104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14237127

ELECTRICAL,LADDER,ELECTRIC SHOCK,BURN,ELECTROCUTED,OVERHEAD POWER LINE,E C,METAL LADDER,POTENTIAL GRADIENT

Event
ELECTRICAL,LADDER,ELECTRIC SHOCK,BURN,ELECTROCUTED,OVERHEAD POWER LINE,E C,METAL LADDER,POTENTIAL GRADIENT
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14237127
Report ID
626600

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE THRU LADDER

Investigation abstract

AN EMPLOYEE WAS MOVING AN ALUMINUM LADDER ALONG THE OUTSIDE OF A BUILDING. HE HA D BEEN CAULKING THE BUILDING SO THAT HE COULD PAINT IT. WHEN THE EMPLOYEE WAS MO VING THE LADDER, IT CONTACTED A 35,000-VOLT OVERHEAD POWER LINE. HE WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND, AND THE LADDER BECAME WELDED TO THE POWER LINE WITH ITS FEET ON T HE GROUND. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY AND THREE OTHER EMPLOYEES HEARD A LOUD ZAP A ND CAME RUNNING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. A FEW FEET FROM THE LADDER, THE OWNER STAR TED TO ASSIST THE INJURED EMPLOYEE. HE RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRIC FIELD GRADIENTS IN THE EARTH AND WAS ELECTROCUTED. ANOTHER EMPLOYEE, W HO WAS STANDING NEARBY, WAS UNABLE TO MOVE HIS FEET AND RECEIVED ELECTRIC BURNS.

Victims (5)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 50 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    13
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    19
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    13
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #2 Hospitalized Age 22 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    7
    Event type
    13
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    579
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    16
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 20 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    11
    Event type
    13
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    6
    Environmental factor
    13
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #981 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

  5. #982 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.

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