Keeping the power on has always been an essential service, but with much of the country still sheltering-in-place and facing financial uncertainties brought on by COVID-19, utility companies are under higher pressure than ever to provide reliable critical infrastructure. But utility companies have not escaped the coronavirus safety measure complications shared by many other industries. How can employees stay safe in the field while complying with social distancing? Can any utility work be conducted from home? Should new workplace standard operating procedures be established & implemented, or will temporary changes suffice?

According to Matthew Bandyk writing for Utility Dive, the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) has taken to keeping consistent outage restoration crews without interchangeable members to decrease exposure risks. PUD has also had to cease all other field work other than restoration due to personnel limitations, and in Nevada, NV Energy is transitioning more field positions to working remotely. These are examples of some of the advice provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for utility companies navigating the COVID crisis at hand. PwC also urges utilities to turn to technology solutions like automation to decrease exposure.

Through Tangent’s utility audit technology, we’re able to provide exactly those kinds of solutions. Our automated utility audit systems allow us to perform more audits faster than anyone else and at a greater value. Once the audits are completed, we’re able to identify exactly which sites require remediation and can therefore decrease exposure times of field crews. Additionally, Tangent provides low to no cost post-audit services including carrier relations, making a more cohesive experience for all parties involved. Solving pain points with technology is a signature of Tangent and you can expect more to come as we continue our mission to innovate.

For utility inquiries, contact info@tangent.systems