Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts · Third or fourth degree electrical burns
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at U.S. Forest Service, The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests , ROANOKE, VIRGINIA 24019
on — Third or fourth degree electrical burns, affecting the nonclassifiable.
Final narrative
An employee was exposed to and came into contact with approximately 46,000 volts of electrical current from a downed power line, resulting in third degree electrical burns.
An employee was prepping a surface while on the roof when they fell approximately 13-16 feet. The fall propelled the employee up and forward onto a T-post and their eye/skull was impaled. The employee sustained injuries to their eyes, face, and feet.
An employee was installing a ground wire to a power transmission pole. The ground wire contacted an energized portion of a cut-out, causing an arc-flash. The employee was hospitalized with second degree burns to their chest and arms.
An employee was connecting a utility transformer for underground service to a home. The employee's impact drill went across two connection bars with 240 volts of potential, creating an arc flash. The employee sustained burns to the face and eyes due to the arc flash and molten aluminum.
On December 15, 2023, at 9:15 AM, an employee was changing 60-amp fuses in a 480-volt panel when an arc flash occurred. The employee was hospitalized with burns to both hands.
An employee was loading the back of his truck with buckets of oil. As he was coming down off the truck, he slipped on a surface that was wet due to rain and fell about 3.5 feet to the ground, landing on his left elbow/arm. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured left humerus and required surgery.
On September 25, 2025, an employee climbed an aluminum extension ladder and was on top of the roof of a building She was walking around on the roof, inspecting and evaluating it. She was descending the ladder when the ladder slid to the right and twisted around as she hung onto it. She then fell 10-12 feet to the paved parking lot and the ladder landed on top of her. She sustained a fractured left collarbone, multiple other fractures, and had bruising to the left side of her abdomen.
An employee was riding a horse and leading several pack mules along a trail. A few mules started acting up, causing the horse to stir. The employee then fell off the horse and landed on a stiff woody protrusion that impacted her chest/rib area. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured rib and a punctured lung.
An employee was working on a tree thinning unit and was cutting a 6" diameter tree. During the back-cut when the chainsaw kicked back. The saw struck her, resulting in a 3-inch laceration on her left leg below the knee. She was hospitalized and required surgery.
A building engineer was inspecting a generator. As he closed the generator enclosure door, his right ring finger was caught between the door and the door frame. The fingertip was amputated.
An employee was walking back to a carrier case with mail in her hand when she tripped over a tub. Her back overarched as she fell, resulting in a fractured back that required hospitalization.
An employee was driving a utility tractor rig when it struck the rear trailer of another utility tractor rig, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The glancing impact caused damage to the cab, and he sustained a laceration on right side of his face, a cervical fracture, two fractured left ribs, and a pelvic fracture. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was washing an aircraft from a scissor lift when they fell to the floor. The employee sustained a back injury and lacerations to their head and neck.