Inspection Detail

Inspection: 313024887 - E.K. Construction, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Baton Rouge Area Office

Investigation Summary

This accident is the same as accident 200555738. Employees of different employers were killed. Employee #1 and #2 in report 200555753 are Employee #2 and #1 in report 200555738. On July 28, 2009, Employee #1, employee of E.K. Construction, Inc., and two coworkers were engaged in right-of-way land clearing operations. One coworker was operating the track Jarraff (boom saw) mechanical equipment to trim the trees along the electrical overhead lines. Another coworker was operating the chain saw to help to clear the pathway around the poles of the overhead lines. Employee #1 was engaged in the operation of mowing by the use of the John Deer 542 Loader (bush-hog) tractor. The three employees began the land clearing operation at approximately 9:00 a.m. During this operation, the top of the tree fell on the power line after being cut by the mechanical boom saw. As a result, the power line was brought down on top of the John Deere tractor operated by Employee #1. At approximately 11:00 a.m., the operator of the boom saw told Employee #1 not to dismount from the tractor or touch any part of the tractor. Within minutes, the boom saw operator removed the downed power line from the tractor with the mechanical boom saw and continued the land clearing operation. Meanwhile, part of the downed line was positioned in the trees. The chain saw operator asked to borrow the tractor to get gas for the chain saw. The chain saw operator left the worksite to get gas which was approximately 150 yards away. Approximately 15 minutes later, Employee #2, the power utility employee from Cleco Power, entered the worksite to investigate the power outage reported. Employee #2 was dispatched to repair the downed power line. The boom saw operator asked Employee #2 where is his glove? Employee #2 replied, "It only kills once." Employee #2 told two employees of the subcontractor that the down power line was not energized. Employee #2 picked up the power line with his bare hands in attempt to free part of the line stuck in the tree top. Employee #1 also grabbed the line without gloves and began to tug on it in the attempt to free it from the tree. The line remained stuck in the top of the tree. While Employee #1 and Employee #2 continued to tug the line, the boom saw operator was told by Employee #2 to use the mechanical boom saw to free the line from the tree top. They agreed to pull the downed line towards the pole. The distance between the electrical pole and the top of the tree where the line was positioned was approximately 30 ft. Employee #1 and Employee #2 were approximately 10 ft apart. The distance between the deenergized section of the downed power line and live components were approximately 36 in. As Employee #1 and Employee #2 continued to tug the line from the tree, the boom mechanical saw engaged in tugging the line causing the deenergized line to make contact with live components on the pole. Employee #1 and Employee #2 sustained an electrical shock of 19,960 volts. When the boom saw operator observed Employee #1 and Employee #2 were being shocked, he used the boom saw to cut the line. Emergency services were summoned. Employee #1 still had a faint pulse and was airlifted to the hospital and eventually died. Employee #2 did not have a pulse and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Keywords: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, POWER LINE WORKER, PPE, GLOVE, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, TREE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, HAND