Truck mounted pile driver presents fatal electrocution hazard

Details

• Personal Author:
  Rischitelli G ; Rothlein J ; Smith L
• Description:
  Case 2003-36-01. (Photo 1) On October 30, 2003 at approximately 2PM a 34-year old laborer was electrocuted when the boom of a truck mounted pile-driver came into contact with an overhead power line. The victim was part of a three-man crew subcontracted to remove approximately 300 feet of guardrail posts on a US Forest Service access road. The power line was clearly marked in plans and the crew was aware of its approximate location. Just before truck mounted equipment came into contact with the powerline, the victim and his supervisor discussed the proximity to the power line and the need to maintain a 10 ft. safety zone. There were actually two power lines, approximately 6 feet apart. The employer believes that the victim may have seen the second of the two lines, through the tree foliage and thinking he had sufficient safety clearance, he moved the truck forward. The pile-driving tower struck the first of the two lines and was also in contact with the ground. With the equipment now in contact with the power line, the operator jumped from the vehicle. The operator lacked sufficient clearance to prevent the current from arcing from the vehicle to him completing the circuit to ground. He died of injuries associated with an electrocution. Case OR2003-37-01. (Photos 2 & 3). On November 3, 2003 at approximately 1 PM a 20-year old laborer was electrocuted as he removed bolts holding guardrail to guard rail posts. The crew was removing/replacing guardrail. The vehicle in the lower photo on the left moved forward and contacted an 8kV line with its pile-driving tower, energizing the guardrail (Photo #3), and electrocuting the young worker. NOTE: Both of these incidents occurred within 4 days of each other, to separate companies that were doing nearly the same work. The work was performed in unmarked work zones on publicly traveled roads. The equipment and the work performed, as well as the electrical distribution lines were nearly identical. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Accidents, Occupational Construction Industry Electric Injuries Electricity Mortality Occupational Health Safety Safety Management Staff Development

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• Keywords:
  Accident-analysis Accident-prevention Construction-industry Construction-workers Electric-power-transmission-lines Electrical-hazards Electrical-shock Electrical-workers Electrocutions Injuries Injury-prevention Mortality-data Mortality-rates Safety-education Safety-measures Safety-practices Training Traumatic-injuries

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• Publisher:
  Oregon Health and Science University
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  Oregon ; OSHA Region 10
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039296
• Citation:
  Portland, OR: Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation, OR2003-36-01, 2004 Jul; :1-3
• Contact Point Address:
  Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) Program, Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park, L606, Portland, OR 97239-3098
• Email:
  smithlar@ohsu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2004
• Performing Organization:
  Oregon Health and Science University
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20040901
• Source Full Name:
  Truck Mounted Pile Driver Presents Fatal Electrocution Hazard
• End Date:
  20060831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0d9f79c08e0a070307ac67d57e087166b4ef19089b634515ecb00b68a49eec2c52e8d79622da9136d15e4c81c7fffb3c6c9c559a33b737d59c890d16d2461380
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192661/cdc_192661_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 223.96 KB ]