Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1618068.015 - Frontier Communications

Inspection Information - Office: Fort Worth Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 3:50 p.m. on August 24, 2022, an employee was repairing a digital communications line. The communications line was mounted on poles shared with high voltage power lines and was mounted approximately 8 feet below the energized lines. The employee used a truck mounted aerial lift to reach the location of the cable repair. The placement of the truck interfered with the employee's ability to rotate the platform into place due to the location of an adjacent tree. The employee elevated the lift over the height of the tree so that he could rotate the lift to position it. Once over the tree, the employee had to lower the lift to perform the repair. After the repair was completed, the employee raised the lift to follow the same path he took to enter the lines. The employee's head contacted the overhead powerline, and he was killed by electrocution. The employee was not wearing a non-conductive hard hat and the lift was not insulated.

Keywords: Aerial Lift, Communication Cable, Communication Worker, Electric Shock, Electrified, Electrocuted, High Voltage, Insulation, Misjudgment, Misjudgment of Hazardous Situation, Overhead Power Line, Repair