Direct exposure to electricity greater than 220 volts · Electrocution, electric shock
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Sumter Utilities, Inc., Near Echota Church Road at Birdtown Cemetery, CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA 28719
on — Electrocution, electric shock, affecting the BODY SYSTEMS .
Final narrative
A crew was performing a pole change-out when the injured employee contacted a live underground cable. The employee sustained an electrical shock and was hospitalized.
Hospitalized BODY SYSTEMS Power lines, transformers, convertors
On January 9, 2024, an employee performing powerline restoration was climbing onto a truck when he fell to the ground. He was hospitalized with a fractured right leg.
An employee was helping to move a power pole. The aerial crane carrying the pole made contact with 7,200-volt power lines, and the employee suffered first and second degree electrical burns to the right foot.
A crew was changing out a single-phase pole. The injured employee was framing the pole approximately 30 feet from the base. As they were loosening the armor rod clamp, the conductor broke and the wire fell to the ground, landing on the employee's right hand. The employee suffered electrical burns to their right hand and both knees.
An employee (a lineman) was working to restore power by installing a hand line when he contacted a high-voltage device (7,200 volts), resulting in electrical burns to his upper body and hands.
An employee was working from a bucket truck to remove a bolt from an attachment on an energized power line pole. The employee came into contact with the energized phase, resulting in an electrical shock of 7,200 volts. The employee was hospitalized. Protective gloves were not worn at the time of the incident.
On September 29, 2025, an employee was installing a fiber optic line at a residential site. His shoulder contacted the 7,600-kilowatt power line, resulting in an electrical shock. The employee was hospitalized.
Two employees exited their vehicle to assess a fully-downed power pole. The injured employee approached the downed pole to examine it more closely when their feet got caught underneath the energized phase and the ground of the pole, resulting in electrical burns to both feet.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 237130)
An employee was terminating cables in a junction box. A loose ground wire came into contact with the bushing, causing a flash that burned the right side of the employee's face and his right hand.
An employee was using a bucket truck hoist to raise secondary aerial wiring. The wire made contact with the primary wire, causing an arc flash. The employee suffered burns to both hands and was hospitalized.
An employee was terminating conductors to buss bars inside the secondary compartment of a single-phase transformer. An arc flash occurred, causing burns to the soft tissue of the employee's face.
An employee was securing the claw of a grapple truck to the truck bed. His left little finger was caught between the tie down strap and the rub rail of the truck, resulting in partial amputation of the finger.
An employee was attaching a steel angle plate weighing (approximately 200 pounds) to the end of a structural member (5,000 pounds) and was supported by dunnage. The dunnage was a crane mat (11 inches tall) with a 4x6 board on top of it and it supported five identical members. The main piece was 30.75 feet long, 37.25 feet tall, and 1 food wide. As the employee slid the piece of metal on top of the member to begin attaching it, the entire member began to tip over. The employee went to stop the main piece from tipping over and it landed on his ankle, fracturing it.
An employee was preparing hot melted butter on a flat-top grill and placing it in small containers once it was melted. As she turned to set the container down, it slipped out of her hand and landed on the grill. Butter splashed up and hit her in the face. The employee suffered second-degree burns to her right eye and the right side of her head and face, as well as first-degree burns to her right forearm.
An employee pulled into the customer's driveway, parked, and exited the vehicle. He opened the sliding side door on the vehicle to retrieve a package. The customer began backing their vehicle out of their garage and it struck the employee in the back of his left leg. He was pinned him between the two vehicles, causing contusions and lacerations.