Inspection Detail

Inspection: 106275761 - The L. E. Myers Company

Inspection Information - Office: Toledo Area Office

Investigation Summary

A FOUR-PERSON POWER LINE CONSTRUCTION CREW WAS REPLACING AN OVERHEAD POWER LINE ALONG A STATE ROAD. THE EXISTING 12.4-KILOVOLT VOLT LINE WAS MOUNTED ON POLES 30 TO 35 FEET HIGH. THE REPLACEMENT POLES WERE 35 TO 45 FEET HIGH. EACH POLE CARRIED THREE CONDUCTORS. ONE CONDUCTOR WAS ON THE TOP OF THE POLE WHILE THE OTHERS WERE ON EACH END OF AN 8-FOOT ARM. THE CONDUCTORS WERE ABOUT 4-FEET APART. THE CREW CONSISTED OF A GENERAL FOREMAN (A JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN WITH MORE THAN 30-YEARS EXPERIENCE), A WORKING FOREMAN (A JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN WITH 20-YEARS EXPERIENCE), A POLE TRUCK OPERATOR AND MECHANIC (WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE COMPANY FOR 24 YEARS, AND A THIRD-STEP APPRENTICE LINEMAN. THE APPRENTICE'S JOB WAS TO PUT A CABLE AROUND THE POLE SO THAT THE TRUCK OPERATOR COULD RAISE IT WITH THE BOOM ON THE TRUCK. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE CREW BEGAN WORK TO REPLACE ONE OF THE POLES. ALTHOUGH THE WORK HAD BEEN PROCEEDING AT A STEADY RATE, IT WAS NOT GOING AS FAST AS HAD BEEN ANTICIPATED. THE SLOWDOWN WAS CREATED WHEN THE CREW FOUND IT NECESSARY TO INSULATE THE EXISTING LINES BEFORE WORKING ON A PREVIOUS POLE, A TASK WHICH ADDED 50 PERCENT MORE TIME TO THE JOB. BEFORE HOISTING THE NEW POLE INTO POSITION, THE CREW EXAMINED THE POSITION OF THE NEW POLE IN RELATION TO THE EXISTING LINES. THE GENERAL FOREMAN DECIDED THAT A 3-FOOT DISTANCE FROM THE OLD POLE COULD BE MAINTAINED. THEREFORE, HE DID NOT ORDER THAT THE EXISTING ENERGIZED LINES BE INSULATED WITH RUBBER LINE HOSE. THE BOOM TRUCK WAS NOT GROUNDED, AND THE APPRENTICE WAS NOT WEARING INSULATED GLOVES. THE APPRENTICE PROCEEDED TO WRAP THE STEEL LOAD LINE CABLE AROUND THE POLE SO THE TRUCK OPERATOR COULD PICK IT UP WITH THE BOOM. HE ASKED FOR MORE WIRE, BUT BEFORE THE TRUCK OPERATOR COULD COMPLY, THE APPRENTICE PULLED ON THE CABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL SLACK. AT THE TIME, THE BOOM WAS EXTENDED ABOUT 15 TO 20 FEET INTO THE AIR AND HAD ABOUT A FOOT OF PLAY IN EACH DIRECTION. THE GENERAL FOREMAN, WHO WAS DIRECTING TRAFFIC AT THE TIME, STATED THAT THE TRUCK OPERATOR MOVED THE BOOM AND CAME DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE ENERGIZED LINES JUST PRIOR TO A FLASH. THE TRUCK OPERATOR, ON THE OTHER HAND, STATED THAT, AFTER THE APPRENTICE PULLED ON THE CABLE, HE SAW A FLASH AND THEN IMMEDIATELY MOVED THE BOOM TO THE RIGHT. HE THOUGHT THAT THE CABLE HIT THE CONDUCTOR. IN ANY EVENT, A FLASH WAS SEEN AS EITHER THE BOOM OR THE CABLE STRUCK AN ENERGIZED LINE, ELECTROCUTING THE APPRENTICE.

Keywords: ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, PROTECTIVE GROUNDING, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, ELECTROCUTED, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, UTILITY POLE