Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310503941 - C.W. Wright Construction Company, Incorporated

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Raleigh

Investigation Summary

On January 16, 2007, Employee #1 was part of a crew that was replacing a wooden pole with an 80 ft tall steel pole at the rear of a home in Fayetteville, NC. The utility facilities attached to the poles included, from top to bottom, a galvanized steel shield wire, three de-energized and grounded aluminum transmission conductors insulated for 115 kilovolts, three aluminum distribution conductors energized at 12.5/7.2 kilovolts, and an aluminum neutral conductor. In addition, one uninsulated and three insulated galvanized steel guys were attached to the opposite side of the pole behind the shield wire and the transmission and distribution conductors; these were all pulled tightly to anchor rods at ground level. A ground rod had been installed next to the steel pole and connected to it with a short piece of #4 copper wire. The shield wire and transmission conductors had been disconnected from the wood pole and attached to the steel one. The top portion of the wood pole had also been cut off down to the level of the top distribution conductor, which was attached to the steel pole while also still attached to the wood pole. A coworker was using a Lug-All hoist to pull the middle distribution conductor close enough to the steel pole to allow a first-class lineman to attach it to the polymer insulator. During this process, the steel extension link between the steel pole and the insulator inadvertently contacted a steel ring on one end of the metal-bodied hoist. The steel hook on the other end of the hoist was either touching or in close proximity to the energized conductor, resulting in the pole becoming energized. Approximately 10 ft away, on the opposite side of the metal pole from the first-class lineman and working in a separate bucket, was Employee #1, also a first-class lineman. He was using #4 copper wire to bind together all the guys. The copper bonding conductor had been connected to the uninsulated top guy and Employee #1 was preparing to connect it to the next guy. When the pole and uninsulated guy became energized, so did the copper bonding conductor. This created a difference of potential between the copper bonding conductor and the insulated guy. Employee #1 was not wearing rubber gloves and he was electrocuted when he contacted both the energized bonding conductor and the insulated guy.

Keywords: ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRICAL, WORK RULES, ELECTROCUTED, CONSTRUCTION, ELECTRICAL WORK, GUY, ELEC CIRC PART--MISC, ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR, UTILITY POLE