OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14257489
HOWELL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY INC
SOUTHERN PINES, NC—
Event description
Employee killed when struck by electric pole
Investigation abstract
At approximately 2:45 p.m. on October 15, 1984, Employee #1 was part of a three- to free it and begin lifting again. Ordinarily. one employee would operate the w inch from the driver's compartment of the vehicle and two employees would statio n themselves at either end of the pole to guide and stabilize it on its upward m ovement. When the winch was released to lower the pole, Employee #1 placed himse lf under the descending pole. The pole struck and crushed his head, killing him. man crew responsible for loading electric poles from a pole pile onto a pole car rier vehicle, transporting them to an installation site, and unloading them. The wooden, class I poles were 85 ft tall and weighed approximately 3,000 lb each. To carry the poles, the employees were using a surplus military vehicle modified with an A-frame and winch combination and fitted with cradles for carrying an e lectric pole on either side. As a pole was being lifted in a horizontal position , it became lodged under a portion of the truck frame or equipment. Repeated att empts to kick it free failed and it was decided to lower the pole to the ground
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 30 M
- Nature of injury
- 21
- Part of body
- 13
- Event type
- 1
- Source
- 43
- Occupation code
- 577
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 6
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
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