OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14489686
ELEC PROTECT EQUIP,ELECTRICAL,ELECTROCUTED,TRENCH,E C,BACKHOE,UNDRGRD POWER LINE
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH UNDERGROUND POWER LINE
Investigation abstract
A BACKHOE OPERATOR AND A HELPER WERE DIGGING A TRENCH TO INSTALL APPROXIMATELY 1 EMPLOYEE WAS NOT WEARING RUBBER INSULATING GLOVES, AND NO SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS F OR WORKING AROUND UNDERGROUND ENERGIZED ELECTRIC POWER CABLES WERE GIVEN TO HIM. 50 FEET OF 8-INCH PVC DRAINAGE PIPE WHEN THEY ENCOUNTERED TWO 7,620-VOLT UNDERGR OUND ELECTRIC POWER CABLES AND ONE TELEPHONE CABLE. A JOHN DEERE BACKHOE (MODEL NO. E0690, SERIAL NO.000522T) WITH A 7/8-CUBIC-YARD BUCKET WAS BEING USED TO DIG THE TRENCH. THE HELPER WAS IN THE TRENCH DIRECTING THE BACKHOE OPERATOR. ONE OF THE UNDERGROUND ELECTRIC CABLES WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED BUT NOT COMPLETELY BROKEN BY THE BACKHOE'S BUCKET OR BUCKET TEETH. THE HELPER CONTACTED THE ENERGIZED, DAM AGED CONDUCTOR WITH THE TIP OF HIS SHORT-HANDLED SHOVEL. THE CURRENT ENTERED HIS LEFT HAND AND EXITED THROUGH THE SIDE OF HIS LEFT FOOT, ELECTROCUTING HIM. THE
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 47 M
- Nature of injury
- 10
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 12
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 20
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8870
- 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.