Inspection Detail

Inspection: 120276928 - San Diego City Parks & Recreation

Inspection Information - Office: San Diego District Office

Investigation Summary

A 50-year-old plumber was using copper tubing to clean out a clogged roof drain. The copper tubing consisted of three 3.0-meter-long sections of 19-millimeter-diameter tubing soldered together. A tee soldered on one end acted as a ram. The drain was located 3.8 meters horizontally from an overhead power line running thru an alley behind the gym on which the plumber was working. He was aware of the power line and kept the tubing vertical as he was inserting it into the drain, but the tee caught on the top lip of the drain as he was extracting the tubing. Although he thought he was keeping the tubing vertical as he was extracting it from the drain, he apparently let it lean toward the power line when he reached down to free the tee from the end of the drain. The tubing contacted the power line, and the plumber received an electric shock. He was initially disoriented, but realized what had happened and fell back from the drain about 1 meter onto the curved roof of the gym. When the arcing stopped, he took off his gloves to check for electrical burns and found none. He assured an observer on the ground that he was okay. Emergency medical services arrived in about 3 to 5 minutes and transported him to a hospital. Doctors treated him for three small third-degree electrical burns on the left side of his thigh and released him the same day.

Keywords: BURN, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRIC SHOCK, METAL PIPE, E GI IB