Inspection Detail

Inspection: 100354141 - Savannah Gas Company

Inspection Information - Office: Savannah Area Office

Investigation Summary

A TRUCK DRIVER HAD DELIVERED A LOAD OF COLD PATCH ASPHALT TO A GAS COMPANY IN A 24-FOOT FRUEHAUF DUMP TRUCK. HE HAD DRIVEN TO AN EXISTING PILE OF ASPHALT IN THE GAS COMPANY'S YARD AND HAD POSITIONED HIS TRUCK FOR UNLOADING. HE HAD APPARENTLY DELIVERED ASPHALT TO THIS LOCATION BEFORE AS HE WENT DIRECTLY TO THE UNLOADING SITE. AFTER PARKING THE TRUCK, THE EMPLOYEE GOT OUT OF THE CAB AND WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK, WHERE HE WAS MET BY A GAS COMPANY EMPLOYEE ASSIGNED TO MONITOR THE DELIVERY. IT WAS RAINING AT THE TIME, AND THE GROUND WAS WET. THE TRUCK DRIVER MADE SURE THAT THE LOAD COULD BE DUMPED WITHOUT PROBLEM AND THEN RETURNED TO THE TRUCK CAB. WHILE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AT THE TRUCK BED, THE TRUCK DRIVER OPERATED THE CONTROLS TO LIFT THE BED. AS THE BED BEGAN TO RISE, THE TRUCK DRIVER NOTICED THAT HE WAS PARKED DIRECTLY BENEATH AN OVERHEAD POWER LINE. THE POWER LINE RAN PARALLEL TO THE TRUCK, AND THE LOWEST OF THE CONDUCTORS FOR THIS LINE WAS ABOUT 21 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. BECAUSE OF CONCERN ABOUT CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINE, THE DRIVER DISCONTINUED THE LIFT. HE AND THE GAS COMPANY OBSERVER AGREED THAT THE TRUCK SHOULD BE REPOSITIONED. THE DRIVER PULLED FORWARD AND THEN BACKED INTO A POSITION 3 FEET AWAY FROM ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION. THE DRIVER AGAIN STARTED RAISING THE BED, WATCHING FROM THE WINDOW. AFTER UNLOADING THE ASPHALT, HE GOT OUT AND WALKED TO THE REAR OF THE TRUCK TO DISCOVER THAT A SMALL AMOUNT OF ASPHALT WAS STILL IN THE TRUCK. HE REENTERED THE TRUCK AND JOGGED THE BED TO DISLODGE THE MATERIAL. IN DOING THIS, HE BROUGHT THE BED OF THE TRAILER INTO CONTACT WITH THE 7260-VOLT-TO-GROUND OVERHEAD POWER LINE, WITHOUT REALIZING IT. AS THE EMPLOYEE EXITED THE TRUCK, HIS LEFT HAND WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE BALANCE BAR ON OUTSIDE OF THE TRUCK CAB. AS HIS FEET TOUCHED THE WET PAVEMENT, THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK AND COULD NOT LET GO OF THE BALANCE BAR. IN AN EFFORT TO FREE HIMSELF, HE USED HIS RIGHT HAND TO PUSH ON THE GAS TANK. THIS PROVIDED AN EVEN BETTER CONTACT WITH THE ENERGIZED TRUCK, AND THE EMPLOYEE WAS ELECTROCUTED.

Keywords: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, E GI IA, ELECTROCUTED, DUMP TRUCK, DUMP TRUCK BED