Inspection Detail
Inspection: 315784660 - Northern States Power Co Dba Xcel Energy
Inspection Information - Office: Minnesota Department Of Labor And Industry
Site Address:
Northern States Power Co Dba Xcel Energy
Highway 23 & John Otherday Road
Granite Falls, MN 56241
Mailing Address:
414 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Union Status: Union
SIC:4931
NAICS: 221111/Hydroelectric Power Generation
Inspection Type: Accident
Scope: Complete
Advanced Notice: N
Ownership: Private
Safety/Health: Safety
Close Conference: 12/13/2011
Emphasis:
Case Closed: 04/02/2013
Type | Activity Nr | Safety | Health |
---|---|---|---|
Accident | 100512391 |
Violations/Penalties | Serious | Willful | Repeat | Other | Unclass | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Initial Violations | 2 | 2 | ||||
Current Violations | 1 | 1 | ||||
Initial Penalty | $29,900 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $29,900 |
Current Penalty | $20,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $20,000 |
FTA Penalty | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
# | Citation ID | Citaton Type | Standard Cited | Issuance Date | Abatement Due Date | Current Penalty | Initial Penalty | FTA Penalty | Contest | Latest Event | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 01001 | Serious | 182065302 | 12/27/2011 | 01/20/2012 | $20,000 | $25,000 | $0 | 01/17/2012 | F - Formal Settlement | |
2. | 01002 | Serious | 5205066002 | 12/27/2011 | 01/20/2012 | $0 | $4,900 | $0 | 01/17/2012 | F - Formal Settlement | Citation has been deleted. |
Investigation Summary
At approximately 12:30 p.m. on August 10, 2011, Employee #1 was working for an electrical utility at a power generation facility. Employee #1 and his coworker had just been dropped off by their supervisor and had returned to a work area following lunch. They were attempting to remove large logs and debris that were clogging the grates of the generation facility. The logs and debris were in water that came from the Minnesota River. The coworker was operating a backhoe that could reach out 20 feet (6.1 meters) beyond the edge of a 40 foot-long (12.2 meters) stoplog concrete platform structure to retrieve large logs and debris that were clogging the grates. Prior to lunch, there was no need for anyone to go out onto the platform and push debris toward the backhoe. After lunch, though, Employee #1 walked out onto the platform to push debris toward the backhoe with a garden rake. The coworker stated that the first time he saw Employee #1 out on the platform, Employee #1 did not have a harness on or a life jacket. The coworker then told Employee #1 to get his life jacket and harness on. The coworker stated that he saw Employee #1 come back and put his harness and his life jacket on. The coworker continued to pick logs out of the water, rotate the backhoe away from the water, and drop the log debris. As he turned back toward the water to get another log, he did not see Employee #1 on the platform. At that point, the coworker recognized that Employee #1 had fallen from the platform into the water. He called the supervisor to call for emergency medical services. Employee #1's body was retrieved from the river the following day.
Keywords: ELECTRICAL, PPE, LOG, WORK RULES, CLOGGED, E PTD, RIVER, ELEC UTILITY WORK, FALL PROTECTION, WATER
# | Inspection | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 315784660 | Fatality | Asphyxia | Construction trades, n.e.c. |