105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14494819

OVERHEAD POWER LINE,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,LIGHTNING

Event
OVERHEAD POWER LINE,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,LIGHTNING
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14494819
Report ID
627700

Event description

CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYEES STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

Investigation abstract

BAD WEATHER WAS APPROACHING THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT. ALL FOUR EMPLOYEES WERE ENG BECOME "BAD ENOUGH." AGED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST OF TWO BROILER CHICKEN BARNS. THE WORK WAS BEING DONE ON THE SIDE OF A SMALL HILL, WITH AN ELECTRIC POWERLINE ON THE DOWN HILL SIDE AND THE CREST OF A SMALL HILL ON THE UPHILL SIDE. (THE SITE WAS A LIKE LY LOCATION FOR A LIGHTNING STRIKE.) THE EMPLOYEES WERE BUILDING THE FORM WORKS FOR THE CONCRETE STEM WALL TO BE POURED. LIGHTNING STRUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE W ORK GROUP, INSTANTLY KILLING EMPLOYEES #1 & #2 AND INJURING EMPLOYEE #3. THE SIT E FOREMAN HAD ALREADY DECIDED TO STOP WORK. HE HAD ONCE PREVIOUSLY STOPPED WORK AT THE SITE FOR THE SAME REASON. MANAGEMENT WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE WEATHER TO

Victims (4)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    1
    Source
    32
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    17
    Task assigned
    1
  2. #2 Fatality Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    1
    Source
    32
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    17
    Task assigned
    1
  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 21 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    1
    Source
    32
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    17
    Task assigned
    1
  4. #4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 44 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    1
    Source
    32
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    17
    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.