Inspection Detail

Inspection: 316686062 - Home Crafters Of Tidewater

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Norfolk (Regional Office) - Safety 0355112

Investigation Summary

On August 29, 2012, Employee #1, a 64-year-old male construction laborer, and Employee #2, a 52-year-old male construction laborer with Home Crafters of Tidewater were erecting a pump jack scaffold system to assist in stalling vinyl siding on the backside of a new construction residential garage. There was a 7.6 kilovolt, single-phase overhead high voltage line at the back of the garage located approximately twenty three feet by ten feet from the ground to the primary line and twenty four feet off the face of the garage. The garage was about twenty-inches from the gable peak to the ground. Employee #1 & #2 had erected one of the aluminum pump jack poles which was twenty three feet and nine feet in length, which ended up being directly under the primary line when erected. Employee #1 and Employee #2 did not contact the line with the first pole. While erecting the second pump jack pole, the pole struck the primary line shocking Employee #1 and Employee #2. After contacting with the second pump jack pole, the Primary line came in contact with the first pump jack pole where it remained energized until the fuse was blown at the substation. Employee #1 went into cardiac arrest and lost consciousness. Employee #1 never regained consciousness and died at the hospital seven days later. Employee #2 was taken to the hospital with burn injuries to his right arm and remained hospitalized. Workers of the roofing subcontractor discovered employee #1 and Employee #2 and summoned Emergency Medical Services.

Keywords: BURN, ELECTRIC ARC, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, MOBILE SCAFFOLD, ELECTROCUTED, PUMP JACK SCAFFOLD, SCAFFOLD, SCAFFOLDING