Glossary
Electrical Lineworker Terms & Vocabulary
15 essential electrical lineworker terms with plain-English definitions: the vocabulary you’ll hear in training and on day one.
Key electrical lineworker vocabulary
These 15 terms come up constantly in electrical lineworker training, on the job and in interviews. Knowing them helps you follow instructions, document accurately and sound prepared.
- Crossarm
- A horizontal member on a pole that holds insulators and conductors.
- Distribution line
- Lower-voltage lines that deliver power through neighborhoods to customers.
- Gaffs
- Sharp climbing hooks attached to boots for climbing wood poles.
- Hot stick
- An insulated pole used to work on energized lines from a distance.
- Insulator
- A non-conductive component that supports conductors and isolates them from poles.
- Minimum approach distance (MAD)
- The closest distance a worker may approach an energized part, based on voltage.
- Mutual aid
- Utilities sending crews to help other regions after major storms.
- Personal protective grounding
- Temporary grounds installed to protect workers on de-energized lines.
- Primary and secondary
- Higher-voltage distribution conductors (primary) and customer-voltage conductors (secondary).
- Recloser
- A device that automatically reconnects a line after a temporary fault.
- Rubber goods
- Insulating gloves, sleeves and blankets rated by voltage class.
- Switching order
- A step-by-step plan for operating switches to isolate or restore lines.
- Tailboard
- A pre-job briefing covering hazards and procedures.
- Transformer
- Equipment that steps voltage up or down.
- Transmission line
- High-voltage lines that move power long distances.
Practice these terms
Test yourself with the free Electrical Lineworker practice test: it includes vocabulary questions built from this list. For a complete course, see Electrical Lineworker training.
Browse terms from every career in our career glossary.