OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14214704

ELIZABETHTON ELECTRIC SYSTEM

ELIZABETHTON, TN— 1985-09-10T00:00:00

Event: OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, ELECTROCUTED, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK
NAICS: 000000
Inspection type: Accident-driven
Activity number: #3250768
Employer profile: ELIZABETHTON ELECTRIC SYSTEM
Summary number: 14214704
Report ID: 454716

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD LINE

Investigation abstract

A CREW OF ELECTRIC UTILITY EMPLOYEES WAS REPLACING A 7200-VOLT OVERHEAD POWER LI NE. THE CREW FOREMAN OPENED A CUTOUT THAT HE THOUGHT CONTROLLED THE LINE. THE FO REMAN CHECKED A METER ON A HOUSE FARTHER UP THE LINE AND FOUND THE METER TO BE D EENERGIZED. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE HAD DISCONNECTED T HE TRANSFORMER TO THIS METER. THINKING THE LINE TO BE WORKED WAS DEENERGIZED, TH E FOREMAN ORDERED WORK TO CONTINUE. WHEN AN EMPLOYEE WHO WAS WORKING FROM A UTIL ITY POLE CONTACTED THE OVERHEAD LINE, HE WAS ELECTROCUTED.

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 39 M

Nature of injury
10

Part of body
31

Event type
13

Source
15

Occupation code
577

Human factor
14

Environmental factor
18

Task assigned
1

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