Tree Trimmer Electrocuted and Dies While Trimming Tree Away from Power Lines

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program (KY FACE) ; University of Kentucky. College of Public Health. Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center
• Description:
  On Monday, April 18, 2016, a 23-year-old male tree trimmer (victim) was strapped into a personal fall arrest harness while trimming trees along a 34.5 kilovolt power line at a height of approximately 25 feet 4 inches from the ground. As he was cutting a limb growing at a 75-degree angle to the ground, it is believed that the limb made contact with the power line as the victim was trimming it, resulting in a fatal electric shock. The victim was found dangling from the tree by his fall arrest system, and was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:00 am. Recommendations for prevention: 1. Insulating equipment, such as insulating rubber gloves and sleeve combinations, or insulated power line sleeves, should be used when tree trimming work is to be performed within the minimum approach distance (MAD). 2. Whenever tree limbs within the MAD are to be removed, a second line-clearance tree trimmer should be at ground level to provide verbal assistance from a second vantage point. 3. Safety hazards identified in risk assessments should be properly abated prior to beginning work.
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Electric Injuries Electricity Environmental Exposure Mortality Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety
• Keywords:
  Accident-analysis Accident-potential Accident-prevention Author Keywords: Tree Trimming Chain Saws Electrical Hazards Electrical Shock Electrocution Electrocutions Exposure Levels Fatalities Hazards Injuries Injury-prevention Insulated Pole Saws Insulation Materials OSHA Region 4 Personal Protection Personal Protective Equipment Power Lines PPE Protective Equipment Protective Measures Risk Assessment Safety Measures Traumatic-injuries Tree Trimmers

  More +
• FACE - NIOSH and State:
  FACE ; Electrocution
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  State
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHSFACE16KY013
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Kentucky ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20051057
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2018-100702
• Citation:
  Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, FACE 16KY013, 2017 May ; :1-11
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Performing Organization:
  University of Kentucky
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services - (NAICS)
• Start Date:
  2005/07/01
• End Date:
  2026/06/30
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b905f4d6ca124c76a59fadce4859f996fa22b1c09cf74c38eb49ef9bec21071754dd48c5c2fee014faeaea79091a84ccf7762905508911a7177b2af9806a7665
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/164985/cdc_164985_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 933.14 KB ]