OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14394522
RILEY BROTHERS, INC.
ZACHARY, LA·
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE THRU TREE LIMB
Investigation abstract
AN EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING FOR A TREE-TRIMMING CONTRACTOR, CLEARING OVERHEAD POWER LINES FOR AN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE. THE LINE-CLEARANCE TREE TRIMMER HAD CLIMBED A TREE THAT COULD NOT BE REACHED FROM HIS AERIAL LIFT. HE WAS USING A HAND-HELD S PEED SAW TO TRIM OVERHANGING LIMBS. ONE OF THE LIMBS FELL INTO A 14.4-KILOVOLT O VERHEAD POWER LINE. THE EMPLOYEE, WHO WAS STILL IN CONTACT WITH THE LIMB, WAS EL ECTROCUTED.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 21 Male
- Nature of injury
- Electric Shock (10)
- Part of body
- BODYSYSTEM (4)
- Accident type
- STRUCK AGAINST (6)
- Source of injury
- ELEC APPARAT/WIRING (15)
- Occupation
- Forestry workers, except logging (495)
- Human factor
- MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
- Environmental factor
- OVERHEAD MOVING/FALLING OBJ AC (6)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.