Inspection Detail

Inspection: 100451756 - Ohm Tech Communications, Incorporated

Inspection Information - Office: Boston South Area Office

Investigation Summary

A cable television lineworker was stringing a suspension strand about 0.61 meters below some telephone lines. Two employees went on the job--one as driver and the other as lineworker--and they alternated jobs each day. The lineworker worked from an aerial lift (Telstar Model No. T-40) mounted on a Ford chassis, with an uninsulated telescoping boom. The lineworker was stringing the suspension strand, and tree branches were in the way. Because of this, he used a saw to cut the branches. During the tree trimming operation, he elevated the bucket, and his head contacted a 7620-volt overhead power line. The driver on ground said that he just looked up at the time and saw a flash. The lineworker was wearing a fabric baseball type cap--not a hard hat. The lineworker fell back into the bucket of the aerial lift. He was not using a safety belt or a lanyard. The driver lowered the bucket, and a policeman in the vicinity administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The employer, who had fewer than 10 employees, did not have a safety program. The 38-year-old cable television lineworker had about 10 years of experience in the field and had started installing cable with his employer about 7 months before the accident.

Keywords: HEAD, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, CABLE TV WORK, E TC, ELECTROCUTED, AERIAL LIFT