school.


TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

One time we had an emergency replacement of a 4000 amp FPE CB, that is no longer available. I was able to get a retrofit from Atlanta flown in, schedule outage, modified bus and installed in 18 hours. Inspector shows up and an apprentice says to me in front of the inspector "I wonder why there is no UL sticker on this CB." GD I wanted to kill the little SH*T. This was 4:30 AM Sunday morning. I had to call the supplier, who woke the factory rep, who got the factory engineer to drive 50 miles to the office, to fax paper work to the to me, What went from a 18 hour turn around from initial outage to final became a 26 hour outage.


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## Hawkeye_Pierce (Apr 3, 2008)

5 minutes early is on time

On time is late

5 minutes late is unacceptable 


They taught us that in school!:thumbsup:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

brian john said:


> TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
> 
> One time we had an emergency replacement of a 4000 amp FPE CB, that is no longer available. I was able to get a retrofit from Atlanta flown in, schedule outage, modified bus and installed in 18 hours. Inspector shows up and an apprentice says to me in front of the inspector "I wonder why there is no UL sticker on this CB." GD I wanted to kill the little SH*T. This was 4:30 AM Sunday morning. I had to call the supplier, who woke the factory rep, who got the factory engineer to drive 50 miles to the office, to fax paper work to the to me, What went from a 18 hour turn around from initial outage to final became a 26 hour outage.


That sounds like grounds for justifiable homicide.


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## ElectricIsDead (May 31, 2008)

> When I read polyester shirts my first thought was Saturday Night Fever and Travolta's shirts.


A mirrored ball and a flashlight could be a great sorce of temporary light til the job was finished :laughing:.

I'm a jeans and tshirt guy so I don't normally iron, but work is different. Besides the woman in my life tends to notice small things like that and can't resist a well pressed workshirt. :thumbsup:


These tips are amazing, and I have to be honest, I plan on comming home every night. Should I be worried about small pieces of metal on me like: wedding ring, eyeglasses, belt buckle, boot eyelets, hardware on jeans? Because I want to be safe, but I don't want to waste time on eliminating objects that pose no risk at all.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

ElectricIsDead said:


> A mirrored ball and a flashlight could be a great sorce of temporary light til the job was finished :laughing:.
> 
> I'm a jeans and tshirt guy so I don't normally iron, but work is different. Besides the woman in my life tends to notice small things like that and can't resist a well pressed workshirt. :thumbsup:
> 
> ...


I now wear glasses for small work and have never had an issue other than protecting my eyes when the helpers are slinging around small cuts of mc and that type of flying debris. I do remove my wedding ring when working in a hot control box mainly not to get hooked on anything. The rest shouldn't be an issue.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

MDShunk said:


> That sounds like grounds for justifiable homicide.


 
Or at least a common work place accident.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Glasses have saved me many a trip to at a minimum the eye wash sink or worse. Safety glasses were not a big issue when I started. Nowadays they are a MUST on most jobs and hearing protection follows closely.


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## Thomp (Feb 11, 2008)

Some good thoughts here, my personel hangup is when guys wear to much gold jewelry. You don't want to get that caught in a panel or service section. I have seen to many badly burnt guys because of it.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Jewelry goes away with any trade, saw a guy that fell and his wedding ring got caught on ceiling tie wire, MANGLED his finger.

If you marriage relies on a simple ring to make you keep it in your pants, it ain't much of a marriage. Take it off for at least 8 hours a day.


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## randomkiller (Sep 28, 2007)

brian john said:


> Jewelry goes away with any trade, saw a guy that fell and his wedding ring got caught on ceiling tie wire, MANGLED his finger.
> 
> If you marriage relies on a simple ring to make you keep it in your pants, it ain't much of a marriage. Take it off for at least 8 hours a day.


I wear my ring most of the time, I take it off if I'm working in a panel or something along those lines. I forget I have it on sometimes. I saw a kid that was wearing a titanium band (those new black ones) get it crushed under a machine that popped off the roller they had it on. It ovaled out on his finger and couldn't get it off on the job. The hospital had a hard time cutting it off as well, he said they discussed cutting off his finger and reattaching it. As for other jewelry, leave it at home. Too many accidents happen often.


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