SPARKS IN THE SKY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MENG QINGCHUN (孟庆春)

TEXT BY SUN JIAHUI (孙佳慧)

SPARKS IN THE SKY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MENG QINGCHUN (孟庆春)

TEXT BY SUN JIAHUI (孙佳慧)

A look at the brave workers who keep your light so n

炙热与目眩！电力工人的夏日高空行走

Today, we often look at electrical workers as laborers, specialists, perhaps people with dangerous jobs. But, when we were young, they cut an altogether more powerful fi gure, perhaps something close to superheroes.

In Foshan (佛山), Guangdong Province, an electrical construction team has been working on a months-long project to extend transmission lines in the city. Old pylons needed to be replaced by new ones both for safety and ef fi ciency, and the work itself takes place at a height of more than 40 meters.

The team responsible for this type of undertaking isn’t just on the high wire with the high-altitude-operation technicians; crews of over 30 people work together in tandem, including ground crew support staff. Provisional members are added as needed and, although these particular team members are all from Hubei Province, their work takes them around the country.

These laborers sometimes work under extremely dif fi cult circumstances, not the least of which is the heat, which can rise to over 35 degrees Celsius in Foshan’s summer. To make matters worse, workers must wear standard-issue insulation uniforms for safety, leading to things like heat stroke and dehydration, which, even on the ground, are dangerous hazards. They begin work early in the morning, rest at midday to avoid the worst of the sun, and then work late into the evening.

Occasionally, they need to act as an emergency response team; day or night, they may be ordered to rush to the scene of a problem. They work public holidays, including Spring Festival, and while the rest of the country sits down with their family for a meal, these workers climb the on the high wires to keep the country’s grid together.

However, despite the harsh weather conditions, long and irregular work hours, and danger, these workers have, in the past, come under public criticism for their relatively high salaries. Many don’t think that they deserve such a compensation for what amounts to a manual laborer’s position. In actuality, many of these workers hold a bachelor’s degree and sometimes even a master’s, and the high-altitude-operation technicians need to obtain certain quali fi cation certi fi cates in addition to their education.

Not everyone has the opportunity to witness the hardships these workers endure. You might not be able to see their achievements in fat bank accounts or fancy cars, but when you see the blaze of lights at night in both rural and urban areas, it’s not dif fi cult to imagine their silhouettes on those sky-high power lines, perhaps once again amounting to that superhero image we once had of them as children.

GROUND CREW PREPARE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MACHINE THAT WILL HELP THEM TO DRAW IN THE WIRE

A HEAVY ROLL OF WIRE IS MOVED TO THE SITE FOR THE WORKERS TO USE IN THEIR REPAIRS

SPECIALIZED HIGH—ALTITUDE—OPERATION TECHNICIANS DRAW WIRES TO THE PYLONS

THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT TAKES PLACE AT A HEIGHT OF MORE THAN 40 METERS

AS THEY DEAL WITH DANGEROUS, CRUCIAL WORK, THE TECHNICIANS ON THE HIGH—WIRE ALL NEED TO BE WELL TRAINED AND EDUCATED

GROUND CREW LOOK AFTER THEIR COWORKERS AS THEY BRAVE THE HEIGHTS, THE HEAT, AND THE DANGEROUS NATURE OF THE JOB

TEMPERATURES IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD REACH 30 DEGREES CELCIUS, AND IT'S WORSE INSIDE THE SAFETY SUITS