Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306747098 - Alex Well Drilling

Inspection Information - Office: Jacksonville Area Office

Investigation Summary

Employee #1 was part of a three-man crew repairing a Sta-Rite, K-series, 1 HP well pump that had stopped working. The crew included the owner of the company and a coworker. The owner had drilled the well and installed the 220 volt, 30 amp pump approximately two months earlier. The pump's electricity was turned off when the crew first arrived at the site, but the owner turned it back on. The crew attached a 10 ft long metal pipe to the pump and then dropped it about 1 ft 6 in. down into the well. The owner wanted to determine if the pump would now draw water, so he had the coworker "bump the points" of the pump, meaning he used a common screwdriver to activate the pumping mechanism. Employee #1 was holding the metal pipe with one hand and kneeling next to the coworker with his other hand on the coworker's leg. The coworker "felt a tingle", which was an electrical shock, where Employee #1's hand was, and noticed that he was reacting as if he was being shocked. The coworker backed away from the pump, and pushed Employee #1 away. He fell to the ground, at which point he was no longer breathing. The owner and coworker began CPR and called Emergency Services. Employee #1 was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Medical Examiner's report listed the cause of death as low voltage electrocution.

Keywords: REPAIR, CPR, WORK RULES, ELECTROCUTED, WELL, CONSTRUCTION, ELEC CIRC PART--MISC, ELECTRIC SHOCK, PUMP