Inspection Detail

Inspection: 109305821 - Georgia Power Company

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta West Area Office

Investigation Summary

A troubleman and a coordinator responded to a power outage after a severe summer thunderstorm. The two employees determined that two phases of a three-phase overhead power line to an industrial building were down. This line came off a utility pole that also carried a three-phase primary circuit. The employees saw that the cause of the problem was a broken insulator on one of the primary conductors. The broken insulator was located at the top of a utility pole alongside a road. To deenergize the power lines in the area, the employees opened switches on the primary circuit on the other side of the affected pole, but decided to work the line as if it were energized. The troubleman worked from an aerial lift to replace the insulator, while his coworker spliced the two downed conductors. The troubleman replaced the insulator and dropped the rubber insulating line hose to the ground. To reattach the power line conductors, the troubleman had to come down and move his truck to the opposite side of the pole. He saw that the coordinator had finished splicing the conductors and had attached them to a jack strap. The troubleman lowered his bucket and told the coordinator to hand him the straps so that he could get it up out of the way. As the troubleman raised his bucket, the coordinator received a call from the dispatcher. He finished this call and walked back. When he called out to the troubleman, he got no response. The troubleman had contacted a 120-volt conductor to a street light and had been electrocuted (according to the autopsy report).

Keywords: ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, ELECTROCUTED, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, AERIAL LIFT