OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #976159
SCHEIDLEMAN EXCAVATING INC
FORT WAYNE, IN·
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE THRU BOOM
Investigation abstract
TWO EMPLOYEES WERE LAYING PIPE IN A 7-FOOT-DEEP TRENCH THAT WAS LOCATED DIRECTLY BENEATH AND PARALLEL TO A 7200-VOLT OVERHEAD POWER LINE. THEY WERE LAYING AN 18 -FOOT LENGTH OF PIPE. ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES WAS OPERATING A CATERPILLAR 235 BACKH OE (SERIAL NO. 32K0960) TO RAISE THE PIPE. THE PIPE WAS ATTACHED TO THE BOOM OF THE BACKHOE BY MEANS OF A WIRE ROPE AND A HOOK ON THE BACKHOE BUCKET. THE OTHER EMPLOYEE GRABBED THE WIRE ROPE TO PREVENT THE PIPE FROM SWINGING. AT THAT MOMENT , THE BOOM ON THE BACKHOE CONTACTED THE POWER LINE. THE EMPLOYEE HOLDING THE WIR E ROPE WAS ELECTROCUTED. THE BACKHOE OPERATOR RECEIVED MINOR BURNS ON HIS HANDS.
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 23 M
- Nature of injury
- 10
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 13
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 869
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8870
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 29 M
- Nature of injury
- 10
- Part of body
- 12
- Event type
- 13
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 853
- 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.