18
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
|
September/October 2018
MY DAVEY
DAVEY INSTITUTE OF UTILITY SCIENCES
EXPANDS COMPANY TRAINING COURSES
The inaugural session of the Davey Institute of Utility
Sciences (D.I.U.S.) convened at the Davey Institute to
elevate the knowledge and capabilities of managers working
in Utility services.
The week-long course is modeled after the Davey Institute
of Tree Sciences, an intensive, month-long training program
on safety, tree and plant care, management and other topics.
Anand Persad, manager, arboriculture and plant sciences,
said D.I.U.S. is designed specifically to help employees in
Utility services learn how best to address the needs of their
clients, communities and coworkers.
"This new program is intended to bring our mid-level
management in Utility operations, our general foremen
and up, up to speed on what the utility clients we serve
see as emerging opportunities for expanding Davey's service
offerings," Persad said.
Some aspects of the program included tree biomechanics,
work planning, safety, technology implementation,
environmental stewardship and social media awareness.
Working in groups in the outdoor classroom, students
experienced a variety of hands-on lessons. In a safety
exercise, students identified safety hazards or failures
on 42 different pieces of equipment. In another lesson,
students developed a work plan for a right-of-way. In
another, students were called on to demonstrate the
company's hazardous spill procedures.
Josh Pressley, supervisor, Duke Energy account, graduated
from D.I.T.S. in 2010. But as a utility supervisor he truly
appreciated the specificity of D.I.U.S.
"This would be beneficial to anyone and everyone working
in Utility services because it's strictly line clearance type
training," Pressley said. "It's also been great to meet people
from all over the company."
Persad said D.I.U.S. will be incorporated into the Institute
training courses as a yearly program.
Above: Students and instructors of the inaugural Davey Institute of
Utility Sciences stand outside the corporate headquarters in August.
Left: In an outdoor classroom exercise, students were charged with
developing a work plan for a right-of-way span that involved having to
identify hazard trees and determining any potential off-corridor impacts
or trees outside the right-of-way that could affect the lines.
