
U.S. power industry may ask key employees to live at work if coronavirus worsens - ericdanielski
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-utilities/u-s-power-industry-may-ask-key-employees-to-live-at-work-if-coronavirus-worsens-idUSKBN2171AC
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taylodl
Weird. This is normal. I work for a large electric utility in the United
States and we already have employees sequestered. This is pretty much par for
the course.

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fsckboy
This is pretty much par for what course?

I understand doing it for covid-19, but is it par for the course for "flu
season"? otherwise, how have you established these practices? You can't be
doing it all the time if you're having employees quarantine when they're not
working, as you mentioned.

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taylodl
Think major storms - especially hurricanes and big ice storms. You need people
responsible for generation, transmission and distribution in place and
sequestered to ensure power is still available to those areas whose
distribution circuits haven't been impacted. For the big storms they start
moving crews in place, just outside the places likely to suffer the most
impacts, before the storm hits so they're ready to go as soon as possible. As
far as we're concerned this is just a variation of our _storm mode_ as we call
it. We got this.

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fsckboy
I understand emergency response by responders who are trained, but in this
case there isn't a power emergency, the emergency is to protect the people who
work the shifts in the power plant from getting each other sick in a pandemic,
and off duty too.

I'm not saying that there is any incompetence or shortage of can-do, just
seems like something that there may not have been much practicing for. I mean,
the way you usually go into high gear might be optimum for spreading the
virus, for example.

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misiti3780
My girlfriend's mother works at Rockefeller in NYC and they told all essential
employees to be ready to move on campus, indefinitely .

Update: typo

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war1025
Could you clarify what institution you mean by "Rockefeller"?

I did a Wikipedia search and it looks like there are several options in New
York.

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wefarrell
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_University](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_University)

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misiti3780
this link is correct.

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korethr
Not surprising, and I'm glad it's being done. I'd be more worried if the
headline was something like "Power companies wait too late to sequester plant
operation crews, personnel shortages mount as employees catch COVID-19" or
similiar.

I got a taste of something similar to this years back when I was a NOC monkey.
I worked a weekend shift. One time, the news reported that big snow storm was
coming that weekend. When I showed up that Friday, the site manager gave me
the info for the hotel they were putting me up in for the weekend. Yes, he
knows I have a relatively short drive to work along routes that will be the
first ones hit by the plows and salt trucks. Yes, he's glad I have a fresh
battery and snow tires on my car. No, none of that matters, we need to
guarantee personnel on site, and the hotel's closer.

Companies that provide important services usually have plans in place for
events like this if they have their shit together.

Usually.

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hinkley
They probably have an underwriter who won't pay out if any of those t's are
not crossed.

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6gvONxR4sf7o
I sure wish people who are being asked to go above and beyond during this
crisis would be compensated above and beyond for it. The idea of people
putting themselves in danger for the rest of us for a shitty wage is so
depressing.

(I'm thinking healthcare workers, grocery clerks, etc. Not that the power
folks are necessarily putting themselves in danger)

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yread
I've heard rumours about a high-frequency trading shop doing that, too

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closeparen
Weird. Can't they work from home?

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pengaru
Most home offices don't have 16 displays attached to the desk

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leetcrew
mine would if I made that kind of money.

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kevin_thibedeau
I'm waiting for someone to bring the vertically curved video slot machine
displays to market for general use. Those would make a nice personal command
center.

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catalogia
What kind of housing to they have? The article mentions bedding, blankets,
etc, but not what sort of living quarters are provided. I hope they don't have
people sleeping under their desks. Putting trailers in the parking lots seems
like a good idea, to keep morale up if nothing else.

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est31
Yeah there is also a hygienic threat to the workers. The 1918 influenza
pandemic, which killed more people than WW1, found breeding grounds in the
dense cantonments built for soldiers.

[https://youtu.be/fLGNrC9k418?t=2494](https://youtu.be/fLGNrC9k418?t=2494)

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dillonmckay
I am curious what the strategy is for linemen, particularly if a natural
disaster occurs (inclement weather), in conjuction with the ongoing ‘war’.

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mandelbrotwurst
Probably just send them out, no? Do they even end up particularly close to
other people even in normal times? People tend to avoid power lines that are
being actively worked on.

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dillonmckay
Yes, they work in crews and travel to different states. They have to eat, and
stay in hotels for days or weeks.

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hinkley
If you work with a fixed crew and equipment, you'll have whole teams down at
once, but other teams won't have been exposed at all.

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dillonmckay
Except they interact with hotel staff and Walmart and grocery store cashiers.

Also, part of my friend’s job is transporting equipment to various teams.

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dang
Url changed from [https://energycentral.com/c/ec/covid-19-news-nuclear-
workers...](https://energycentral.com/c/ec/covid-19-news-nuclear-workers-may-
live-site-during-virus-crisis), which points to this.

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uoaei
What a wonderful time to attack the US power grid and cause mass mayhem. Would
certainly destabilize the world's leading superpower.

