Inspection Detail

Inspection: 125799213 - Pacific Gas & Electric

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

Three power line workers and a crew supervisor were pulling in a 350-MCM triplex service cable into a 168-meter-long, 76-millimeter-diameter underground polyvinyl-chloride conduit. One employee (Employee #1) was at the pulling end of the conduit. The supervisor was on a hill at the feed end of the conduit and did not have a clear view of the pulling end. A third employee had just walked from the feed end to the pulling end and was about a meter away from Employee #1. The last employee was driving the line truck (International 4900, ID No. 04-J423) that was being used to pull the cable. A Campbell Specialty 203-millimeter-diameter, 2721-kilogram pulley was attached to the pole, and the pull line was rigged through the pulley to the truck. A customer-provided, 9.5-millimeter-diameter pull line was used in the conduit to pull in a 25.4-millimeter- diameter polypropylene pull rope. The rope came in 150-meter lengths, so the employees spliced two ropes together using a back splice. The employees pulled the rope through so that the cable could be attached at the end, leaving the splice in the conduit, approximately 15 meters from the pulling end. They pulled the cable about 15 meters, and the splice jammed in the block. Employee #1 signaled the truck to stop and stepped over the rope. The end of the conduit was not secured to the pole nor was it backfilled to the end. Consequently, it pulled up from the bottom of the trench. Employee #1 stepped on the conduit and twisted the splice with his hand. Because tension was still on the rope, it pulled through the pulley, amputating Employee #1's thumb between the rope and pulley. He was hospitalized for his injury.

Keywords: AMPUTATED, ELECTRIC CABLE, STUCK, THUMB, ELEC UTILITY WORK, NIP POINT, PULLEY