Inspection Detail

Inspection: 124640392 - P K Supply

Inspection Information - Office: Utah Division Of Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

Some employees had just finished loading shingles onto the roof of a residence under construction. Two of the employees were strapping down a pallet of shingles for another delivery. They were on the ground, and one of them was operating the strap ratchet with a steel bar. A third employee was moving the conveyor boom into the traveling position. He rotated it towards a 7200-volt overhead power line and stopped when the end of the boom was close. He asked another driver if he thought the boom would clear the lines. The other driver said that it would be close, but he thought the boom would clear. The employee operating the boom started to rotate it again. He saw that the boom was close to the power line and stopped again. The truck was on a incline facing down hill. When he stopped it the second time, due to a combination of the boom weight and the incline, the turntable may have slipped a gear. The left top of the boom contacted the power line. The boom operator yelled to the two drivers, who were on the truck, to get off. After hitting the ground, the two drivers looked up and saw the employee who had been operating the strap ratchet still standing and holding onto the bar. At about that time, the power line separated, and the injured employee fell against the truck. One driver grabbed him and pulled him away. The injured employee did not have a pulse and was not breathing. The employees summoned emergency medical services and attempted to revive him. Their efforts were to no avail. The injured employee, who was a temporary employee leased from an employment service, died of electrocution. Another two employees said that they felt an electric shock, so they were taken to a hospital to be examined. They were both examined and released.

Keywords: BOOM TRUCK, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, BOOM, ELECTROCUTED, E GI IA, ELECTRIC SHOCK, TRUCK BOOM