UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ASSIGNED TO CONVERT AN ELECTRIC WATER HEATER TO A GAS UNIT. THEY WENT INTO THE CRAWL SPACE UNDER THE HOUSE; AND THEN THEY MEASURED, CUT, AND THREADED PIPE IN PREPARATION FOR THE INSTALLATION. ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES (EMPLOYEE #1) RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM A CONDUCTOR WHILE HE WAS IN THE CRAWL SPACE. THE EMPLOYEES AGREED TO CONTINUE IN A DIFFERENT AREA WITHIN THE CRAWL SPACE. AS THEY WERE THREADING A NEW PIPE, EMPLOYEE #2 HEARD A THUMP AND TURNED AROUND TO SEE EMPLOYEE #1 FACE DOWN ON THE GROUND. HE RUSHED TO HIS INJURED COWORKER AND SAW THAT HE WAS ENTANGLED IN A CONDUCTOR. AS EMPLOYEE #2 TRIED TO HELP THE INJURED WORKER, HE RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK. EMPLOYEE #2 RAN OUT OF THE CRAWL SPACE TO SHUT OFF ELECTRIC POWER AND TO SUMMON HELP. HE THEN RETURNED TO THE CRAWL SPACE AND BEGAN TO PULL HIS COWORKER OUT. THE POLICE ARRIVED AND PULLED THE INJURED EMPLOYEE OUT OF THE CRAWL SPACE WHILE EMPLOYEE #2 WAITED OUTSIDE. EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNEL ARRIVED AND TRIED TO REVIVE EMPLOYEE #1, BUT THEY WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. HE HAD BEEN ELECTROCUTED. EMPLOYEE #2 SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES IN ADDITION TO THE ELECTRIC SHOCK HE RECEIVED. (THE EMPLOYEES HAD NOT RECEIVED SAFETY TRAINING FROM THEIR EMPLOYER.)