Inspection Detail

Inspection: 123285496 - Thiro Usa, Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Bridgeport Area Office

Investigation Summary

A power line crew of six workers arrived at a worksite at approximately 8:00 a.m. and conducted a job briefing. At the briefing, the six employees decided which tasks each person would perform. The foreman was still on the site when the employees were conducting the job briefing. The power line workers split up to perform their tasks, and the foreman left. Two of the power line workers were moving an overhead power line from an existing utility pole to a new one. The two line workers had installed one or two sections of rubber insulating line hose on each phase conductor and a rubber insulating blanket on the hot-wire tap on the road-side phase conductor. One of them, Employee #1, was working on the south side of the existing pole, untying the tie wire from the center-phase pole-top pin insulator. Employee #1 apparently got too close to an exposed energized part, and an electric arc occurred, which evidently ignited Employee #1's clothing. The workers lowered his bucket. Once he was on the ground, Employee #1 jumped out of the bucket and sat on its edge. Emergency medical personnel removed him from the bucket, cut his clothing off, and transported him to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, NY. According to the medical examiner's report, Employee #1 had partial- and full-thickness burns covering 64 percent of his body surface. He required skin grafts, and he lived another 4 weeks. He died on August 5, 2001, with the causes of death being burns to the body, sepsis, and multiple organ system failure.

Keywords: BURN, CLOTHING, ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRIC ARC, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRIC SHOCK, AERIAL LIFT