Belco workers are still working extended shifts nearly eight weeks since Hurricane Fabian struck the Island.

Employees of the Bermuda Electric and Light Company in all positions had to work up to 18 hours a day for three weeks after the September 5 storm struck.

But even now, many staff are still working up to 12 hours a day with a comprehensive survey of the network having to be completed and now an Island-wide rehabilitation operation under way.

The company made only temporary repairs to much of the grid in its desperation to restore power to all homes on the Island and is now undertaking a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to try to secure the network ahead of the onset of winter storms. Nearly all residents are expected to face at least one day without power before Christmas as workers shut down power in specific places while permanent repair and clean-up work takes place. Although some workers are now back to their normal shifts, many are still having to put in extra hours to cope with the increased workload.

In the immediate aftermath of Fabian it wasn?t just linesmen working the ridiculous hours, with office staff out ferrying provisions around for workers in the field, operations centre staff working round the clock to co-ordinate the clean-up operation and even meter readers out helping restore power lines.

See feature on Page 2