Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300006491 - Irby Construction Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Kansas City Area Office

Investigation Summary

A power line crew was installing all dielectric self-supporting fiber-optic cable onto structures supporting an existing 69-kilovolt overhead power line. As part of the project, the crew reinforced the existing structures and installed the fiber-optic cable. To install the cable, the crew would hang sheaves, use a pulling rope to pull the cable through the sheaves, and permanently attach the cable to the structure. The employees would reinforce the existing structures by replacing some poles, installing additional cross braces below the power line, and installing supporting braces above the crossarm. The employees worked with the power line energized some of the time and deenergized at other times. The employer relied on employee work practices to avoid violating the minimum approach distance when the line was energized. However, because of the placement of the braces and fiber-optic cable, maintaining the minimum approach distance was not possible on most structures. One of the employees was completing the task of clipping in the fiber-optic cable on a two-pole structure while the power line was energized. The employee was attaching the cable to the structure with a housing that included a rubber boot and reinforcing rods. As the employee was wrapping the rods around the cable, one of the rods got stuck. When he jerked on the 1.8-meter-long rod to free it, it passed too close to the power line, and current arced to the rod. The employee was electrocuted and set on fire by the electric arc. His coworkers conducted pole-top rescue, lowered him to the ground, and administered cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Their efforts were to no avail as the injured employee was pronounced dead at the scene.

Keywords: ELECTRIC ARC, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, ARMOR ROD, POWER LINE WORKER, STUCK, ELECTROCUTED, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK