Inspection Detail

Inspection: 303079206 - Bigham Cable Construction, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:15 a.m. on February 16, 2000, Employee #1, a lead lineman, was part of a company crew installing new fiber optic cable on poles along Highway 190, east of Livingston, LA. They were using a Ford F700 truck, VIN #1FDNF70H1KVA38812, equipped with a Telsta-type T4 aerial lift. The boom on the aerial lift extended approximately 40 ft at its maximum. As the crew approached pole #23318-01488, Employee #1 decided to use the aerial lift to reach the work location on the pole. The truck was parked on the flat shoulder of the road, and he found he could not reach the work spot from there. Employee #1 descended, moved the truck down an incline on the side of the road, got back in the aerial lift basket, and maneuvered around to the pole. He was approximately 15 ft above the ground when the truck tipped over onto its passenger side. He decided not to jump from the basket and was riding down with it when he became pinned between the back of the basket and the pole. Employee #1 was killed. He had a harness, but it was not attached to the boom or basket when the accident occurred. The truck was not equipped with outriggers. It did have stabilizing bars underneath the flatbed but these were of little use on the incline on which the truck was parked.

Keywords: BOOM TRUCK, INSTALLING, TELECOM WORK, UNSECURED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, CAUGHT BETWEEN, SLOPE, OVERTURN, UNSTABLE POSITION