Inspection Detail

Inspection: 301878948 - Dennis Green Construction

Inspection Information - Office: Oklahoma City Area Office

Investigation Summary

An employer and one of his employees were working on a roadside billboard. The billboard was 4 meters high and 11 meters long. An overhead power line ran directly over the south end of the billboard, 1.9 meters away. The employer and his employee were hanging a new vinyl sign over the existing billboard. They were going to place the vinyl canvas over the existing billboard and insert 3-meter lengths of metal conduit into pockets around the edges of the canvas. Nylon straps in the back of the sign were to hold the canvas in place over the billboard. The two workers had thrown the canvas over the billboard and had climbed up the back side of the billboard to pull the canvas over and secure it. They were standing on the narrow edge of 50-millimeter by 150-millimeter lumber that was part of the existing billboard. As the employee was handling a length of conduit to insert it into the canvas, the conduit contacted the power line. The employee received an electric shock and fell off the back of the sign. The employer noted that the employee did not speak or respond after the fall, but appeared to be breathing faintly. The employer called for emergency medical services, returned to the employee, and administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. An emergency medical services team arrived about 20 minutes later. The employee was pronounced dead at a hospital about 40 minutes afterwards. He had been electrocuted. The employer had not seen the overhead power line before they began working.

Keywords: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, ELECTROCUTED, ADVERTISING SIGN, E GI IC, METAL PIPE