Power Profile: Rick Page, Ameren Missouri line worker

For Ameren Missouri line workers, safety always comes first. With the novel coronavirus, being safe has taken on a whole new meaning. Even so, Rick Page, a chief line worker for Ameren Missouri, loves his job — an industry he has been in for four decades. “I love this work as much now as I did when I started it.”

It is a line of work he was raised in. His grandfather was the electrical superintendent for the small municipality when he was growing up. As soon as he was old enough, Page started tagging along to clean lines and learn the trade. He was hooked. That interest, that spark, is still with him at the age of 72 and he has no plans on retiring in the near future.

“Rick [Page] is a very dedicated and loyal employee. He has an immense amount of knowledge and experience and talent, and he is able to use that knowledge and experience to help those co-workers around him,” said Chip Webb, the Ameren Missouri Central Division Director.

Every day being different is what keeps that love alive for Page. He added that when you think you’ve seen it all, or learned it all, something happens to show you that isn’t the case; that there is always more to learn. There has been even more variation in the job these last several months as Ameren Missouri has put into place a variety of safety measures due to COVID-19. 

Crews have been divided up into smaller groups, only one person per bucket truck. Workers maintain social distancing, wear masks, use sanitizer, and limit exposure to the public.

“[COVID-19] can potentially be fatal if you're not taking precautions. It’s like wearing a helmet when riding a motorcycle or wearing a seatbelt when driving a car. When you need it, you need it,” said Page. “I'm 72, so I'm pretty careful. And I'm not going to take that chance. So, I take precautions.”

There is inherent risk to being a line worker. In an attempt to mitigate that risk, Ameren Missouri has built multiple layers of safety protocols into every task performed. The COVID-19 related measures are another layer of safety protection.

“In any utility industry, safety is critical because of the risks involved and we have to take it seriously or people get hurt,” said Webb. “And on top of all that, we think about COVID-19 and the additional risks and additional safety challenges that brings. The utility industry represents one of the most essential functions. So from that perspective, from a COVID-19 perspective, it's critical that we do the right things to ensure that our workforce is available and able to do the work that they do.”

In his age bracket, Page is considered high risk. “[Ameren Missouri] has been very good with this coronavirus. I appreciate that,” Page said. Outside of work, Page and his wife have kept themselves pretty isolated. They hunt and fish, grab takeout, and stay home.