When I started years ago a route mechanic typically had about 40 to 50 units on their route. Now take that figure and multiply by 3 or even 4 these days. Now the technology has made the job easier in some respects but yet harder in others. I think the level of distraction for people in the field is a factor in accidents. Years ago we didn't have cell phones, PDAs and the constant need to update our field status on a hour by hour basis. This adds to a lot of stress and the feeling of constantly being in a rush to get from job to job. I think given that we use computers to troubleshoot leads us to forget that we are still surrounded by high voltage and rotating equipment.
