Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302246723 - Par Electrical Contractors, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Kansas City Area Office

Investigation Summary

Two power line workers were working from the bucket of an aerial lift, tying a new overhead power line to insulators on top of a new utility pole. An existing 12.47-kilovolt (7200 volts phase-to-ground) overhead power line was supported from the pole by hot arms. The employees had not covered the existing line with electrical protective equipment even though they were working near it. Additionally, the employees were not wearing any electrical protective equipment; they were, at best, only wearing leather gloves. The insulator for the new line conductor was 667 millimeters from the energized line. The front of the aerial lift bucket was facing east, and the existing line was behind the bucket. As the employees were lifting the new line conductor onto the outside insulator on the west side of the pole, the employee on the south side of the bucket contacted an energized part with his left palm. He was electrocuted. (The employee had an exit wound on the back of his left thigh.) The employee on the ground quickly jumped onto the back of the truck to lower the bucket using the lower controls. When he did this, the hydraulic lines burst causing a fire at the bucket. The second employee in the bucket jumped to the ground after attempts to douse the fire by the employee on the ground had failed. The second employee in the bucket was hospitalized with burns to his back.

Keywords: BURN, ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRIC ARC, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, ELECTROCUTED, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, AERIAL LIFT