OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14264196
ROWLEY PIPE LINES, INC.
MESA, AZ·
Event description
BURN - SHOVEL CONTACT WITH UNDERGROUND POWER LINE
Investigation abstract
THREE EMPLOYEES OF A PIPE LAYING COMPANY HAD EXCAVATED A TRENCH 3.5 FEET DEEP, 3 FEET WIDE, AND 15 FEET LONG. THE TRENCH WAS TO CARRY A HIGH PRESSURE WATER LINE UNDER AN EXISTING UNDERGROUND POWER LINE. THE EMPLOYEES HAD USED A BACK HOE TO EXCAVATE THE AREA TO WITHIN 12 INCHES OF A 3-INCH-DIAMETER TELEPHONE CONDUIT. TH E EMPLOYEES THEN BEGAN PROBING FOR THE POWER LINE USING A 6-FOOT-LONG ALL-METAL SHOVEL (CALLED A "SHARPSHOOTER"). DURING THIS OPERATION, THE SHOVEL CONTACTED TH E UNDERGROUND POWER LINE AND CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL FAULT. THE RESULTING ARC BURNE D TWO OF THE EMPLOYEES--ONE ON HIS FACE, THE OTHER ON BOTH ARMS. BOTH EMPLOYEES WERE TREATED AND RELEASED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL.
Victims (2)
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 45 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 2
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 869
- Human factor
- 6
- Environmental factor
- 5
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 26 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 9
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 869
- Human factor
- 6
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
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.