OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14340590
OVERHEAD POWER LINE,ELECTRICAL,E GI IA,ELECTROCUTED,DUMP TRUCK,DUMP TRUCK BED
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE THRU DUMP TRUCK
Investigation abstract
A TRUCK DRIVER HAD DELIVERED A LOAD OF COLD PATCH ASPHALT TO A GAS COMPANY IN A ER OPERATED THE CONTROLS TO LIFT THE BED. AS THE BED BEGAN TO RISE, THE TRUCK DR IVER NOTICED THAT HE WAS PARKED DIRECTLY BENEATH AN OVERHEAD POWER LINE. THE POW ER LINE RAN PARALLEL TO THE TRUCK, AND THE LOWEST OF THE CONDUCTORS FOR THIS LIN E WAS ABOUT 21 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. BECAUSE OF CONCERN ABOUT CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINE, THE DRIVER DISCONTINUED THE LIFT. HE AND THE GAS COMPANY OBSERVER AG REED THAT THE TRUCK SHOULD BE REPOSITIONED. THE DRIVER PULLED FORWARD AND THEN B ACKED INTO A POSITION 3 FEET AWAY FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION. THE DRIVER AGAIN S TARTED RAISING THE BED, WATCHING FROM THE WINDOW. AFTER UNLOADING THE ASPHALT, H E GOT OUT AND WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK TO DISCOVER THAT A SMALL AMOUNT OF ASPHALT WAS STILL IN THE TRUCK. HE REENTERED THE TRUCK AND JOGGED THE BED TO DI 24-FOOT FRUEHAUF DUMP TRUCK. HE HAD DRIVEN TO AN EXISTING PILE OF ASPHALT IN THE SLODGE THE MATERIAL. IN DOING THIS, HE BROUGHT THE BED OF THE TRAILER INTO CONTA CT WITH THE 7260-VOLT-TO-GROUND OVERHEAD POWER LINE, WITHOUT REALIZING IT. AS TH E EMPLOYEE EXITED THE TRUCK, HIS LEFT HAND WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE BALANCE BAR O N OUTSIDE OF THE TRUCK CAB. AS HIS FEET TOUCHED THE WET PAVEMENT, THE EMPLOYEE R ECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK AND COULD NOT LET GO OF THE BALANCE BAR. IN AN EFFORT TO FREE HIMSELF, HE USED HIS RIGHT HAND TO PUSH ON THE GAS TANK. THIS PROVIDED A N EVEN BETTER CONTACT WITH THE ENERGIZED TRUCK, AND THE EMPLOYEE WAS ELECTROCUTE D. GAS COMPANY'S YARD AND HAD POSITIONED HIS TRUCK FOR UNLOADING. HE HAD APPARENTL Y DELIVERED ASPHALT TO THIS LOCATION BEFORE AS HE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE UNLOADING SITE. AFTER PARKING THE TRUCK, THE EMPLOYEE GOT OUT OF THE CAB AND WALKED TO TH E REAR OF THE TRUCK, WHERE HE WAS MET BY A GAS COMPANY EMPLOYEE ASSIGNED TO MONI TOR THE DELIVERY. IT WAS RAINING AT THE TIME, AND THE GROUND WAS WET. THE TRUCK DRIVER MADE SURE THAT THE LOAD COULD BE DUMPED WITHOUT PROBLEM AND THEN RETURNED TO THE TRUCK CAB. WHILE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AT THE TRUCK BED, THE TRUCK DRIV
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 10
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 13
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 804
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8870
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#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
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