Inspection Detail

Inspection: 2985935 - Weeks Construction Company

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Raleigh

Investigation Summary

TWO POWER LINE WORKERS WERE TRANSFERRING AN OVERHEAD POWER LINE FROM AN EXISTING 35-FOOT-HIGH UTILITY POLE TO A NEW 45-FOOT-HIGH POLE. THE NEW POLE HAD BEEN SET THE PREVIOUS DAY. ONE OF THE TWO POWER LINE WORKERS WAS WORKING FROM AN AERIAL LIFT, TRANSFERRING THE CONDUCTORS; THE OTHER POWER LINE WORKER WAS WORKING ON THE GROUND, MAKING UP A CUTOUT SWITCH. TWO PHASE CONDUCTORS, A NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR, AND A TRANSFORMER REMAINED ON THE OLD POLE. THE POWER LINE WORKER IN THE AERIAL LIFT INSTALLED A BELT HOIST BETWEEN THE NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR AND THE NEW POLE. HE THEN CUT THE NEUTRAL FROM THE OLD POLE. AS HE STARTED TO TAKE UP SLACK IN THE NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR, HE NOTICED THAT THE OTHER CONDUCTORS ON THE NEW POLE WERE MOVING IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE POLE. HE TURNED IN TIME TO SEE THE OLD POLE FALLING ONTO THE EMPLOYEE ON THE GROUND. THE INJURED EMPLOYEE SUFFERED INTERNAL INJURIES AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ON ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE OLD POLE WAS BESIDE A ROAD THAT HAD BEEN WIDENED SINCE THE POLE HAD BEEN SET. THE AREA NEXT TO THE POLE HAD BEEN GRADED DOWN, AND A ROADSIDE DITCH WAS WITHIN 6 TO 8 INCHES OF THE POLE. THE POLE WAS BURIED TO A DEPTH OF ABOUT 21.5 INCHES BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE DITCH. THE GROUND NEAR THE POLE WAS SATURATED WITH WATER. APPARENTLY, THE POLE WAS NO LONGER SET TO A SUFFICIENT DEPTH TO WITHSTAND THE ADDITIONAL FORCES IMPOSED WHEN THE CONDUCTORS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW POLE.

Keywords: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, POWER LINE WORKER, CRUSHED, ELEC UTILITY WORK, UTILITY POLE