Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1617916.015 - East Mississippi Electric Power Association

Inspection Information - Office: Jackson Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 8:00 a.m. on August 29, 2022, an employee was working on a crew that was cutting down trees. The crew was performing line clearance for the East Mississippi Electric Power Association. The employee while standing off to the side within a clear/safe zone while a coworker was cutting down the tree. As the tree was falling, the coworker exited towards the clear/safe zone where the employee was standing. As the coworker entered the safe zone, a branch from an adjacent tree that was caught by the falling tree was ejected up and over the surrounding trees that protected the safe zone. The employee was killed when the branch struck him in the head. Two coworkers within the safe zone received minor injuries and were treated without hospitalization. All employees were wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) consisting of steel-toed boots, hard hats, safety glasses, gloves and saw chaps at the time of the incident.

Keywords: Blunt force, Blunt force trauma, Falling Object, Head, PPE, Struck By, Tree, Tree Felling, Tree Limb, Tree Trimming