OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #659748
PHILLIPS ACADEMY
ANDOVER, MA·
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH UNDERGROUND LINE THRU SHOVEL
Investigation abstract
AN EMPLOYEE WAS OPERATING A DITCHWITCH TO DIG A TRENCH 2 FEET WIDE BY 4 FEET DEE BURNDY CLAMP, WHICH WAS COVERED WITH ONLY ONE LAYER OF VINYL ELECTRICAL TAPE. T HE CONTACT RESULTED IN THE ELECTROCUTION OF THE EMPLOYEE. P. THE DITCHWITCH CUT INTO AN ENERGIZED 2400-VOLT, 3-PHASE UNDERGROUND POWER LIN E. THE CABLE WAS UNCOVERED AND SPLICED BY SCHOOL ELECTRICIANS USING BURNDY CLAMP S AND SILICON AND VINYL ELECTRICAL TAPES. POWER WAS RESTORED, BUT THE CABLE WAS NOT COVERED OR BURIED. NO WARNING SINGS WERE POSTED, AND NO BARRICADES WERE EREC TED. TWO DAYS LATER, THE FIRST EMPLOYEE WAS ASSIGNED TO LEVEL THE SAND IN THE TR ENCH. IT WAS RAINING, AND WATER WAS IN THE TRENCH. THE EMPLOYEE WAS USING A SHOV EL WITH A LONG HANDLE AND A METAL SPADE. HE ACCIDENTALLY DUG BETWEEN TWO CONDUCT ORS OF THE SPLICED CABLE, AND THE METAL BLADE CONTACTED A PROTRUDING PART OF THE
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 26 M
- Nature of injury
- 10
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 13
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 13
- 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.