Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 202493771 - Line Worker Falls from Utility Pole Following Gaff Cutout

Accident Summary Nr: 202493771 -- Report ID: 0950621 -- Event Date: 08/21/2012
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
316518919	09/27/2012	1731	238210	C Harris Inc Dba Harris Electric

Abstract: At approximately 12:00 p.m. (noon) on August 21, 2012, Employee #1 was working as an electrical power installer or repairer for an electrical contractor at a jobsite located in Orangevale, CA. The contractor had recently been awarded a contract to perform basic pole maintenance on 32,000 poles for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). Employee #1 had just been hired to help with this contract. Employee #1 had completed a line worker training program and was a certified pole climber with approximately one year of experience. As he was coming down from a transmission pole and approximately 10 to 12 feet (3.0 to 3.7 meters) from the ground, he "gaffed out" (or experienced a gaff cutout) and fell onto a pile of leaves on the ground. He sustained a fractured back. According to Employee #1, he was not free climbing. Instead, he was using a Buckingham Model Number 386699E positioning strap, which was compliant with ASTM standard F887-91. The spikes on his gaffs were longer than 1.25 inches (32 millimeters).

Keywords: E GI V, FRACTURE, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, ELECTRICAL WORK, BACK, ELEC UTILITY WORK, FALL, UTILITY POLE, CUTOUT--GAFF

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Powerline, transmission line		Maintenance or repair		$250,000 to $500,000		10

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	316518919			Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Electrical power installers and repairers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: 10 feet Cause: Temporary work (buildings, facilities) Fatality Cause: Fall, other

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