Inspection Detail

Note: The following inspection has not been indicated as closed. OSHA citation items will be posted 30 (thirty) days after the employer receives the citation(s), except in cases of significant public interest. Posted citation items reflect any amendments to citations that are the result of a prompt settlement, which OSHA encourages. Employers and employee representatives will continue to receive copies of the citation(s) upon issuance.

Inspection: 1697273.015 - 75850 - Black River Electric Cooperative Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Sc Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation

Investigation Summary

At 2:06 p.m. on September 12, 2023, Employee #1, a lower second-class lineman, was assisting with an underground service, which consisted of digging a trench, placing a pipe underground (conduit) and then placing wire through the conduit. Employee #1 was assisting a coworker at the line truck, also referred to as a digger derrick truck. Employee #1 and the coworker, operating the digger derrick truck from the captain's chair, were utilizing the truck to remove items from the bed of the digger derrick truck and from a trailer attached to the truck. Employee #1 assisted the coworker operating the digger derrick by hooking the rope from the boom located on the digger derrick truck onto the items that needed to be lifted such as wire. There were three additional coworkers that were on the ground installing pipe underground. A coworker raised the boom for the digger derrick truck, and the boom contacted the 7.2 kilo volts overhead power line. Employee #1 was standing on the ground on the passenger side of the truck and was touching the truck when the boom contacted the power line, resulting in an electrocution. Employee #1 was killed.

Keywords: Boom, Conduit, Derrick Truck, Digger/Derrick, Electrocuted, Installing, Overhead Power Line, Pipe, Trench, Trench Digger, Wire Line