Demo in Dublin

The clouds parted and the sun began to shine just in time for United’s Safety & Loss Control Coordinators Pat Griffith and Brody Weems to begin their arcing and safety demonstration at Olam Edible Nuts factory in Dublin. On hand were Olam’s Human Resources Manager Autumn Hill, Quality Assurance Manager Alejandro Ramirez, Assistant Plant Manager Greg Thompson and a majority of Olam’s workers who had come to watch the demonstration and enjoy a hot dog picnic between shifts. Joining Weems and Griffith from United were Joshua Shaver, apprentice lineman III, and JT Higgins, first-class lineman.

Dublin, a city with a population of roughly 3,600 people, located in southwestern Erath County, is possibly best known as the former home of the world’s oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant or as the official “Irish Capital of Texas.” 

This day, however, was all about peanuts. Olam Edible Nuts runs 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, employing 80 people who peel and roast peanuts for clients such as the Hershey company and Mars, Inc. They are the exclusive roaster of peanuts for Hershey’s PayDay candy bar.

The demonstration, according to Hill, was orchestrated between shifts so that the majority of the plant’s employees could see and experience first-hand United’s safety and arcing presentation.

“April 28 is World Day for Safety,” said Hill. “We were able to coordinate with United Co-op to come out and give a presentation because safety is our number one priority. We want people to go home to their families at night. I think it’s good for them to hear it from other people than always just us here in the plant. Sometimes a visual is better for them as well.”
Safety is the focus of the demonstration, not just a show of electricity, although the show is the main attraction. United’s Weems and Griffith’s focus is electrical safety, but there’s also a general safety message geared toward any work environment—even a peanut roasting factory.

Weems says that complacency is one of the main causes of workplace accidents.

“It causes folks to accept hazards as just another part of their workday, by becoming complacent we begin to forget about those hazards altogether,” Weems said. “This is how shortcuts are created and we all know that shortcuts lead to accidents. We owe it to our coworkers, our families, and to ourselves to work as safely as possible every single day.”

The arcing demonstration uses two transformers wired into high-voltage, creating an impressive 5,000-volt arc of electricity that showcases the power and danger of electric lines. United has performed this demonstration for more than 10 years to school groups, businesses, youth clubs and other interested parties.

“As impressive as the arc is, it’s still only an example of the power of electricity,” Griffith said. “Actual power lines carry a much heavier load of electricity than the demonstration. The arcing demonstration shows the real-life effects of what could happen when something touches high-voltage lines. It is also great for first responders and other people who might work around high voltage to see what electricity does firsthand, while we’re also discussing electrical safety. We can tailor our program for any audience, whether it’s curious adults, working professionals or even put it into terms that children can understand.”

United’s arcing demonstration is a public service. To request a demonstration for a group or organization, visit www.ucs.net.