Inspection Detail

Inspection: 106810526 - Flag-Redfern Oil Company

Inspection Information - Office: Lubbock Area Office

Investigation Summary

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE REPLACING TRANSFORMERS ON A POLE. THE PRIMARY OVERHEAD POWER LINE WAS 12 KILOVOLTS, PHASE TO PHASE, AND 7250 VOLTS PHASE TO GROUND. ONE OF THE POWER LINE WORKERS CLIMBED THE POLE WEARING A BODY BELT AND CLIMBERS. HE POSITIONED HIMSELF ON THE CROSSARM TO START REPLACING THE TRANSFORMERS. THE EMPLOYEE ON THE GROUND TIED REPLACEMENT TRANSFORMERS ONTO A HAND LINE AND UNTIED THE EXISTING TRANSFORMERS AS THEY WERE RAISED AND LOWERED BY THE LINE WORKER ON THE POLE. AFTER THREE TRANSFORMERS HAD BEEN PLACED IN POSITION, THE EMPLOYEE ON THE POLE CONNECTED THE CONDUCTORS TO THE TRANSFORMER, THEN INSTALLED THE HOT TAPS. USING A SHOTGUN STICK, THE EMPLOYEE OPENED THE DOORS ON THE KNOCKOUTS, THEN TAPPED THE THIRD PHASE CONDUCTOR. HE THEN MOVED TO THE SECOND (CENTER) PHASE CONDUCTOR. AS THE TAP TOUCHED THE ENERGIZED CONDUCTOR, THE JUMPER BROKE LOOSE FROM THE TAP, WAS THROWN AROUND THE THIRD JUMPER, AND THEN TOUCHED THE EMPLOYEE ON HIS RIGHT PECTORAL MUSCLE. THE ELECTRIC SHOCK HE RECEIVED CAUSED HIM TO FALL OFF THE POLE A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 22 FEET TO THE GROUND. THE EMPLOYEE ON THE GROUND APPLIED CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION, AND THE INJURED EMPLOYEE WAS REVIVED. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DIED ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER OF ELECTROCUTION.

Keywords: ELECTRICAL, CPR, POWER LINE WORKER, ELECTROCUTED, ELEC UTILITY WORK, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, E PTD