OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14382477
OVERHEAD POWER LINE,ELECTRICAL,WIRE ROPE,ELECTROCUTED,E C,PAINTER
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE THRU WIRE ROPE
Investigation abstract
THREE BRIDGE PAINTERS WERE FISHING 4150-FOOT WIRE ROPES FROM UNDER AN EAST-TO-WE EMOVED BY THE EMPLOYEES' RELEASING THE EAST END OF EACH ROPE AND DROPPING IT TO THE GROUND, 60 TO 70 FEET BELOW AND JUST EAST OF THE POWER LINES. THEN, THE EMPL OYEES PULLED THE WEST END OF THE WIRE ROPE ACROSS THE TWO CENTER BENDS AND THE M ANILA ROPE AND DROPPED THAT END TO THE GROUND PAST THE POWER LINES. ONE OF THE E MPLOYEES WAS ELECTROCUTED WHEN THE TWO PAINTERS ON THE GROUND ALLOWED ONE OF THE WIRE ROPES TO CONTACT ONE OF THE POWER LINES AS THE FIRST EMPLOYEE WAS CLOSE TO OR IN CONTACT WITH THE WIRE ROPE. THE MANILA ROPE WAS THE ONLY PRECAUTION TAKEN TO PREVENT THE WIRE ROPE FROM CONTACTING THE POWER LINES. ST FOUR-LANE BRIDGE CROSSING A RIVER VALLEY. THE WIRE ROPE HAD BEEN FASTENED AT THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE AND HAD BEEN BENT EASTWARD ABOUT 12 TO 18 INCHES BELOW THE GIRDERS. THERE WERE TWO MORE BENDS TO THE EASTERN ABUTMENT. THREE 12-KILOVOL T OVERHEAD POWER LINES (7200 VOLTS TO GROUND) RAN NORTH TO SOUTH ABOUT 14 FEET B ELOW THE WIRE ROPE UNDER THE BRIDGE NEAR THE EASTERN SHORE. A 0.75-INCH MANILA R OPE HAD BEEN TIED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE POWER LINES TO THE NORTHERN RAILING, DOWN U NDER THE BRIDGE, AND BACK UP TO THE NORTHERN RAILING. THE PURPOSE OF THIS ROPE W AS TO PREVENT THE WIRE ROPE FROM CONTACTING THE POWER LINES. THE WIRE ROPE WAS R
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 22 M
- Nature of injury
- 10
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 13
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 579
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Task assigned
- 1
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