Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302134044 - Jensen Koerner Crane Service, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Parsippany Area Office

Investigation Summary

A crane operator, who had worked for his employer for 15 years, was backing a 1990 Krupp 72.6-metric-ton hydraulic truck crane (Model No. KMK 4070, Serial No. 40701508) into position for moving a concrete traffic barrier into place. The crane operator worked for a crane service company, but was being directed by the contractor at the work site (H & G Contractors, Inc.) that had rented the crane. The crane operator arrived at the worksite at around 10:00 PM and worked through the night, moving concrete traffic barriers into position. A supervisor working for the contractor was signaling the crane operator, and a laborer was on the site, installing clamps to connect sections of barrier. A three-phase 34.5-kilovolt overhead power line was located near where the crane was working. The line, which the crane operator, the supervisor, and the contractor's superintendent had not noticed, was about 9.1 meters above the road surface. A portable lighting tower was available on site, but it had not been moved to light the crane's working zone. The crane operator and the supervisor stated that it was extremely dark, with the only light coming from the crane's spotlight and from a State trooper's car, which was about 100 meters away. The operator had extended the boom to a radius of about 12.2 meters (roughly 10 percent of its maximum length). With the boom of the crane stationary (according to the crane operator), the load line contacted the power line. The current blew up two of the tires on the rig and blew out the glass in the cab. The crane operator received an electric shock. He stayed in the cab for 2.5 hours, until the power line was deenergized.

Keywords: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, TRUCK CRANE, E GI IA, ELECTRIC SHOCK, LOAD LINE, CRANE, HYDRAULIC CRANE