Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316065101 - Deep East Texas Electric Coop

Inspection Information - Office: Houston North Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on September 18, 2011, Employee #1, of Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative, and his coworkers were responding to a trouble call at an electrical meter. Employee #1 and his coworkers spotted a dead tree leaning on the power line (known to them as a "Hazard"). The tree hazard rested on power lines that were 25 ft in height. In addition, the area was surrounded by tree lines on both sides of the power lines. The tree lines were approximately 15 ft apart. A bucket truck was positioned almost directly beneath the power lines. Employee #1 used a bucket truck to reach and make a cut on the tree with a chainsaw. One coworker, the 1st Class Lineman, was located on the south side of the vehicle observing Employee #1 cut the tree. Another coworker, the Crew Foreman, positioned himself at the North end of the vehicle with a line man's hot stick. Once Employee #1 cut the tree, he lowered the bucket back towards the bucket cradle of the bucket truck. At that point, the Crew Foreman hit the section of the tree that was still leaning on the power line with the hot stick so that the tree could slide down the line and fall to the ground. The Crew Foreman and 1st Class Lineman said that it was at that moment they heard an arc. They saw Employee #1 fall to the ground with a burn wound to his upper right arm and other burn wounds above his left and right knee. Emergency Services were called; however, Employee #1 was killed from the electric shock he sustained.

Keywords: BURN, KNEE, ELECTRIC ARC, ELECTRIC METER, SAW, INDUSTRIAL TRUCK, TREE, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ARM