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 #14520571

ELECTRICIAN,ELEC UTILITY WORK,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,UTILITY POLE

Event
ELECTRICIAN,ELEC UTILITY WORK,FALL,FALL PROTECTION,UTILITY POLE
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14520571
Report ID
524530

Event description

Fall from Utility Pole

Investigation abstract

Two electricians had been working at the top of a stepped utility pole to make r ell approximately 32 feet, 3 inches. The only training he had received in pole c limbing was during his apprenticeship, which was about 25 years earlier. He had not received any training since that time. epairs to a line that was damaged during a storm the night before. The two men h ad been working on top of the pole making repairs for almost 2 hours before retu rning to the ground. After the first man got down the pole, the other employee s tarted down the pole. He climbed down to a guy, where he stopped and rested for about 5 minutes. He then started down again, stopping to rest after only making his way down a few more feet. After resting about 2 or 3 minutes more, he again started down the pole by attempting to find the next step which was partially hi dden by the cross brace. After missing the step with his foot 2 or 3 times, he f

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 53 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    5
    Source
    43
    Occupation code
    575
    Human factor
    1
    Environmental factor
    13
    Task assigned
    1

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