104,543Records 70,659Employers 84,666Hospitalizations 27,563Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-09-30
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #570721

BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRICAL,JACKHAMMER,E C,UNDRGRD INSTALLATION,ELECTRIC SHOCK,UNDRGRD POWER LINE

Event
BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRICAL,JACKHAMMER,E C,UNDRGRD INSTALLATION,ELECTRIC SHOCK,UNDRGRD POWER LINE
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
570721
Report ID
523420

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK & BURN - JACKHAMMER CONTACTED UNDERGRD LINE

Investigation abstract

A CREW OF EMPLOYEES WAS REMOVING 24-INCH-DIAMETER CLAY SEWER PIPE WITH THE AID O F JACKHAMMERS. THE PIPE HAD BEEN LAID OVER UNDERGROUND POWER LINES INSTALLED IN CONDUITS. THE GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE INSTALLATION INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A CONCRETE CAP OVER THE ELECTRICAL CONDUITS. HOWEVER, ONE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED AN ELE CTRIC SHOCK WHEN THE CHISEL ON THE JACKHAMMER PENETRATED THE CLAY PIPE AND THE F IBER DUCT BELOW IT. THE JACKHAMMER HAD CONTACTED ONE OF THE 2400-VOLT UNDERGROUN D POWER LINES. IN FACT, THERE WAS NO CONCRETE COVERING THE POWER LINES. THE EMPL OYEE RECEIVED BURNS TO HIS RIGHT HAND AND ARM AND TO HIS CHEST IN ADDITION TO TH E ELECTRIC SHOCK. HE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR HIS INJURIES.

Victim

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 41 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    5
    Event type
    13
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    1
    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.