Mississippi Power linemen protected thanks to new state law

A new law that takes effect July 1 falls right in line with Mississippi Power’s No. 1 priority – safety.

Utility workers will have more protection in the field thanks to a bill passed by state lawmakers during the 2015 legislative session.

House Bill 172, signed by Gov. Phil Bryant, ushers in the “Utility Worker Protection Act,” and enhances the criminal penalties for threatening a utility worker. They join elected officials, firefighters, teachers and other protected personnel on the list.

With that in mind, the company has set up a series of premise seminars for linemen and other workers in the field on how to deal with potentially dangerous situations.

“We’ve been doing this since before the law was passed,” said Coast Customer Service Manager Jimmy Nelson. “We all met to decide what other tools our employees needed in the field.”

And while most customer interactions are non-confrontational, Corporate Security Investigator Chris Odom told linemen in the opening session of classes that correctly reacting to situations is important.

“It’s another aspect of safety we’re addressing,” Odom told the class. “For you, it’s about situational awareness in the field. Is it a safe area? Is the customer angry about his power being turned off? Do you have a possible escape route? Is it possible to verbally de-escalate the situation? All these factors go into your decision-making. You learn from each experience.”

Those convicted under the new law will include the domestic violence designation and carry penalties ranging from a $500 fine and six months in jail to the killing of a utility worker becoming a capital offense.