Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313138182 - Michels Corporation, Michels Power Division

Inspection Information - Office: Madison Area Office

Investigation Summary

On April 6th, 2011, a four man line crew was completing a restoration project for 12.4 kV phase to ground service conductors that were overhead aluminum lines. The worksite location was along County Road XX in Livingston, WI. The service lines were located on the eastside of County Road XX. The line crew consisted of a ground man, a technician, an equipment operator, and the crew foreman, a journeyman power line worker. The crew was working to remove the last sections of the old service conductors that had been previously deenergized. Prior to the incident, the technician was working from a bucket truck and had removed the deenergized service conductors from several of the hot arms. The deenergized conductors had been lowered to approximately 8 ft above ground level at service pole 26/3. At the time of the incident, the technician was working from a bucket truck at a pole identified as K200 40, the 3rd pole North of County Highway IG. At approximately 2:00 pm, the crew foreman was working from the ground to manually apply tension to the conductors by pulling them towards service pole 26/3 then securing them to the pole with rope grips. The crew foreman had performed this action on the conductor that farthest from the road and that conductor was secured to the pole. The crew foreman then looped a rope over the conductors closest to the road and pulled them down to him. He then grasped at least one of the two conductors with his left hand and under his right arm and was walking the line toward the service pole. The deenergized service conductor made contact with an energized conductor which was most likely near service pole 26/11. This contact energized the conductor the crew foreman was handling and electrocuted him. Service pole 26/11 was three poles north of service pole 26/3 and the accident location. No other employees were injured.

Keywords: MAINTENANCE, SHOCK, INSTALLING, ELECTROCUTED, CONSTRUCTION, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR, ARM