Accident: 201610672 - Electric Shock - Direct Contact With Overhead Line

A line-clearance tree trimmer was in an aerial lift trimming trees away from overhead power, cable television, and telephone lines. Apparently, as the employee started to raise the bucket, he hooked the cable television line on the controls, trapping them in a position raising the bucket. As he was trying to lift the cable from the controls, the employee continued to be elevated into the three 12-kilovolt power line conductors above him. He received an electric shock and sustained multiple burns where he contacted the three conductors. The ground worker lowered the injured employee, started first aid, and summoned emergency medical services. The injured employee was hospitalized in a burn center.

electrical, electric shock, burn, overhead power line, tree trimming, aerial lift, aerial lift controls, communication cable, elec utility work, e ptd

Accident: 201401114 - Installing Cable Causes Property Damage

Employee #1 was installing cable strand wire on a pole when he noticed that the existing strand wire that ran north along the road went around the pole and formed a 90 degree angle. He used a come-along to pull the existing cable because he saw it was only 14 to 15 in. from a 120 V secondary power line. Employee #1 cranked the come-along until he heard a spanking sound. The cable strand had struck the power line, resulting in property damage. No information was provided on employee injuries.

construction, cable tv work, struck against, clearance, installing, hand winch, winch, communication cable, communication worker

Accident: 201400934 - Transmission Line Falls When Boom Catches Telecom Cable

Employee #1 was moving an excavator under some power transmission lines. He was watching the upper power lines when the boom became caught on telecommunication lines approximately 20 ft above the ground. The strain placed on this cable caused the first pole to the north to snap and break. The 40,000 and 4,800 volt lines fell on the equipment caught in the messenger cable. No information on injuries was provided.

construction, equipment operator, telecom work, caught by, earthmoving equip, falling object, utility pole, communication cable, excavator

Accident: 14372882 - Electric Shock - Direct Contact With Overhead Line

As an employee was backing a garbage truck, it struck a low, recently installed cable television line. Tension on the cable caused the joint-use utility poles supporting the cable to be drawn inward and the overhead power line to sag. Apparently, the employee left the truck's cab and climbed onto the truck to move the power line. He contacted the power line and was electrocuted.

electrical, electrocuted, overhead power line, utility pole, communication cable, garbage truck, untrained, e gi iii