Direct exposure to electricity, unspecified · Electrical burns, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Pike Electric, LLC, 4398 Strom Thurmond Boulevard, COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29207
on — Electrical burns, unspecified, affecting the upper and lower limb(s).
Final narrative
An employee was changing out an underground transformer. The employee contacted the live transformer and sustained burns to their right hand, right forearm, and left thigh.
HospitalizedUpper and lower limb(s)Power lines, transformers, convertors
An employee had just exited a truck that had been parked at a yard. He was locking the truck's side bin when the truck's outrigger came down on his left foot and broke it. He was hospitalized.
An employee was going to retire an old pole. While climbing the pole, the pole broke at ground level and the employee fell. The employee sustained a fractured left arm and three fractured ribs.
Employees were changing out a pole. They were moving the center phase conductor when an arc flash occurred and an employee sustained burns to their face.
An employee was drilling a pilot hole for a new primary in a pad-mount transformer and sustained electrical burns to their right middle and little fingers, wrist, and right and left big toes.
An employee was installing a 15-amp breaker in an electrical panel when a 12-gauge ground wire touched the positive busbar of the panel, resulting in an arc flash. The employee sustained a second-degree burn to their left hand.
An employee was repairing an HVAC system in the drop tile ceiling of a conference room when they were shocked, causing them to fall from the ladder. The employee sustained burns to their right middle and ring fingers.
An employee was replacing a contactor inside an electrical panel attached directly to a press. The press itself was receiving power from another main panel. After replacing the contactor, the employee flipped the switch and an arc flash occurred, burning the employee's elbow, bicep, and neck.
An employee was attempting to switch a medium-voltage primary cable and install a 200-amp fuse barrel. The employee contacted the bottom of the switch gear cradle for the fuse barrel, causing an arc blast. The electricity entered the employee s left hand and exited his big toes, resulting in electric shock and burns to the left hand, arm, shoulder, and both feet. The employee was hospitalized.
On December 6, 2023, an employee of Duke Energy was working on a single-phase 120-/240-volt parallel service re-tap when a secondary flash occurred in an underground service. The employee suffered a second-degree burn to the face and was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 221121)
An employee was performing troubleshooting and maintenance on one of the generators that feed the RF line for glue-laminated timber (glulam) beam production. He was reattaching the outer panel of the generator. A circuit was completed and the employee was electrocuted by the generator and sustained burns. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was utilizing a utility task vehicle (UTV) to patrol a 138 kV transmission line in a right-of-way. The UTV drove into a washout hole that was approximately 6 feet deep and obstructed by vegetation. The employee sustained a dislocated shoulder, a fractured left humerus, back pain, and a strained ankle. He was hospitalized.
A crew of employees were working to replace a utility pole that was broken by a motor vehicle accident. As the crew was removing equipment from the broken pole, part of the pole broke, fell on the injured employee, and rolled over him. The employee sustained two broken shoulders, multiple broken ribs, and a damaged lung that required hospitalization and surgery.
An Ameren lineman was making secondary voltage connections in a pad-mounted residential feed transformer. The lineman contacted an energized lead bushing, sustained an electrical shock, and was hospitalized.
An employee delivered a package. On her way back to her vehicle she was attacked by two dogs that came from around a corner. She was hospitalized with dog bites.
The injured employee was standing by the controls for the electric spud system on the barge, preparing to raise the spuds. Meanwhile, an excavator was moving a mat on the deck. As the excavator swung from port to starboard, it's counterweight struck the injured employee s shoulder, causing them to lose balance and fall against the spud controls. The employee sustained bruises and contusions to their right shoulder and chest.
A technician was operating a crane hoist to lift/remove a cylinder head from the main engine (port). The load was lifted at an angle, causing the cylinder head to get stuck on the cylinder head studs. When it became free from the studs, the cylinder head swung. It struck the technician and caught them against the cabinet door. This resulted in an amputation of their left index fingertip at the distal knuckle.
An employee was securing a power cord to a refrigerated truck container. A truck started backing up to connect with the container and the employee was pinned between the tires of the container and the bolster of the truck, resulting in a fractured leg.