105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14240907

ELECTRICAL,CPR,POWER LINE WORKER,ELECTROCUTED,ELEC UTILITY WORK,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,OVERHEAD POWER LINE,E PTD

Event
ELECTRICAL,CPR,POWER LINE WORKER,ELECTROCUTED,ELEC UTILITY WORK,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,OVERHEAD POWER LINE,E PTD
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14240907
Report ID
627400

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE

Investigation abstract

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE REPLACING TRANSFORMERS ON A POLE. THE PRIMARY OVERHEAD POWER E THIRD PHASE CONDUCTOR. HE THEN MOVED TO THE SECOND (CENTER) PHASE CONDUCTOR. A S THE TAP TOUCHED THE ENERGIZED CONDUCTOR, THE JUMPER BROKE LOOSE FROM THE TAP, WAS THROWN AROUND THE THIRD JUMPER, AND THEN TOUCHED THE EMPLOYEE ON HIS RIGHT P ECTORAL MUSCLE. THE ELECTRIC SHOCK HE RECEIVED CAUSED HIM TO FALL OFF THE POLE A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 22 FEET TO THE GROUND. THE EMPLOYEE ON THE GROUND APPLIED CAR DIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION, AND THE INJURED EMPLOYEE WAS REVIVED. UNFORTUNATELY , HE DIED ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER OF ELECTROCUTION. LINE WAS 12 KILOVOLTS, PHASE TO PHASE, AND 7250 VOLTS PHASE TO GROUND. ONE OF TH E POWER LINE WORKERS CLIMBED THE POLE WEARING A BODY BELT AND CLIMBERS. HE POSIT IONED HIMSELF ON THE CROSSARM TO START REPLACING THE TRANSFORMERS. THE EMPLOYEE ON THE GROUND TIED REPLACEMENT TRANSFORMERS ONTO A HAND LINE AND UNTIED THE EXIS TING TRANSFORMERS AS THEY WERE RAISED AND LOWERED BY THE LINE WORKER ON THE POLE . AFTER THREE TRANSFORMERS HAD BEEN PLACED IN POSITION, THE EMPLOYEE ON THE POLE CONNECTED THE CONDUCTORS TO THE TRANSFORMER, THEN INSTALLED THE HOT TAPS. USING A SHOTGUN STICK, THE EMPLOYEE OPENED THE DOORS ON THE KNOCKOUTS, THEN TAPPED TH

Victims (3)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 41 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    5
    Event type
    13
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    577
    Human factor
    12
    Environmental factor
    6
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #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
  3. #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

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