Have you noticed unidentified suspended objects (USOs) hanging from power lines?
Are you intrigued by those odd helmet-like shapes? You’re not alone.
We spotted them too, so we reached out to BC Hydro for an explanation.
It turns out, these mysterious objects are not just ordinary discarded items. They’re actually hardhats, left on the lines as part of an apprenticeship tradition.
BC Hydro’s Power Line Technicians wear green hardhats during their apprenticeships. Once they become journeymen, they switch to white hardhats.
“Green hats are hung up by apprentices when they graduate to white hardhats,” explained BC Hydro.
“There’s no safety issue, and the hats are removed the next time we work on the line.”
So, next time you see a hardhat hanging there, know that it signifies another Power Line Technician has completed their apprenticeship and is out there, keeping the power flowing.
Mystery solved.
