Description
Join, terminate, and repair medium- and high-voltage power cables in overhead and underground distribution systems. Prepare, splice, seal, and test conductors and insulation to ensure safe, reliable service.
- • Follow safety practices, including lockout/tagout, PPE, and setting barriers around work areas.
- • Open switches and install grounds to de-energize cables for splicing or repair.
- • Verify and phase conductors with identifiers and test instruments before cutting or splicing.
- • Strip sheath and insulation, clean conductors, and prepare cables to manufacturer specifications.
- • Make cable joints and terminations using heat-shrink, cold-shrink, epoxy, or compression kits.
- • Apply insulating, sealing, and fireproofing materials to splices and terminations.
- • Test cables and splices with megohmmeters, TDR, and hi-pot sets to confirm integrity.
- • Locate and pinpoint cable faults using diagrams, locators, and test equipment.
- • Install, maintain, and repair underground and overhead distribution cables and related hardware.
- • Label, phase, and document cables, splices, and terminations per utility standards.
- • Use truck-mounted buckets or enter manholes and vaults to access cables safely.
- • Coordinate switching, tagging, and work sequencing with dispatch and crew members.
- • Drive and operate reel trucks, pullers, and other equipment to stage and transport materials.
- • Pull, lay, and route cables in conduits and trenches; set up grips, sheaves, and winches.
- • Connect service laterals and secondary cables to customer facilities.
- • Inspect and maintain vaults, manholes, pedestals, and splice enclosures.
- • Select connectors and taping sequences using splicing diagrams and specifications.
- • Repair or replace damaged cable sections, joints, and terminations.
- • Maintain splicing tools, hot sticks, and test equipment; perform pre-use checks.
- • Backfill and restore work sites and complete as-built records.
- • Respond to emergency callouts to locate faults and restore service.
- • Comply with confined-space and hot-work procedures; ventilate and gas-test manholes.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
