Electrical Contractor Shocked (an electrical contractor suffered a shock and reportedly caught fire -vworker apparently touched a high-voltage line, but there's no information about just how powerful the shock was - investigators are on the scene)
Gilmer schools close after worker dies(the sole maintenance man, 47, for the County Schools died while working on a broken heating and air conditioning unit - he was likely was electrocuted sometime in the afternoon)
City water worker electrocuted in bucket (a man installing new city water wells was electrocuted by a power line - the victim died at the scene, and his name has not been released - the man was in a bucket lift when he apparently touched high-voltage electrical lines)
Power-line accident kills man in St. Joseph (one construction worker was killed and another was seriously injured after metal poles they were moving at a house touched a low-hanging power line - worker, 20, died in the accident - he was pronounced dead at a hospital - worker, 23, was injured trying to help his co-worker - witnesses said the accident victims were at the side of the home disassembling metal scaffolding - the owners of two construction companies involved were later arrested for operating without a license)
ARC FLASHFires burn sheds in Davenport; area worker suffers flash burns (an electrical contractor suffered burns to his face while working on a transformer - man received some second-degree flash burns when there was an arc in the electric power while he was working on the transformer)
Worker survives 7200-volt shock (a cable worker escaped serious injury after touching a 7,200-volt power line with his head - the 28-year-old worker was pulling cable lines from a bucket truck when his head touched the line - the shock entered his head and went through his right thigh into the bucket - worker stayed conscious and was able to lower the bucket back to the ground)
UPDATE Charges filed against employer of electrocuted worker (worker was killed in November 2002 while installing guard rails - the 23-year-old Mio resident was operating a truck with a pile driver when he died - investigators determined that electricity arced between the boom and an overhead power line at the work site - company is charged with six counts of violating state worker-safety standards - prosecutors say the company was cited for a similar incident involving Green three months before the fatal accident)
UPDATE Quality Belt Maintenance Ltd. Fined $50,000 for Health and Safety Violation (a worker was testing the voltage going into a fuse box in a maintenance building when an electrical flash occurred. The worker suffered burns to the face, neck, hands and forearms. At the time of the incident the worker was troubleshooting an electric "belt roller" (a machine used to wind up spare conveyor belts) which would not start. The worker was injured when a screw holding a wire leading into the fuse box was touched with a testing meter probe)
CL&P worker burned on the job in Granby (a utility worker suffered second and third-degree burns to his fingers while working on overhead wires - the worker was burned when he accidentally came into contact with live wires)
worker killed in power line accident (a construction worker was killed when his concrete pumping truck hit a high-voltage power line - the victim, 30, was preparing to pour cement from the boom truck when the vehicle's boom touched the power line - the truck caught fire - officials don't know if the man died from electrocution or in the resulting fire)
Man electrocuted, falls off building (a 25-year-old wall painter was killed after falling off the fourth floor of a building after being electrocuted - the two were painting a building when he touched a live wire and fell off the fourth floor - he died instantly)
UPDATE Fine Proposed For Pike Electric In Utility Worker's Death (federal officials have proposed $77,000 in fines for a utility in the death of a lineman electrocuted during hurricane repairs - company didn't isolate an electrical source to protect the worker - he died last July 13 after splicing lines together that became energized from a generator)
Electrical accident at West Town sends two Mall employees to ... (a Mall employee is at Vanderbilt Medical Center's burn unit with facial burns after an electrical accident - two workers were tending to an electrical box - they believe something sparked a brief flash fire, causing facial injuries to one worker - the other victim had more minor injuries and was seen talking with medical personnel while being loaded in an ambulance)
CTA Worker Accidentally Electrocuted On 'L' Tracks (a 25-year employee, who had just reported back for work after sick leave, was electrocuted on the Green Line tracks outside of CTA headquarters forcing service to be suspended for about an hour - the 47-year-old administrative employee didn't need to be on the Green Line tracks when the electrocution occurred - the employee's job did not require him to be on the tracks, it was unclear why he was)
Man badly burned in 25,000-volt shock (a rail worker suffered 40% burns after receiving an electric shock from an over-head power line - the 45-year-old man was working on the top of a locomotive when he received a shock of 25,000 volts)
UPDATE Shocked worker suing Nstar for $1M (a 19-year-old laborer badly shocked while cleaning a transformer is suing for more than $1 million - claimed “negligence and carelessness” led to the Oct. 15 incident, which injured two other cleaners less severely - lawyer said the incident occurred when the laborers, who worked for a cleaning firm, attempted to polish a transformer the company allegedly failed to power down)
Worker electrocuted (a contract labourer was electrocuted while working on a transformer - was charred to death after he came in contact with a high power cable - suspect power might have been accidentally switched on)
Fire at Johnson Technology sends burned man to hospital (one man was burned and several others suffered from smoke inhalation when a fire broke out - it appears the fire was caused by an electrical short in a box that was being serviced - the apprentice, who was feeding wire while standing behind a wall when the fire broke out, was not injured)
Fire Forces Evacuation Of Hartford High School (a high school was evacuated after a transformer exploded and then caught fire - three electrical workers were injured in the accident - the crew was doing routine work in the transformer room when the explosion happened)
DEATH SHOCK (the 25-year-old died while servicing one of the lottery machines - is believed to have been electrocuted)
PECO worker electrocuted, dies on job (a line worker died after coming into contact with an energized wire - crews were working on power lines in the area when the incident occurred just before 11 a.m. - the worker, 40, was an 18-year veteran and a first-class lineman, the highest in the field progression - was part of an eight-member team that was working to replace a single span of conductor wire - two other members of the team were working on the wires from buckets while he was working with an unenergized wire on the ground, preparing it to be installed - not quite sure what happened next, other than one of the lines broke in mid-span and fell to the ground and contacted the worker either directly or through the wire he was handling)
Worker electrocuted in waterfront mishap (a co-worker tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation when he discovered the 23-year-old not breathing and without a pulse - the man was welding on a floating dredging barge when the accident happened)
Roofing company worker electrocuted in Pompano Beach (a 29-year-old roofing company worker was electrocuted during an on-the-job accident - was moving a 28-foot long aluminum extension ladder when the ladder came in contact with live power lines)
Coroner: Electrical accident killed man (worker, 40, was electrocuted while renovating a house - accidentally pinched a live wire with a jack while he was working on the home's foundation)
Hydro worker killed on Vancouver Island (worker, 54, died after he came into contact with a Hydro line while carrying out a pole change - worked most of his 33 years with the company - another man in the bucket at the time of the accident received flash burns - he was treated in hospital and released)
Electrical accident kills drilling worker (the boom of a drilling rig struck a power line electrocuting one worker and injuring another - the men, employees of a water well driller were working in a vacant lot where a house is being built - the surge of electricity struck the drilling rig and the two men - it blew out a front tire and ignited a fire that burned in and around the equipment)
UPDATE Employer of electrocuted worker fined, put on probation (a company that installs guard rails was fined $10,000, ordered to pay $32,480 in penalties and placed on two years' probation in the death of a worker who was electrocuted - worker, 23, was operating a truck with a 22-foot-tall pile driver when he was killed - investigators determined that electricity arced between the boom and an overhead power line at the site)
GSA Worker Electrocuted (officers and firefighters found the 46-year-old man unconscious in the basement of a building - investigators believe he was electrocuted)
Exxon Mobil worker electrocuted (an electrician at the refinery remained in critical condition after being electrocuted - an investigation of the cause of the incident has begun)
Man falls onto power line and is electrocuted (a 28-year-old man who was working at a residential construction site was electrocuted when he lost his balance and fell onto a power line - he was on a two-story scaffolding attached to a home when he fell)
Worker may have been electrocuted at plant (it appears the worker, 22, was electrocuted while installing some lighting in one area of the factory, which is scheduled to be open for production this year - investigators said a number of workers in the plant heard a loud crashing sound and found the worker having an apparent seizure on the floor)
OIL FIELD WORKER KILLED IN ELECTRICAL ACCIDENT STAFF August 21, 2003 KILGORE - An industrial accident claimed the life of a 22-year-old man Wednesday when a power line came in contact with a piece of oil field equipment on which he was working. Rusk County Sheriff Department officials said Juan Martin Jimenez was killed when the oil derrick he was working on raised up and touched an overhead electrical power line. Jimenez was working for Signal Well Service Inc., on a oil lease property off Farm-to-Market Road 2012 a few miles south of Kilgore. RCSD officials said Jimenez was transported to Laird Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead by B.H. Jameson, Gregg County justice of peace. James Dacus, Signal Well Service general manager, said Jimenez was an employee of the company for a year and a half. "We are just crushed by this. He was a excellent employee and a great person. It is hard, but we went to work today to deal with it the way we know how," he said. Dacus said Jimenez's funeral expenses and the cost for transportation of his body to Mexico would be paid for by the company. "We talk about safety everyday and sometimes you get complacent. This was no one person's fault, but an unfortunate accident we wish we could undo," he said. Jimenez is survived by his parents and family in Mexico and several cousins in the Kilgore area.
Electric shock injures air station civilian Published "Saturday By CHRIS BENDER Gazette staff writer The second serious electrical accident in a week at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort left a civilian contractor badly burned and in critical condition Thursday morning. Julio Martinez, 47, of Beaufort suffered burns to his hands and body while working on the air station's 2,400-volt runway lighting circuit. His co-workers had to perform CPR to keep him alive, said Arlene Mellinger, communications manager for Johnson Controls, the company Martinez worked for. Just one week before, Cpl. Erik S. Hultgren died from electrocution while testing a 1,000-watt floodlight set on a generator. A memorial service was held Wednesday at the base. Two of Martinez's co-workers nearby revived Martinez, a former Marine. He was taken to Beaufort Memorial Hospital then moved to Doctor's Hospital Burn Center in Augusta, Ga., one of the region's top burn centers. Mellinger said his vital signs were good and he was in critical but stable condition. Officials aren't sure what caused the shock, said air station spokesman Master Sgt. erence Peck, but the accident is being investigated. The incident occurred at about 8:15 a.m., he said, while Martinez, an electrician, was working on a part of the runway near U.S. 21. "The other employees didn't actually see it happen," Mellinger said. "(Martinez) is the only one who actually knows and we haven't been able to talk to him yet." The employees who revived Martinez had recently undergone CPR training, Mellinger said. "We always make sure our employees have the proper safety training É and (CPR) is part of it," Mellinger said. "His co-workers probably saved his life." Mellinger said Martinez's condition was being monitored. Johnson Controls has contracted with the air station for the past five months, working on operations and maintenance, Mellinger said. Part of the contract includes working on the electricity and heating plant. Peck said there are 500 civilian employees on the base. Johnson Controls has 47 employees on the base, Mellinger said.
Men Die Trying To Rescue Coworker; Crane Came In Contact With Wire A man was electrocuted and two co-workers died trying to save him Thursday when a crane struck an overhead power line at a concrete plant and exploded. As electricity coursed through the rig, two men rushed to assist its driver, who had been hurled from his cab. One began administering CPR, but the rescue attempt went horribly awry when the second worker touched the still electrified crane, sending a deadly jolt through all three men, authorities said. "He put his hand on his shoulder, and he steadied himself on the crane, and that's when they all got it," said Telford Borough Police Chief Douglas Bickel. Other rescuers, terrified that they too would be shocked and killed, then had to stand by until the live wire was shut off by a utility, said George Strickland, general manager of the JDM Materials plant in suburban Philadelphia where the accident took place. Late Thursday afternoon two of the victims were identified. The crane operator was Robert Forepaugh (pictured, left side of picture), 68, the owner of the demolition company that was subcontracted by JDM Materials. One of the other workers killed was Forepaugh's nephew, George Frederick (pictured, right side of picture), 41. "It seemed like an eternity. I don't know how long it actually took," Strickland said. The 9:15 a.m. accident left the crane a smoking ruin. Hours after the disaster, a 7,200 volt electrical line remained draped over its boom. Strickland said the three worked for a Bensalem company that had been hired to demolish an old structure at the plant. Witnesses said the crane was backing up when it ran into the wires, Strickland said. Homes across from the construction site were evacuated so people would not enter the area around the electrocution because electricity goes into the ground. About 600 people were without power for about an hour. Power continues to be off at the plant, but is expected to be back Friday.
Man hurt in electrical mishap By JOANN LIVINGSTON Daily Light Managing Editor Waxahachie fire personnel responded to the scene of an electrocution at St. Gobain Containers late Tuesday morning. The call came in at 10:01 a.m., with engine No. 1 arriving at the scene in the 2400 block of N. Interstate 35 with East Texas EMS at 10:09, according to the reports. The nature of the call was to assist East Texas with a possible electrocution,” Assistant Fire Chief Randall Potter said. The affected individual was working with an outside contractor; information was unavailable on the nature of that work. “They were at the rear of the building up in a tower-type structure,” Potter said. “A workman – I don’t know how – touched or got into 440 volt electricity, and it electrocuted him.” Firefighters had to climb up into the tower through pipes to reach the man. “He was somewhat responsive and could answer a few questions,” Potter said. “Our units packaged him, placed him on a backboard and secured him and brought him down to where East Texas was up in the tower, waiting to give treatment.” The department’s ladder truck and rope gear were called out as firefighters assessed how to complete the removal of the man from the structure. Those were cancelled en route, however, when other workmen on the scene were able to get an elevator in the tower working again. The man was transported to Baylor Medical Center in Waxahachie by East Texas, with the fire department clearing at 10:28 a.m., according to the reports. The man’s name, age and residence were unavailable; he was employed by D G & G Electric out of Midlothian. A spokesman for St. Gobain said the worker was treated and released after about four hours at the hospital. The incident is under investigation, she said.
Lehighton men electrocuted while drilling well The Associated Press 8/17/2003, 2:59 p.m. ET ALBRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A well-drilling rig hit a high-voltage power line at a construction site, killing a father and son, authorities said. Martin Schafer, 49, and his 24-year-old son, Benjamin, died in the Friday evening accident at the Mount Pocahontas housing development, according to the Carbon County coroner's office. Their rig tilted on soft ground, causing it to hit the power line, police said. Colleagues said the hardworking pair were trying to finish a job after working all day. Last year, another man was electrocuted in Carbon County when he tried to pull his dog away from a power line that fell to the ground in Hickory Run State Park.
We Energies employee electrocuted By Last Updated: Aug. 14, 2003 A We Energies employee was electrocuted Thursday while installing a utility pole in Franklin, authorities said. The accident was reported shortly after 2 p.m. in the 9400 block of W. Oakwood Road, a statement from the Franklin Police Department said, after the victim, a 38-year-old man from Muskego, and two other workers had just set the pole into the ground. As the crew was lowering the boom on a utility truck, the boom touched a live wire, causing electrical current to run through the boom, the truck and a piece of equipment that was connected to the truck and which the victim was holding, the statement said. Police did not release the man's name. We Energies spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said late Thursday she had no information on the accident, which is under investigation by the utility, the Franklin Police Department, the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "This is a very tragic situation for the employee and the employee's family, and we extend our deepest sympathy," McCarthy said.
UPDATE AGL fined $100,000 over electrocution Energy retailer AGL Electricity was fined $100,000 for safety breaches which led to the electrocution of a 36-year-old Melbourne carpenter. Paul Psaila received a fatal electric shock when he touched a piece of metal carrying a 240-volt current from a live electricity cable attached to the garage roof of a suburban Rosanna home unit on February 9, 1999. But outside the court, the victim's widow, mother of three daughters Marie Psaila, said she thought the punishment "grossly inadequate, given that what happened cost my darling Paul his life". But she said even if the firm had been fined the maximum of $250,000, it still would not be enough. "There is no adequate (monetary) penalty for a company like AGL -- the true punishment is in the conviction." She said her youngest daughter, the then four-year-old Madeleine, who witnessed the accident needed psychotherapy treatment for two years and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. Judge Michael Strong in the Victorian County Court said work on installing the cable had been carried out by two qualified and experienced linesmen seven weeks before Mr Psaila died. "On this occasion the job was done incompetently," the judge said. Insulation on the cable became damaged and a metal bracket "charged with electricity became a death trap". Mr Psaila died when he touched the bracket. The judge said the two linesmen, who were not charged with any offence, were men of experience and their work involved, or should have involved, checking the connection. There was a need for electricity suppliers to realise that linesmen, however competent and experienced, will occasionally make mistakes with potentially lethal consequences, Justice Strong said. It was clear that what was lacking was an independent system of inspection, the judge said. "The court must respond to the jury's verdict by sending a clear message to this industry that more rigorous scrutiny is required of work by linesmen," he said. AGL was last week convicted by a jury of failing to ensure that people other than its employees were not exposed to health and safety risks. The maximum fine for the offence is $250,000. The judge said it would be wrong to impose the maximum sentence because the breaches were not "blatant". After the sentencing, WorkSafe Victoria executive director John Merritt said: "This case supports WorkSafe's proposition that it is practicable to have a system for auditing and inspecting the installation of power cables and that doing these things can save lives." "Our concern is that this is a real public safety issue. In this case, the actions of AGL Electricity put others at risk and resulted in a man dying." A spokeswoman for AGL said the company had no comment to make on the sentencing remarks made by the judge.
Ivy Tech Construction Worker Injured Web Producer: Kerry Corum A construction worker was hurt after cutting through a live electrical wire at Evansville's Ivy Tech State college. The unidentified worker was taken to the hospital for observation. He works for a Michigan company, and company officials say the injuries are not life threatening. Authorities were told, the man was cutting through wiring in the ceiling of a building that's being rennovated, when the accident occured.
UPDATE Pearland worker killed while atop power lines By: PATRICK REYNOLDS, Journal Staff August 13, 2003 An investigation continues this week into a power-line accident that took the life of a Pearland man a week ago in Webster. Nicholas Garland, 22, a North Houston Pole Co. employee, was performing routine maintenance on a high voltage line near NASA Road 1 and Sarah Deel about 9:30 a.m., Aug. 6, when he was shocked with about 130,000 volts of electricity, Webster fire officials said. The electric charge knocked Garland unconscious. Fire officials said the accident occurred about 75 feet in the air. His co-workers tried to help him until firefighters arrived. "The crew from the North Houston Pole Line Company did CPR up in the air on the high wire for approximately 20 minutes before he was brought down by a bucket truck," said Lt. Eddie Havlice with the Webster Fire Department. He was then transported by Life Flight helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials said they are not sure why Garland was electrocuted and are conducting an investigation into the incident. "The line was supposed to be dead and apparently it was not," Havlice said. WFD requested assistance from the Houston and Forest Bend fire departments when bringing him down from the power pole. Garland is survived by his mother Aida Garland; father Joe Garland, wife Geri; brothers, Nathan Garland and wife Michelle, Joe Garland III and wife Samantha; and nieces and nephews. Visitation was held Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 at Corl's Family Funeral Home, 2422 Broadway in Pearland. Funeral services took place Saturday at 10 a.m. in the funeral home chapel.
UPDATE State agency finds electrocution, fire could have been prevented August 11, 2003 An electrocution that killed a man working at a western Pennsylvania mine and a fire that burned and smoldered for several weeks inside another mine could have been prevented, the state Department of Environmental Protection said in final reports released Monday. Christopher St. Clair, 41, of Lisbon, Ohio, was electrocuted June 13 while changing fuses at Mountain Spring Coal Co.'s Mine No. 1 in Shippingport, about 35 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, state police said. Investigators found that the coal company had modified the mine's power substation without the state agency's approval, causing an unsafe working environment, the report said. Also, the investigation found that mine electrician Numan Lambert and mine foreman and superintendent David Chambers allowed St. Clair to work in an unsafe situation, according to the report. The agency ruled that Lambert and Chas cannot hold their positions in the state for at least a year, when they can reapply. Chambers said his attorney advised him to not comment on the report. Mine officials and all employees, including Lambert, were advised to not comment, he said. A second DEP investigation found that frictional heat generated by an improperly maintained coal belt likely started a fire that was discovered Jan. 6 in the Consol Energy's Mine 84, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh, the agency said. The fire, which burned for about a week and smoldered into February, started in a tunnel used to move miners and machinery along a two-mile block of coal. More than 80 miners were alerted to the fire by carbon monoxide sensors and escaped without injury. Mine officials should have detected that the belt was faulty, the report said. The agency asked Consol to improve its firefighting and inspection techniques before it could reopen the mine. Joe Cerenzia, a spokesman for Consol, said the company disputed the report but declined further comment, citing a possible appeal.
Man in critical condition after rescue from electrical tower Updated: 8/6/2003 9:57:43 AM By: News 24 Houston web staff A contract worker in Webster is in critical condition today after being shocked by a power line he was working on. The man, who is an apprentice with the North Houston Pole Company, was performing general maintenance on a power line on NASA Rd. 1. The line was supposed to be dead, but turned out to be a hot power line, officials said. "This morning at approximately 9:30, we responded to an electrical shock. An apprentice from the North Houston Pole Company was working on a high line. The line was supposed to be dead and grounded -- apparently it was not. The apprentice touched the tower and the wire and was shocked," said Lt. Eddie Havlice with the Webster Fire Department. "We don't know how much he was shocked with. The line carries approximately 138,000 volts. The crew from the North Houston Pole Company did CPR up in the air, on the high wire, for approximately 20 minutes before he was brought down by a bucket truck. The fire department continued CPR and loaded him into life flight helicopter and was transported to [Memorial] Hermann Hospital in critical condition." The victim's name has not yet been released.
Worker electrocuted while renovating Casselberry movie theater CASSELBERRY, Fla. A construction worker helping renovate a movie theater was electrocuted Tuesday. The worker was rushed to Florida Hospital in Altamonte Springs shortly after the 1 p.m. accident, said Lt. Dennis Stewart, a Casselberry Police Department spokesman. The worker's name was not released. Moments after the accident, a co-worker rushed next door to the Seminole County sheriff's district 5 office looking for help, said Steve Olson, a sheriff's office spokesman. A sheriff's investigator and a sergeant responded, Olson said. "They didn't do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) because he was breathing and had a pulse," Olson said. "They were trying to talk to him, but he wasn't responding." Casselberry police and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the incident, Stewart said.
2 workers hurt in electrical accident in Coventry 08/04/2003 Journal and projo.com staff Posted 11:56 a.m. COVENTRY -- Two men were injured this morning while working on high-voltage electric lines, officials said. The men were upgrading electric service on Hopkins Hill Road for an Amgen plant under construction. They were moving 7,200-volt electric lines onto new utility poles. They work for Hawkeye Construction of Patchogue, N.Y., which was hired as a subcontractor by Narragansett Electric. They had been working in the area for about six months. Today was supposed to be their last day on the job. Details of the 9:35 a.m. accident are unclear, but one of the men apparently suffered first- and second-degree burns on his face, neck and arms, the Coventry police said. He was taken by ambulance to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. Another worker was taken to Kent County Hospital in Warwick. He apparently was not burned but was shaken up by the accident, which apparently involved a flash of fire. Their names were not available. It is the second serious accident involving high-voltage power lines in less than a week. On Tuesday in West Warwick, two workers were killed and a third was injured when aluminum scaffolding they were carrying came into contact with a 7,200-volt power line. Electric customers in the area today lost power for about a half hour. The accident is being investigated by the Coventry Police Department, the Hopkins Hill Fire District, OSHA and Narragansett Electric. -- With reports from Journal staff writer Meaghan Wims
Worker Apparently Electrocuted Near Power Pole; Helicopter Transports Victim To ORMC A man was rushed to Orlando Regional Medical Center Monday after being electrocuted while working near a power pole. The patient was flown to the hospital with burns over nearly half of his body, WESH NewsChannel 2 reported. He was working on a roof at Russell Aluminum in Sanford Monday morning. Fellow workers said he was found hanging from the pole, which was the apparent source of the shock. The man was reportedly alert when rescued.
Fertilizer factory supervisor electrocuted by Sandasen Marasinghe A 23-year-old bachelor was electrocuted while working at a Fertilizer factory in Sedawatta. He was pronounced dead at the Colombo National Hospital last week. The victim was employed as a supervisor in the Fertilizer factory. The fertilizer was produced with recycled garbage .The victim worked under an aluminium fittings contractor and had been to the factory to construct some cubicles there. He had taken a long aluminium bar to the upper storey of the factory where it had accidentally touched a loose power line. The victim had screamed and fallen unconscious on the stairs . The others who rushed to the scene had taken him to hospital. But their attempts to revive him proved futile . This was revealed at the inquest held into the death of R. B. Arunashantha (23) of Pelatiyawa, Polonnaruwa before the Additional City Coroner M. Ashroff Rumy. H. B. Samantha Kumara (19) of Polonnaruwa said in evidence that the deceased was his supervisor and while he was working downstairs the supervisor went upstairs with an aluinium bar in hand. Soon after he (witness) heard Arunashantha screaming and found him lying on the stairs unconscious. A. M. Premaratne (28) of Wattala, an uncle of the victim also gave evidence. The Additional City Coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death due to electrocution. Evidence was led by Grandpass Police.
2 workers die after scaffolding hits electrical wire 07/29/2003 By MEAGHAN WIMS Journal staff writer Updated 12:35 p.m. WEST WARWICK -- Two construction workers were killed and a third was severely burned this morning when the metal scaffolding they were carrying came into contact with a 7,200-volt electrical wire, the police said. The men were working at a three-story house on Pleasant Street when the accident occurred at about 9 a.m. Jared Gendron, 18, from the Scituate village of Hope, and Thomas Walker, 24, of Coventry were electrocuted, an official at Kent County Hospital said. The third man was in good condition at the hospital. The men were moving the scaffolding when they apparently lost control of it, police said. It touched the bare, copper wire, which is about 30 feet off the ground and runs parallel to the house. "We are not putting blame on anyone," said police Lt. Albert A. Giusti Jr. "They were hired to do a job, and, unfortunately, this accident occurred." The men had a permit to do roofing and siding work on the three-family home at 22-26 Pleasant St. They had been working at the house for the past several weeks, according to neighbors. -- With reports from the Associated Press.
UPDATE UI Employee Dies After Electrical Arcing; Shelton Man Dies At Bridgeport Hospital BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- One of three United Illuminating Co. employees injured in an electrical accident earlier this month has died. David Bagdasarian, 49, of Shelton, died at Bridgeport Hospital Thursday. Bagdasarian had been burned after he and two other UI employees surveyed electrical equipment in an outdoor cage in a parking lot at Sikorsky Aircraft's factory on Main Street in Stratford. The three men were surveying the equipment in preparation for work they were to do that weekend when an electrical arcing occurred. Bagdasarian, who was a power deliver cable splicer, is the 10th UI worker to die from an on-the-job injury since 1966, said Kevin Moore, a spokesman for the New Haven-based utility. Two other UI employees also were injured in the explosion July 10. Neither hospital emergency nor UI officials have identified the men or commented on the extent of their injuries.
Marysville man electrocuted on the job identified LAKE STEVENS -- The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office has released the name of a man who died after being electrocuted at a work site Tuesday afternoon. William Ross, 51, was using a cable to guide a piece of steel to the ground at Concrete Nor'West in the 15400 block of 84th Street NE. The crane lifting the steel hit a high-voltage power line, according to Snohomish County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen. The Marysville man was taken to Providence Everett Medical Center, where he died a short time later. The medical examiner's office ruled the death an accident. The state Department of Labor and Industries will conduct a standard investigation to determine if the company failed to protect the worker's safety, said department spokeswoman Elaine Fischer. That investigation likely will take two to three months, she said.
Contractor electrocuted on top of light tower The Associated Press 7/24/2003, 2:37 p.m. ET JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A contractor who was replacing lights on top of a 90-foot baseball stadium light tower died of electrocution, authorities determined Thursday. John H. Lill, 72, died Wednesday at the historic Point Stadium in Johnstown, said Jim Zangaglia, Cambria County chief deputy coroner. The light standard carried 4,100 volts of electricity. "I don't know how much went through him but there's that much juice that lights up that tower," Zangaglia said. Lill, retired city electrician, was replacing lights in preparation for a baseball tournament at the ballpark when he stopped responding to radio contact, Johnstown Recreation Director Cliff Kitner said. Firefighters climbed the steel tower and found Lill unconscious. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later. Because Lill worked for himself, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration won't be participating in the investigation, Zangaglia said. Information from: The Tribune-Democrat
Miner killed in Raleigh County; sixth state fatality of year CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A damaged electrical cable was responsible for the death of a Massey Energy Co. miner in Raleigh County, federal officials say. Rodney A. Scurlock was electrocuted in Massey subsidiary Performance Coal Co.'s Upper Big Branch Mine-South near Naoma, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday. Scurlock, 27, is the sixth West Virginia coal miner to die on the job this year, matching the state's total for all of 2002. Scurlock's hometown was not immediately available. Scurlock, an electrician, was found on his back Saturday near where he was repairing or making a splice in a shuttle car cable, MSHA said. Five other cables and the water line for a continuous mining machine were found on the mine floor, in mud and water, and in contact with another cable. One of those cables contained two damaged places, MSHA said.
Five electrocuted in crane accident From correspondents in Beijing 24jul03 FIVE workers died when they were electrocuted as the arm of their mechanical crane grazed high-tension wires in Shijiazhuang in northern China, state media reported today. The accident occurred yesterday as the workers were moving the crane across a construction site at a cement factory. Five of the workers were electrocuted and the driver was ejected from the seat of the vehicle. He was taken to hospital where he remains with serious burns. Police sources cited by Xinhua said the cause of the accident is under investigation.
Explosion, fire injure worker at Circuit City By Lisa Arsenault seacoastonline.com PORTSMOUTH - A 49-year-old electrical contractor working on the main electrical system at Circuit City on Woodbury Avenue suffered second-degree burns Tuesday after an explosion sparked two fires at the store. "There was a fire in the electrical panel area of the building in the rear," said Portsmouth Deputy Fire Chief Steven Achilles. "Because of the surge in the system, it had caused a transformer to catch on fire and fail outside the building." Portsmouth police and Fire Department officials refused to release the man’s name. The Portsmouth Fire Department and the state fire marshal are investigating the exact cause of the accident. The city’s electrical inspector and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been notified of the incident. The 49-year-old man, from Salem, was treated on the scene by paramedics and taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital. In stable condition, he was later transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was treated for burns on his chest, neck and arms, according to Achilles. The man was working for TCI Electric Inc. An individual answering the telephone at TCI Electric Inc. declined to comment on the incident or identify the worker. Northeast Circuit City display technician Derek Bonzagni, 23, was the first to find the injured electrician. Bonzagni said the man was working on a circuit breaker in the electrical room to fix "lighting issues" at the store. He saw the lights flicker on and off and heard the buzzing of the current after the transformer exploded, he said. "I’ve done electrical [work]," said Bonzagni. "I knew what happened. I opened up the warehouse and saw the guy laying there all burnt. "I told the man, ‘I’ll call the ambulance and we’ll meet him up front.’ I don’t know if he understood me or not." Bonzagni said the man was sitting up in a chair at that point. "I’m still shaking from it," he said. Circuit City representative Cathy Hess couldn’t say for sure what the electrical problems were that the man was there to fix. The store was evacuated immediately and remained closed for the rest of the day. Hess also couldn’t say when the store will reopen. According to Achilles, there was extensive smoke damage throughout the building.
Worker injured in sugar factory blast July 21, 2003 11:56 A MAN has been taken to hospital with serious injuries today after an explosion at the sugar beet factory at Cantley. Edmund Osborne, 53, received head injuries in the sugar dust explosion which triggered a blaze at the plant which, at its height, was tackled by about 50 firefighters. Mr Osborne, from Lowestoft, who works for east coast electrical contractor firm LEC Marine, was carrying out work in an electricity substation at the site when the blast occurred. It is thought that the explosion blew apart a wall and that Mr Osborne was struck by falling debris. He was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital but his injuries are not thought to be life threatening. Initial reports to police suggested that more people were missing in the blast, but everyone was eventually accounted for. Two other contractors from the same firm were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation, but did not require hospital treatment. The explosion caused a fire to spread to a conveyor belt on the second floor of the plant in an area close to the silos before moving into the roof area. The explosion also caused damage to a nearby electricity substation. The plant has its own fire crew and they tackled the blaze before reinforcements from Norfolk Fire Service arrived. Station Officer Graham Joy, from Norfolk Fire Service, who attended the scene, said: "It would appear there was a dust explosion, which subsequently caused a fire. "It was a fairly major fire, but we have brought it under control. Fire crews are now damping down, making the building safe. "The fire was confined to some cladding in the roof area. The explosion was fairly large. It seems to have been somewhere within the building but has caused some damage to a substation where it seems to have vented itself out." A spokesman for British Sugar said Mr Osborne's family had been notified. "At this stage there has been an incident at the site that has resulted in a fire and one person being injured. "Everyone else has been accounted for," he added. Delivery driver Stephen Brown, of Freethorpe, was at the scene when the explosion happened. He was working for TR Transport to deliver sugar to Felixstowe for export. He said: "There was a big bang and I saw flames lapping up the side of the building. "If the fire had taken hold it could have been a big deal." PC Geoff Marshall, of Acle police station, said: "There was an explosion in an area close to the silos which resulted in a fire. "The explosion blew out a wall and falling bricks injured a contractor who was standing nearby. "An investigation has been launched. I suspect it will be several days before they right was has happened." Train operators on the nearby line were also informed of the explosion to make sure emergency crews had access over a rail crossing. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed and are to carry out an investigation. The police and fire services are also to carry out separate investigations. The factory does not start processing sugar beet until the autumn. During the summer months it undergoes maintenance work.
Shock sends worker to hospital By Doug Murphy Staff Writer A workman was shocked and slightly injured while wiring lights at Desert Vista High School around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Fred Van Aller was working with fluorescent light wiring in the physical education building when he was shocked and fell off a ladder, according to co-worker Dwight Price. Both work for KSK Electric, based in Tempe. Van Aller received a burn to his hand and was shaken up in the fall, "but he's talking and breathing and everything," Price said. Phoenix paramedics transported Van Aller to Chandler Regional Hospital for treatment.
Belco worker burned in explosion; 24-year-old likely to be flown off the Island By Karen Smith A 24-year-old Belco worker is to be flown off the Island for treatment after suffering severe burns in an industrial accident this morning. The technician was part of a crew carrying out routine maintenance at the Railway Trail sub-station in Southampton when an explosion ripped through equipment shortly after 9 a.m. The worker, who has not been named, is thought to have been thrown backwards by the force of the blast and suffered a lacerations to his head and severe burns to his face, neck, arms and legs. His colleagues at the scene were said to be in shock. The worker was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for assessment but was likely to be flown to Boston this afternoon by air ambulance. As a result of the incident, substantial number of homes in Southampton may be without power for up to 12 hours this afternoon. A Railway Trail resident, who asked not to be named, said: "I was at home and I heard this big bang. I came running out to see what had happened. He was lying there on his back , very bady burned. He was conscious but he was in shock and he was shaking." Belco spokeswoman Linda Smith said the company CEO Gary Madeiros and other senior officials immediately went to the hospital to meet the worker and his family. She said an investigation is underway into the incident and Belco crews would be working in Southampton for the remainder of the day to restore power. "The guys were working on a cable test and had come out just this morning when it happened," she said. "He has severe burns and has been assessed in Bermuda but is likely to be flown out today." Bermuda Fire Service staff officer Lt. Dana Lovell said there was now a joint investigation between Belco and Fire officers. "We understand that it was a very large electrical spark that caused the burns. He did not get electrocuted. "It is a bit early to speculate. We do not have all the facts at the moment but in due course we will know everything."
Chesapeake Police Believe Norfolk Repairman Electrocuted to Death Chesapeake police believe a Norfolk repairman was electrocuted to death Wednesday afternoon while repairing a retail store's air conditioning system. Around 5:00pm, emergency personnel responded to the Ames Department Store in the 1900 block of South Military Highway after store personnel lost contact with 38-year old Eric Bean. Bean, of the 2900 block of Murry Court in Norfolk, was on the roof of the Ames store repairing the air conditioning. Rescuers found Bean's body in the store's duct work. While police believe Bean was electrocuted, his body was sent to the Medical Examiner's office to determine the exact cause of death. Bean worked for Technical Services of Chesapeake.
Avella steelworker injured in W.Va. accident A steelworker from Avella was injured Wednesday when he came into contact with a high-voltage line while working at the Weirton Steel Corp. plant in Weirton, W.Va. The man is in his early 40s. His name was not released by the company. He was taken by the plant's emergency squad to Weirton Medical Center and then flown to Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, said company spokesman Greg Warren. He suffered burns, although Warren could not give his condition. The accident occurred at 10:15 a.m. when the worker was on a ladder in the sheet mill. He came into contact with a 23,000-volt line and fell about 8 feet. Warren said the man was conscious and the plant emergency squad arrived within one minute. The company doctor was on the scene within four minutes. The accident is under investigation by the corporate safety department. Warren said the company was not required to report the accident to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
College student electrocuted while painting The Associated Press 7/16/03 2:35 PM ONEIDA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- A 21-year-old Michigan State University student has died after he hit his ladder against a primary power line while he was painting a house in Eaton County. Brad Hilberg of Alpena was electrocuted Tuesday when he tried to remove the aluminum ladder from against the house and lower it. The ladder was 25 feet in the air when it struck the 4,800-volt power line about 10:50 a.m., the Eaton County Sheriff's Department told the Lansing State Journal for a Wednesday story. Hilberg was taken to St. Lawrence Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Hilberg, who worked for College Works Painting, was painting the home with another student. His co-worker, who witnessed the incident, was not injured, police said. Thomas Hilberg, Brad's father, said his son painted houses to earn extra money to attend Michigan State, where he was a junior majoring in civil engineering. Brad Hilberg played hockey, football and baseball in high school, and was a big fan of the band Phish, jazz and easy listening usic, Thomas Hilberg said.
Area man electrocuted in accident By Tribune Staff A longtime area businessman died Saturday while trying to repair a pivot irrigation system. Dale G. Freund, 55, of Fremont was pronounced dead at Fremont Area Medical Center. The death was an apparent accidental electrocution, said Dodge County Attorney Paul Vaughan. Freund was on the irrigation system tower working on a control when his son, Travis, saw a bright flash, Vaughan said. A passerby stopped to help. Freund was transported to FAMC by the North Bend rescue squad, Vaughan said. The Dodge County Sheriff's Department received the report at 6:30 p.m. and arrived after Freud had been taken to the hospital. Freund was the owner of Mid-Continent Irrigation Co. in Fremont. He was called to repair a center pivot system in North Bend, approximately one-fourth mile north of County Road R. Freund purchased Mid-Continent Irrigation in 1986, which is a Valley irrigation sales and service company. Prior to that, he had worked for Valmont then for Hammond & Stephens Co. Freund was a 1966 graduate of Fremont High School. The funeral was at 10:30 a.m. today at First Lutheran Church in Fremont.
Man burned as drill hits power vault By STAFF WRITER ALAMEDA -- A subcontractor who accidentally drilled into a power vault at Alameda Point sustained critical third-degree burns Tuesday morning, Alameda officials said. The Stockton man was airlifted to Eden Valley Medical Center in Castro Valley and later transferred to the burn unit at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition Tuesday night, city officials said. "Apparently the burns are really, really bad," said Deputy Fire Chief Steve Jones. The 28-year-old man, whose name wasn't released, was severely burned on both hands, on at least one side of his body, and on one foot. Witnesses started CPR, and an emergency helicopter arrived within five minutes of the accident, Jones said. Charles Sanford, owner of Charles B. Sanford Construction, said his employee accidentally drilled into a 12-kilovolt primary distribution circuit serving the area. He was trenching to install telephone equipment, city officials said. The worker started work with Charles B. Sanford Construction in Winton on Monday, Sanford said. Sanford said he is a friend of his sons. "I believe that unfortunately it was an accident," said Sanford. "He was operating a drill, which doesn't require much safety training." Sanford said the area had been checked by two groups who tested for, but did not locate, the circuit. Matt McCabe, a spokesman for Alameda Power & Telecom, which operates and maintains the electrical system that was drilled into, said the incident occurred 11:30 a.m. on West Ranger Avenue. The distribution circuit was installed initially by the U.S. Navy to serve portions of the former Alameda Naval Air Station. Sanford Construction is a subcontractor to Mobile Modular. The company is retained to install temporary facilities to house a Head Start project being run by the Alameda Point Collaborative. The incident resulted in an electrical outage to approximately 300 customers. Alameda Power & Telecom crews restored power within an hour.
Welder electrocuted at Gainesville construction site GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- A welder was apparently electrocuted while working on a metal balcony at a construction site, authorities said. Javier Gonzales, 37, of Norcross, Ga., died in Sunday's accident, said Sgt. Keith Faulk, an Alachua County Sheriff's Office spokesman. Workers told authorities that Gonzales, an employee of Allen Steel Products of Arlington, Tenn., was installing a metal subfloor on a balcony using an 8,000 watt welding machine. A co-worker said he left Gonzales to retrieve some material and returned to find him unconscious and not breathing. Workers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until emergency medical workers arrived. Although detectives are awaiting the results of an autopsy, authorities believe he was electrocuted by the welding machine, Faulk said. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, Faulk said. Associated Press
Fire breaks out at energy plant Council Bluffs firefighters were called to an electrical fire at Mid American Energy's Council Bluffs Energy Center late Sunday morning. Fire Inspector Bob Caughey of the Council Bluffs Fire Marshal's Office said the fire occurred in some breaker panels in the plant around 10:20 a.m. "We're still looking at how it got started," Caughey said. "It's under investigation at this time." Nine units responded to the scene. The fire was quickly contained but three crews remained on the scene until 1 p.m. to secure the area and begin the investigation process. No injuries were reported in the fire. Caughey also said power was rediverted so that no outages would occur. The cause of the fire and extent of the damage is still under investigation by the Fire Marshal's Office, the city electrical inspector and Mid American Energy officials.
Three UI workers injured in Sikorsky transformer mishap By SARAH W. WALKER and LUTHER TURMELLE , Special to The Press 07/12/2003 STRATFORD -- An early morning explosion at Sikorsky Aircraft Friday left one United Illuminated Co. worker in critical condition and two others hospitalized, and sent investigators scurrying to discover what caused the accident. UI spokesman Kevin Moore said the three utility workers sustained serious injuries when a lightning arrestor on a transformer caused a flash arc to strike the workers. The incident occurred at about 8:45 a.m. as the workers were assessing tasks that were supposed to be done on the transformer this weekend, he said. A lightning arrestor is a piece of equipment that channels electrical surges into the ground to prevent other equipment, such transformers, from being damaged. The incident occurred in an enclosed, caged-in area at the rear of Sikorsky’s main parking lot on River Road, Moore said. "They were up there checking some transformers (when the incident occurred)," said Stratford Police Capt. Harvey Maxwell. Moore did not comment on the specific nature of the workers’ injuries, but said "we hope for a speedy recovery." The three workers identities were not released Friday, though Moore said their families had been contacted regarding the incident. One was listed in critical condition and the other two were listed in fair condition at Bridgeport Hospital’s Burn Unit, Moore said. "They are experienced UI employees who have each been with us a minimum of 20 years," Moore said, adding that the three are part of the Power Delivery Underground Group. Moore said Sikorsky Aircraft, UI, and the Bridgeport office of Occupational Safety & Health Administration are cooperating to thoroughly investigate what happened so that it does not occur again. Sikorsky Aircraft spokeswoman Sheena Steiner said the explosion did not interrupt any electric flow to the plant or stop work there. Maxwell said his department had limited involvement in the explosion situation and subsequent investigation because it’s a "standard industrial accident." Moore said it was "more than 10 or 15 years ago that something of this magnitude happened." "The workers safety is our number one priority," Moore said, "It’s very important for us to find out what happened." A review of OSHA data on the company on the federal agency’s Internet site found the last time UI was cited for a violation by the agency was in July 1991 and involved problems with accident prevention signs. The violation initially carried a fine of $1,875, but the agency and UI officials reached an informal agreement later that month in which the company agreed to pay $1,200. According to OSHA records, the last time the agency investigated an accident at the company occurred in August 1983. That was one of six accident investigations that OSHA conducted at UI between January 1978 and August 1983.
UPDATE Second ESB worker dies after accident July 11, 2003 The ESB has said the death of a second staff member following the accident at Tarbert Power Station in Co Kerry last week has come as a devastating blow for staff and the company. Michael Healy, 49, from Tieraclea, Tarbert, died yesterday evening at Cork University Hospital, where he was being treated for burn injuries. A married man with four sons, he was an electrical instrumentation supervisor at the power station. The chairman of the ESB, Mr Tadhg O'Donoghue, and the Chief Executive, Padraig MacManus, expressed their profound sympathy to Mr Healy's family and friends.
Man electrocuted at work By Andrea Misko Beacon Journal staff writer I called all the Krivanek's in the Akron/Medina and Cleveland phone books, I got all answering machines and got one answer and the woman said they were family but declined comment, FYI The number at Barberton Steel is 745-6837, 240 E. Huston Street, Barberton. But I haven't been able to get any answer. James Krivanek (who I believe is another owner, is at 440-473-2672, I haven't reached him) Ronald C. Krivanek, co-owner of Barberton Steel & Iron, Inc., was electrocuted Friday after trying to resolve a power issue at the East Huston Street plant. Krivanek, 48, of Coachman Court in Brecksville, was pronounced dead at 11:17 p.m. in the emergency room of Barberton Citizens Hospital, according to the Summit County Medical Examiner's office. The death was ruled accidental. There was no answer at the steel plant on Saturday. A woman at the home of James Krivanek III, Ronald's brother, declined to comment. Barberton police Chief Mike Kallai said workers heard a loud pop and then saw Krivanek lying against the insidef the fence surrounding a power substation on the property. Krivanek was inspecting the substation after workers informed him they weren't getting enough power, said Kallai, who was unable to provide more details. Jill Skapin, spokeswoman for the medical examiner, said it appeared a transformer might have blown. Art Graham, a dispatcher for FirstEnergy, said the company supplies about 12,500 volts of electricity to the substation at Krivanek's company. Kallai said Saturday there wasn't much for the police department to investigate and that he expected FirstEnergy would be assisting the company in determining what went wrong. The accident occurred around 10:40 p.m., Kallai said. In June 1989, Barberton Steel & Iron reported it was investing $600,000 to improve the company's electrical system, increasing its manufacturing capacity by 25 percent. It also planned to spend $220,000 to modernize the system.
News in brief from eastern Pennsylvania SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — The Lackawanna County coroner ruled that the death of a worker electrocuted at a Moosic factory was accidental. William Edwards, 50, of Clarks Summit was a maintenance worker at Compression Polymers Group. Coroner Joseph Brennan said he died Wednesday evening and his body was found early Thursday. Scranton Fire Chief Thomas Davis said a co-worker found Edwards' body in a pool of water, leaning against a large electrical box. "It appears he bumped his head and hit something live," Davis said. Company officials declined to comment.
Blaze breaks out at digger factory Jul 11, 2003, 12:47:00 A paint shop at Staffordshire digger makers JCB was severely damaged today when a blaze broke out in an electrical transformer. Production at the firm's world headquarters, in Rocester, was halted for around two-and-a-half hours after the fire broke at around 8am. All 1,500 employees were evacuated while firefighters from across the county tackled the blaze in the workshop, used to paint hydraulic rams for diggers. Up to 80 firefighters fought the blaze and took around 30 minutes to get it under control. Staff were allowed back into the plant at around 9.30am.
UPDATE Worker electrocuted at ConAgra foods plant in Montgomery The Associated Press 7/10/03 12:04 PM MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A worker was electrocuted while repairing a refrigerator in an attic crawl space of the ConAgra Foods plant in Montgomery. Police said David Safley, 42, of Montgomery was found by co-workers around 7 p.m. Wednesday. He was revived by paramedics but was pronounced dead at 7:48 p.m. at Baptist Hospital South. ConAgra spokesman Bob McKeon said details of the accident are being investigated by the company. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is investigating the workplace death. Safley was working as part of a night maintenance crew when the accident occurred while he worked on a malfunctioning refrigerator. Police said the plant supervisor reported that Safley was in an attic crawl space when the accident occurred. "We are deeply saddened to lose Mr. Safley because he was a valued employee and an important member of the ConAgra Foods team," McKeon said. The death comes slightly more than a year after Elliot Munoz, 21, a contract worker at the ConAgra plant, had his legs severed in a large meat grinder on June 23, 2002.
UEDCL to Probe Deaths July 8, 2003 Kampala THE Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) yesterday set up a committee to probe the circumstances under which one of its workers was electrocuted while fixing a faulty power line, reports Geoffrey Kamali. The deceased, Salim Lubega, was fixing a 33-KV high voltage line in Kajansi, on the Kampala-Entebbe highway, when current was suddenly switched on. It killed him instantly. The incident brings to two the deaths in two months. Another linesman was recently killed while fixing a faulty line near Kalerwe market in Kampala. Another man, Joseph Mbabali alias Makanika, earlier reported dead, is still admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at Rubaga Hospital while a third, whose identity is yet to be established, was discharged. The committee is headed by Robert Mubiru, the Kampala area customer relations manager and comprises other engineers, Mubiru said yesterday. Two workers, based at Najjanankumbi power station, were yesterday questioned by Police in Katwe over the incident. Lubega's relatives picked his body from the city mortuary yesterday and took it to his home in Lyantonde, Rakai district. Mubiru said, "The committee will look at the incident and how the events occurred. We don't even know whether power had been switched off (at the time they climbed the power poles)." "We are not working today. We are going for burial. Meanwhile, someone must explain why power was switched on when it must be off before the linesmen get to work," said John Otto, a UEDCL worker.
Man Electrocuted Trying to Restore Power July 5, 2003 GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP -- A man is dead after a tragic accident on the 4th of July. John Clay worked in construction, his friends say he could fix or build almost anything. So seeing Clay die during a fix-it project was a complete surprise. Storms knocked out power to the area during the holiday, so 58-year-old Clay and his friend, Roger Lucas, had a plan to re-trip the circuit breaker. They used a Hi-lo to work on the breaker box, 30 feet in the air. Clay used a metal rod to knock it into place, the shock shot him all the way to the ground. "He touched the wood and the breaker at the same time," said friend Billy Schneider. "The wood acted as a conductor and it grounded him as he was electrocuted." Schneider attempted CPR, but it was no use. Clay was later pronounced dead on scene by paramedics. Friends say Clay had confidence to do anything. He figured they could fix the problem beforde the power company. "John had displayed to everyone who had known him that he was basically capable of almost anything," said Schneider. Clay was from Switzerland. He had a reunion planned with his family whom he had not seen in decades. They were notified of the news on the fourth.
Man dies in hydro wire accident east of city By BRIAN KELLY, The Sault Star Monday, July 07, 2003 - 09:00 Local News - A Midland, Ont., man is dead after making contact with a live hydro wire early Saturday afternoon near Bruce Mines. John Franklin Stephens, 29, was a member of a K-Line Contracting crew doing planned maintenance work on Cloudslee Road in Plummer Township northeast of the community. The road is about two kilometres from Highway 17. Stephens was working on an overhead distribution line from an elevated bucket when the accident occurred shortly after noon Saturday. “At that particular time they were in the process of reactivating a line and something went wrong,” said Sgt. John Lewis of the East Algoma detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. Fellow workers applied first aid to Stephens. He was transported to Thessalon Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:24 p.m. No foul play is suspected. A Ministry of Labour investigation continued on Sunday. The Stouffville, Ont.-based contracting company had been subcontracted by Great Lakes Power to work on its overhead distribution lines. “We’ve been striving for a perfect safety record so we’re very upset about this event,” said Kim Osmars, vice-president and general manager of GLP’s transmission and distribution division, on Sunday. “We’re working with the appropriate authorities to review the accident and the causes leading up to the accident.” Osmars, declining to identify the victim or the contracting company, described the firm GLP hired as “excellent” and having a “good reputation” in the industry. “They’ve been working with us for awhile,” he said. While the accident continues to be investigated, Osmars also declined to say how long company employees had been working in the area or how many GLP customers in Bruce Mines were without power until about 11:30 p.m. Power was off for almost 12 hours while the OPP and Ministry of Labour investigated the accident scene. In 2001, in Sault Ste. Marie, Lewis Wheelan sustained major high-voltage electrical burns to 55-to 60 -per-cent of his body when a tree crashed into a power line and injured him. The Sir Jmes Dunn collegiate graduate was a summer worker with Neat Site Vegetation. The company was under contract to GLP to cut trees and clear brush near a hydro distribution line. Wheelan lost his right arm, both legs and the middle finger on his left hand. In March, Neat Site Vegetation owner Michael Piccolo pleaded guilty to two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. He was fined $15,000. That same month Wheelan accepted a $500,000 lump sum payment from GLP.
Electricity worker dies in Down accident 09/07/2003 - 2:14:49 pm Northern Ireland Electricity has launched an investigation into the death of a contract worker in Co Down today. The man died while working on power lines in the Mill Road area of Annalong. The North's electricity company said it had launched an internal inquiry into the death and vowed to work with police and health and safety officials to determine the details of the incident.
Montgomery Plant Worker Electrocuted Reported by Keysha Perry A man is dead after being electrocuted at the ConAgra Foods Plant in Montgomery. The accident happened just a few minutes after 7:00 Tuesday night. Police investigators say 42 year old David Safley was working at the plant when an industrial accident caused his death. Co-workers noticed something went wrong and called police. Medics tried to revive Safley on the scene but he later died at Baptist Hospital South. OSHA is now investigating to find more answers in the accident.
Worker injured in ESB accident dies in hospital online.ie 04 Jul 2003 A 38-year-old ESB worker has died in hospital from injuries received in an explosion at a power plant in Co Kerry yesterday afternoon. Three workers were injured in the blast in a switch-gear room at Tarbert generating station. Two of them were taken to the burns unit in Cork University Hospital, where one of them, Pat McCroghan, died this morning. The second man remains in a critical condition, while the third casualty is in a stable condition in Tralee General Hospital. The ESB is investigating the cause of the accident and has promised to co-operate fully with the Health and Safety Authority. The company has also expressed its sympathy to Mr McCroghan's family.
House-painter electrocuted in Topsham Michael Reagan Times Record 07/02/2003 TOPSHAM - A 20-year-old Topsham man died Tuesday after the aluminum ladder he and a co-worker were carrying touched a power line next to an Elm Street residence. Andrew McMillan was declared dead Tuesday afternoon at Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick, said Lt. Chris Lewis of the Topsham Police Department. McMillan was working as a painter with two other employees of College Pro Painters at a home at 16 Elm St. at the time of the accident, which was reported at 2:55 p.m. The other co-worker who was carrying the ladder, Brett Dumont, was taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Lewis said Dumont was in stable condition. According to Lewis, Dumont and McMillan were moving a 40-foot ladder when it appeared they lost their balance and the ladder came into contact with power lines that run parallel to the side of the residence, Lewis said. The third worker was not injured. Central Maine Power Co. officials said the power line had about 7,200 volts running through it, Lewis said. A team from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration in Portland responded to the accident, said Bill Freeman, area director. Investigations can take one to two weeks. Representatives of Central Maine Power Co. were also called to the scene.
UPDATE Lineman from Connecticut dies in Massachusetts accident (Rehoboth, Mass.-AP, July 2, 2003 2:40 PM) _ Officials in Massachusetts say an electrical lineman from Connecticut has died from a power line accident. Forty-four-year-old Walter Shaw had been as injured after his crew's equipment contacted live power lines in Rehoboth, Massachusetts on Monday. He died yesterday. A co-worker of Shaw's from Maine died on Monday. The men were part of a crew doing maintenance work on high-tension lines when a crossbeam they were attempting to install accidentally contacted a 115-thousand volt line.
25,000 VOLTS HIT DAD-TO-BE Jul 2 2003; Engineer fights for life after rail horror Paula Murray A RAIL engineer was fighting for his life yesterday after suffering a massive electric shock from a power line. Scot Richard McBride, whose wife is expecting their first child, was working near Birmingham when the 25,000-volt blast hit him. The 28-year-old, originally from Drongan in Ayrshire, was working on new overhead lines at Marston Green Railway Station when the accident happened at around 1.30am. He suffered severe burns after electricity arced from one of the existing power lines and hit him. He was rushed to the Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham before being taken to the special burns unit at Selly Oak Hospital. Last night, doctors there described his condition as "critical but stable". Richard and his wife Nicola Anne, 29, whom he married in Prestwick three years ago, had just moved into a new home in Rugby, Warwickshire. Last night, she said: "Richard is still critical but stable. He's OK. I've been by his side since the accident happened. "I am expecting our first child and I was up all night. I'm really tired." Richard was contracted to Kent-based Elec-Track Installations Ltd. A spokesman for the firm said: "We have an excellent safety record and all staff are given training. "Our thoughts are with the employee concerned and his family." One ETI worker, who declined to be named, said: "It is terrible. I've heard he suffered up to 45 per cent burns." The Health and Safety Executive and Network Rail immediately launched investigations. A Network Rail spokeswoman said: "Electricity can arc and it looks like this might have happened. "There will be a full investigation."
Power company worker survives 220,000-volt shock 02.07.2003 By JO-MARIE BROWN A Transpower contractor is in hospital with serious burns after 220,000 volts from the national grid shot through his body. The 34-year-old Taupo man, employed by Electrix, was working inside the Wairakei substation when the accident occurred around 11am yesterday. He was knocked unconscious when power surged through one of his hands and out the other, leaving him with a hole in one palm and serious burns. "He was working on a high voltage transmission area where the line meets some other equipment," Transpower spokesman Wayne Eagleson said. Mr Eagleson said such accidents rarely occurred. He would not comment on whether the man was lucky to be alive after being struck by 220,000 volts, but pointed out that most power lines in residential areas carried only 11,000 volts. The Tranz Rail rescue helicopter flew the man to Rotorua Hospital. He was said to be recovering well last night. Transpower and Occupational Safety and Health are investigating.
1 Worker Killed, 4 Hurt By High-Voltage Power Line; Truck Touches 115,000-Volt Line June 30, 2003 REHOBOTH, Mass. -- One worker was killed and four others were seriously injured Monday when they were shocked by high-power electrical lines in Rehoboth, News Channel 10 reported. The workers were attending to power lines on Baker Road when the accident happened about 3:30 p.m. News Channel 10's Mario Hilario reported that the workers were employed by a contractor for National Grid, the parent company of Massachusetts Electric. An official said a boom on one of the workers' trucks came in contact with the 115,000-volt line. Two of the workers were sent to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, two more went to Morton Hospital in Taunton and the fifth went to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. Two were in critical condition and two were in stable condition Monday night. They were being treated for burns, Hilario reported. The state police and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were called in to investigate. Hilario reported that the accident had no impact on power to homes or businesses.
Substation blast cuts off power to 6,411 By MOLLY MOORHEAD, Times Staff Writer St. Petersburg Times June 30, 2003 WESLEY CHAPEL - A small explosion at an electrical substation Sunday morning injured one worker and interrupted power to about 6,400 customers. Progress Energy Florida employees were installing new equipment at the substation 2 miles west of Interstate 75 on State Road 54 at 10:30 a.m. when a "very small, contained explosion" occurred, spokesman Aaron Perlut said. Perlut did not release the name of the employee, but said his injuries were not life threatening. Pasco County Fire Rescue officials said the man was taken to a hospital in a helicopter. Ernie Holzhauer - spokesman for Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, which owns the substation - said 6,411 customers in the Wesley Chapel area experienced an outage. Power was restored in seven minutes, he said. The explosion did not interrupt power to any Progress Energy customers or damage the substation. Progress Energy was investigating the cause of the explosion. "We take any kind of accident very seriously," Perlut said.
Man Dies After Being Electrocuted Altoona -- A Johnstown man died in an unusual accident yesterday. Altoona Police say Christopher Kujanpaa was painting this house when his roller touched a high voltage line. The jolt sent him into immediate cardiac arrest. Two women, who were swimming in their pool, saw what happened and rushed over to help. He died at the Altoona Hospital.
4,000 homes without power after explosion; Residents likely to stay in dark until this morning; Six homes evacuated but residents later allowed back STEVE KRAVITZ AND CYNTHIA LEE STAFF REPORTERS An explosion and fire at a hydro distribution substation left 4,000 households in a large swath of west-end Toronto without power last night. The fire broke out around 7 p.m. in a Toronto Hydro transformer in the Dupont St. and Ossington Ave. substation and soon spread to another part of the station, blanketing the area with thick clouds of black smoke. One hundred firefighters and 25 trucks responded to the four-alarm blaze. Toronto Fire Platoon Chief Larry Fry said the main concern was that the intense heat would ignite more fires nearby. Six houses and a nearby factory were subsequently evacuated. Residents, however, later returned to their homes, which were undamaged. Though firefighters had the blaze under control by 9:45 p.m., residents living in the area bounded by Bloor St. and St. Clair Ave. and from Dufferin St. east to Spadina Ave. were left in darkness by the loss of the substation. Last night, a Toronto Hydro spokesperson said the power would probably be out until this morning. Spokesperson Laurie McFadden said two transformers were damaged and a crew was trying to operate the local distribution grid with the remaining two transformers. "Our goal is to get power back as quickly as possible," she said. McFadden said hydro officials still did not yet know the cause of the fire, but Fry speculated it may have been a malfunction in the transformer. Emergency crews at the scene expressed concerns about possible PCBs at the site. But hydro officials said the company no longer uses the toxic material in its transformers. Still, hazardous materials crews were called in to monitor and try to disperse the thick smoke. "It wasn't your ordinary wood smell," said local resident Helen Brown, who lives a block from the substation. "The smoke was black and went straight up to the west," she said. Brown said she was glad the power outage did not happen during last week's heat wave and that her only concern now was that the food in her fridge not spoil. Student Roddy Gangoo said he "was kind of ticked off" because he couldn't even finish cooking the chicken he was going to have for dinner. "There it goes, into the garbage," he said. Residents are advised to unplug or turn off all appliances including TVs, computers and other sensitive equipment to avoid possible damage when power resumes, hydro officials said.
Man Dies While Trimming Trees Jun 21, 2003 A man cutting limbs off a pine tree in South Richmond was apparently electrocuted yesterday afternoon when one of the branches hit a nearby power line. The victim, whose identity was not released, died in the tree and had to be removed by Richmond firefighters once Dominion Power workers cut the power to the lines. The death remains under investigation. Rescuers were called to the front yard at 58 Rodman Road, which is off Old Midlothian Turnpike, shortly before 4 p.m.
UPDATE Underground Services (1983) Ltd. fined $150,000 for health and safety violation BELLEVILLE, ON, June 19 /CNW/ - Underground Services (1983) Ltd., a Bolton, Ont. construction company, was fined $150,000 on June 17, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of two workers. On October 26, 2001, workers were removing "jersey barriers" (concrete road barriers) at a highway road and bridge repair project when a cable on a crane, which was being used to lift the barriers, came in contact with a 44,000-volt overhead power line. The incident occurred as one of the workers, who had been signalling the crane operator, went to speak to a second worker. At the time, the crane was in a stopped position. While the signal worker's back was turned, the crane started to back up and the second worker yelled for the signal worker to alert the crane operator of the nearby overhead wires. However, before the signal worker could warn the operator, the crane's cable came in contact with the power line, which was located 11.58 metres (37 feet, 11 inches) above the highway, and the crane became energized. The signal worker was electrocuted while trying to get between the crane and centre median to warn the operator. The operator was electrocuted while trying to leave the crane's cab, possibly after seeing the signal worker fall. Both workers died as a result of their injuries. The incident occurred on Highway 401 near Highway 62 in Belleville. Underground Services (1983) Ltd. had been contracted by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to conduct the highway repairs on Highway 401 between overpasses on Highways 37 and 62. Underground Services had, in turn, contracted some of the work to a crane company, which employed the two deceased workers. As constructor, Underground Services had overall responsibility for the safety of all employers and workers on the project. Underground Services (1983) Ltd. pleaded guilty, as the constructor, to failing to ensure warning signs were posted in prominent locations where there was a potential hazard from energized overhead power lines, as required by Section 44 of the Regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 23(1)(a) of the act. The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Sheila Matchett of the Ontario Court of Justice in Belleville. In addition, the court imposed a 25- per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Electric Power Line Shocks Worker Tuesday, June 17 6:00pm By Norm Jones An electric power line shocked a man Tuesday while he worked in Lycoming County. The shock so severe, it seriously burned him. It all happened while he watched over a prison inmate. The work going on was part of the Lycoming County's Jail Work Release Program. Now investigators want to know why the men were so close to the lines. The man injured is a construction foreman. He was working with a prisoner in Montgomery when the motorized life they were in got dangerously close to the line. It was an accident that some say, didn't have to happen. But when it did, Montgomery resident and Emergency Medical Technician Danielle Bryson happened to be nearby, and looking in that direction. She explained she saw the lift touch the power lines, saw sparks fly, and yelled for the men to get away from the machine The foreman, Michael Niedermyer of Williamsport, bumped into the wire, sending an electric current through his body. Danielle Bryson said she asked other men to keep checking on his pulse and breathing while she went to get help. When crews arrived, they immediately attended to Niedermyer and the inmate, while prison officials investigated. Warden David Desmond told us that all of the prison's work crew foremen are experienced in various trades and construction. The County had rented the lift from a local company. A spokesman there told us most of the inmate workers and foremen at this particular site did pass a safety certification test to operate the lift. Warden David Desmond said that included Niedermyer. Officials told Newswatch 16 the inmate was not injured and as of 6:00 Tuesday evening. Niedermyer was still receiving treatment at a hospital.
UPDATE Companies plead guilty to safety breaches June 18 2003 By Selma Milovanovic Two companies yesterday pleaded guilty to safety breaches over the death of an electrical worker and serious injuries to another who performed hazardous tasks while unsupervised. John Murphy died while replacing a power pole four years ago, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard. Mr Murphy was a leading hand of a Skilled Engineering crew employed by United Energy to replace a power pole in Oakleigh on January 27, 1999. Mr Murphy was standing in a cherry-picker and working with 240-volt power lines when a colleague, Daryl Webster, who was delegated the job of safety observer, told Mr Murphy he was going to the crane truck to get tools, just before Mr Murphy suffered an electric shock. United Energy and Skilled Engineering pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a safety observer was present and performed their duty, and failing to ensure protective matting was used. United Energy also pleaded guilty to failing to provide a safety observer in the case of a worker who suffered burns to 50 per cent of his body after suffering an electric shock. On July 16, 1997, Jamie Moore was subcontracted by United Energy to do maintenance work on an electrical substation in Dandenong. The court heard that at the time of the accident there was no supervisor present. Prosecutor Paul Holdenson, QC, said an industry code of practice provided that where it was considered a person or equipment might contact live apparatus, a safety observer needed to be present. Ross Ray, QC, for United Energy, said that since the accident, the entire industry had enforced the issue of safety observers far more rigorously. Magistrate Jelena Popovic adjourned her decision to June 25.
UPDATE Louisiana company cited for safety violations in Mississippi The U.S. Department of Labor fined a Louisiana-based company $46,800 for safety violations at a job site in Gulfport where a worker was injured by an electric shock. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Marlin Contracting Co., Inc. for a Jan. 2 accident. Marlin Contracting, a utility contractor in Harvey, La., had eight employees working on a power line when one member of the crew, who had been on the job for two days, received a shock and severe burns. The worker remains partially paralyzed from his injuries. OSHA issued 12 citations for violations of safety standards. The company is charged with: -Failing to provide safety training for employees working with high-voltage electrical lines and operating aerial lift equipment -Failing to maintain the required distance between workers, equipment and energized power lines. -Not providing tools certified for use on power lines. -Not inspecting and discarding damaged tools or insulating equipment. -Failing to provide adequate traffic barriers and high visibility clothing for ground employees working near traffic areas. "This accident could have been prevented if the company had taken precautions required by OSHA regulations and industry practice," said Clyde Payne, OHSA's Jackson area director. Marlin Contracting has 15 working days to contest the OSHA citation and proposed penalties.
UTILITY WORKER KILLED AS HE RESTORED STORM OUTAGE A Nashville Electric Service lineman has been electrocuted as crews worked to restore power outages caused by storms. A utility spokeswoman says Curtis Peterson Junior had climbed a power pole in the Joelton area on Nashville's northwest edge and touched a live line. Teresa Corlew says another lineman working with Peterson called 9-1-1, did a pole top rescue, then performed C-P-R on the victim until an ambulance arrived. The incident occurred shortly after eleven p-m Central time yesterday. Peterson was pronounced dead at Skyline Medical Center.
Electrocution confirmed in area worker’s death NEW LONDON — A 30-year-old Hortonville man who died Thursday while working on a highway crew was electrocuted, Outagamie County Coroner Ruth Wulgaert said Friday. An autopsy conducted by a forensic pathologist of the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the cause of death for Kevin Johnson, she said. Staff Sgt. Bob Bekx, of the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Department, said police investigators were unable to determine the source of the fatal shock, but concluded the death was not suspicious. Johnson was setting off explosives using an electronic detonator when the mishap occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on County D, about three miles south of New London.
Fremont worker injured at substation By Fremont Tribune Staff A Fremont utility worker was injured in a Tuesday afternoon accident and is being treated at an Omaha hospital. Derril Marshall, general manager of the Fremont Department of Utilities, said the man was doing general maintenance at the substation at Somers Avenue and County Road T when the accident occurred. The man was working near high voltage lines on a metal structure at that station when it's believed one of his tools came in contact with the line, Marshall said. He was then transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. The incident occurred around 1-1:30 p.m. Due to privacy laws, the name of the individual could not be released.
Worker Shocked 40 Feet Above Ground FULLERTON — A serious shock - 40 feet above the ground - sends a local utility worker to the hospital. The Southern California Edison employee suffered the electric shock while working on a 12,000-volt power line on the 4200 block of West Hill Ave. in Fullerton. The accident happened in the early morning hours, according to an Orange County Fire Authority spokesperson. Jon Perez was working on a "cross arm" on the pole when he was injured, said SCE's Paul Klein. Perez was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was still being treated some nine hours later, Klein said. His condition was not immediately known. The circumstances of the accident were under investigation.
Southwest worker dies in mishap By JAMIE PAGE 06/ 3 2003 The May 4 tornadoes took 11 lives. Nearly a month later, the maintenance work in the storm's aftermath has taken another. Danny Ray Butler, an employee for Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corp., died Sunday night at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital after a broken utility pole fell on him. Butler, 54, of Spring Creek, was a service truck operator and groundsman for Southwest. "He was as good as his word ... if he said he was going to do something he did it," said his wife, Sue Butler, 38. "He was as honest as the day was long, and he was a very, very good husband and father." Starting to cry, she said, "I'll miss him very, very much." Butler and co-worker Jason Brown were responding to a service call Sunday evening off Ranger Road in the Beech Bluff area, where a damaged service pole had most likely been split by last month's tornadoes. While Butler was disconnecting the lines, the pole broke and fell on top of him, said Trent Scott, marketing coordinator for Southwest. The owner of the rental property, where the service pole only affected that particular property's electricity, said he had not been to the scene since the storm and assumed the damage was caused by the tornadoes, Scott said. Butler was conscious at the scene, but was pronounced dead at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at Jackson General, Scott said. "There is no better human being in this world than him," said Jimmie Burchett, a close family friend. "He would do anything he could to help anybody. He was a very good man, a good father, he loved his work, a great person all around." Butler, who was born and raised in Madison County, had worked for Southwest since September 1995. He leaves behind his wife of 14 years, daughter Jauvada Arnold, two stepdaughters, Mandy Pickard of Pinson and Crystal Hill of Spring Creek, two grandchildren, Josh Grant and McKenzie Pickard, and a brother Billy Butler of Chatsworth, Ga. "We are extending our sympathies to his family," Scott said.
UPDATE Lawrenceburg City Employee's Electrocution Investigated Reported by: 9News Web produced by: Liz Foreman Tuesday, inspectors will be back on the scene where a Lawrenceburg city worker was electrocuted. John Davis, 59, was electrocuted Monday afternoon while working on an underground transformer box by the river levy at the end of Walnut Street. Investigators are trying to figure out why he was working on the transformer alone. Davis had only two years left until retirement. He left behind his wife, two children and several grandchildren. Mayor Tremain has closed down the city for the rest of the week except for all emergency personnel.
UPDATE NESTLE AND MONOTRONIC FINED £245,000 FOLLOWING ELECTROCUTION One of the country’s largest food and drink manufacturers, Nestlé UK Ltd, was on Friday 30 May fined £220,000 following a fatal accident in 1999 when a contractor’s employee was electrocuted undertaking work at Nestlé’s factory in Nestles Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex. The man’s employer, Monotronic Ltd, was fined £25,000. Isleworth Crown Court ordered Nestlé to pay £30,000 in costs. The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted both companies after the accident on 25 November 1999. Anthony Allen, an electrician for Monotronic Ltd, Lind Road, Sutton, Surrey, was electrocuted while pulling out redundant cables from trunking in the coffee plant in the factory. Monotronic Ltd was charged with breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974, for failing to ensure the safety of its employee. Nestlé UK Ltd was charged with breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974, for failing to ensure the safety of people not employed by them but affected by its work. HSE Principal Inspector Samantha Peace said after the verdict: “Some 18 workers were killed by contact with electricity in 1999 – one of them was Anthony Allen. His death could have been avoided if Nestlé had ensured its contractors either followed or had in place a safe system of work, similar to the system Nestlé managed for its own employees. “Every company, however large or small, must ensure that contractors have safe systems of work and follow them. This is particularly important for electrical work.”
Tri-State Worker Killed On Job Site; Few Details Available About Man's Electrocution Police are investigating an incident in which a man was electrocuted at a job site Monday afternoon. Few details are available, but WLWT Eyewitness News 5 confirmed that a worker died on the job site shortly before 5 p.m. in Lawrenceburg, Ind. The victim's name has not been released. Please follow WLWT Eyewitness News 5 and ChannelCincinnati.com for updates to this story as they become available.
UPDATE Lac Des Iles Mines Limited fined $50,000 for health and safety violations THUNDER BAY, ON, May 30 /CNW/ - Lac Des Iles Mines Limited, a Toronto-based mining corporation which operates Lac Des Iles Mine about 102 kilometres (63 miles) north of Thunder Bay, was fined $50,000 on May 28, 2003 for three violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in hand burns to an electrical worker. On August 7, 2001, an electrician was doing electrical work at a new electrical substation at Lac Des Iles Mine near Highway 527 when the worker's right hand came in contact with a live electrical component on a 4,160-volt control panel. The worker received second-degree burns. Prior to doing the electrical work, steps had been taken to de-energize the circuit and breaker control, but the system had not yet been tested to ensure it was fully de-energized. Unknown to the electrician, there was a back feed of electricity running from an old electrical substation. A Ministry of Labour investigation found there was no current, permanent, single-line electrical drawing posted in a conspicuous location at the substation that would have shown the electrical back feed. There was also no notice warning that either side of a disconnecting device could be energized. Both were requirements of the Ontario Electrical Code. The electrician had also not been informed of proper high- voltage procedures for working with energized equipment. The worker was employed by a Thunder Bay electric company, which had been contracted to do electrical work at the electrical substation at Lac Des Iles Mine, which produces a mineral called palladium. Lac Des Iles Mines Limited pleaded guilty, as an employer, to 1. Failing to post a current, permanent, legible, single-line electrical drawing in a conspicuous location at the electrical substation, as required by Section 155(1) of the Regulation for Mines and Mining Plants. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act; 2. Failing to post on an emergency tiebreaker electrical panel a notice warning that electrical contacts on either side of the disconneting device could be energized, as required by Section 155(1) of the Regulation for Mines and Mining Plants. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act; and 3. Failing to inform, instruct and supervise workers on proper high-voltage procedures. This was contrary to Section 25(2)(a) of the act. Justice of the Peace Tom Logan, of the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay, fined the company $20,000 on the first count, $20,000 on the second count and $10,000 on the third count. A supervisor pleaded guilty to failing to post a current, permanent, legible, single-line electrical drawing in a conspicuous location at the electrical substation. This was contrary to Section 27(2)(c) of the act. Justice of the Peace Logan fined the supervisor $5,000. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge on the fines against the company and supervisor, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
UPDATE Hydro One Network Services Inc. fined $100,000 for health and safety violation TORONTO, May 29 /CNW/ - Hydro One Network Services Inc., a Toronto-based company which provides maintenance, repair and operational services to Hydro One Networks Inc., an electricity transmission and distribution subsidiary of Hydro One Inc., was fined $100,000 on May 27, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in serious burns to two employees. On October 11, 2001, two construction workers were taking measurements and verifying positions of parts they were making at a Toronto transformer substation when a metal measuring tape being used by one of the workers came in contact with energized equipment. The worker suffered burns to the right bicep area, the arms, hands, face and neck. The second worker suffered flash burns to the eyes and a temporary loss of vision. At the time of the incident, the first worker was on a scaffold platform and the second worker was on a ladder leading up to the scaffold platform. One end of the scaffold was located 1.5 metres (five feet) away from the energized equipment. The workers had been fabricating a framework for a wall that was to be used to extend the walls between transformer bays at the transformer substation, which was owned by Hydro One Networks Inc. at 83 Charles Street in Toronto. Hydro One Network Services Inc. pleaded guilty to failing, as an employer, to ensure that tools, ladders, scaffolding and other equipment and materials capable of conducting electricity were not stored or used so close to an energized electrical installation, equipment or conductor that they could make electrical contact with an energized conductor, as required by Section 194 of the Regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act. The fine was imposed by Justice Robert Bigelow of the Ontario Court of Justice at Old City Hall in Toronto. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Utilities worker shocked east of Grand Island By Gretchen Fowler Publication Date: 05/29/03 A Grand Island Utilities Department worker was shocked shortly after 11 a.m. today when he apparently grabbed a wire he shouldn't have. Bob Smith of the Utilities Department said crews were working at a home on Hermitage Place, just west of the Hall/Merrick county line, when the accident occurred. He said city employee Pat Bittner grabbed an energized wire he thought had no power to it. Smith said it appears that the charge went in Bittner's arm and out through his knee. He said Bittner, who was taken to St. Francis Medical Center, was up and walking around after the accident happened but had blistering burns on his arm. "We're extremely grateful, I think, that nothing worse happened. This crew is always very safe, and we take all the precautions we can," Smith said. "I don't know why that wire was energized." Donald Kohtz of the Grand Island Rural Fire Department lives about five blocks from where the accident happened. He said he was cleaning his pool when he heard what sounded like a shotgun. Shortly after, he said, his pager went off. Kohtz said there was no explosion, but added, "The arch of the short circuit will make it sound like an explosion." Neighbors as far away as Bismark Street said they lost power when the accident occurred. The Hall County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident.
Regina man electrocuted The Leader-Post Thursday, May 22, 2003 A 29-year-old Regina man was killed Wednesday after being electrocuted while attempting to clear a power line that struck a cultivator attachment in the Grand Coulee area. RCMP say a power pole in a field was struck and knocked over while the man was cultivating in a field, north of the Trans-Canada Highway about five kilometres west of Regina. The power line came into contact with the cultivator. Police say the man, whose name has not been released, died while attempting to free the power line. The accident occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m.
Gulf Power lineman electrocuted in Panhandle A Gulf Power Co. lineman was electrocuted when he came into contact with a live wire, the Pensacola-based utility's first fatality in 21 years. Joseph D. "J.D." Webb died Tuesday, the same day emergency personnel in a neighboring Florida Panhandle county were honored for saving the life of another Gulf Power employee shocked two weeks earlier. Webb, 31, died at West Florida Hospital in nearby Pensacola after he was shocked while working in a bucket truck in this Santa Rosa County community, Gulf Power spokeswoman Lynn Erickson said. Webb, who was single, had worked for Gulf Power for eight years. Okaloosa County Commissioners, also Tuesday, honored emergency workers who helped save Gulf Power employee Timmy Oakes, who was shocked May 2 while working on an electrical box behind a new building supply store in Destin. "I'm thankful for life today, and I'm thankful that all of you men and women, that God had you in place," Oakes, 29, said during the ceremony. "It makes a difference." He was in critical condition when taken Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola but upgraded to good in just two days. Another Gulf Power employee, Alan Hall, helped pry Oakes from the electrical box. Two sheriff's deputies administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation until Destin firefighters arrived with a defibrillator to shock him back to life. Ambulance personnel then completed the rescue.
Downtown Memphis Power Outage May 20, 2003 Memphis, TN - Power is restored to downtown memphis after a transformer blew leaving much of the area in the dark. Two MLGW workers were injured in the incident. The two men were working on a substation on South Third Street when the accident happened. The substation supplies power for the area between Danny Thomas and the Mississippi River bordered the north and south by Monroe and Crump. The two MLGW workers were transported to the Med in critical condition and at this hour MLGW continues their investigation as to what happened. All of this unfolded around 8:30 this morning when those two MLGW workers were doing regular maintenance on a transformer at the substation on South Third, across from the main post office when something went wrong. A transformer in the area where they were working blew, injuring them both. We are told by mehcanics who work next door to the substation that there were sparks and a small fire that was quickly put out with a fire extinguisher by MLGW employees. Right now, MLGW is not calling this an explosion, but those who were near the substation when the transformer blew, say that's exactly what it sounded like. An eyewitness says, "I was coming right there off the bus and I heard the loud noise and I saw the smoke, for a minute, I thought something else had happened, thought maybe a bomb had gone off right here." MLGW Spokesman Mark Heuberger says, "Our first concern right now is to take care of those employees injured and they have been transported to the hospital and now we will begin the process of restoring power and investigating what happened." MLGW crews were still on the scene late today at the Third Street station. They are in the middle of they are calling safety audit. Power was fully restored just before ten this morning.
Electrician burned in accident; Flash fire leads to second- and third-degree burns By Don Fasnacht Staff writer An electrician suffered burns over most of his body Thursday when an electrical short ignited his clothing while he was working at the Richmond Sears store. Timothy Blake, 37, Camden, Ohio, is in serious condition at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He was working on a circuit breaker panel that contained 440-volt service when he accidentally shorted the circuit, Battalion Chief Jerry Purcell of the Richmond Fire Department said. There was a flash fire that set his clothes on fire. "He had second-degree burns over most of his body and some third-degree burns," Purcell said. Damages to the electrical system were estimated at a minimum of $100,000. The fire was quickly brought under control. Sears was closed for the remainder of Thursday. The accident happened minutes before noon. Sears phones were not working this morning and officials at Richmond Square Mall said Sears has no official estimate of when it will re-open. All other stores in the mall are open as usual. No stores other than Sears had to be evacuated Thursday. Blake was working for Bremmer Electric of Cincinnati. He was treated at Reid Hospital and then taken to Dayton by helicopter.
Man electrocuted at BU By MICHAEL REICH Press Enterprise Writer BLOOMSBURG -- A Stroudsburg man was electrocuted while working in a mechanical room at Bloomsburg University's Kehr Union building early Wednesday afternoon. Craige Diaz, 48, was working alone, replacing a transfer switch, when he was electrocuted, according to university spokeswoman Bonnie Martin. Columbia County Deputy Coroner Diane Benner said university employees found him down and started performing CPR. Benner added that no one's exactly sure how much time had passed between the time Diaz was fatally shocked and when he was found. She did say, though, that the last time anyone had contact with him was 45 minutes to an hour before he was pronounced dead at Bloomsburg Hospital at 2:24 p.m. Martin said Diaz didn't work for BU. He was an employee of Emergency Systems Service Co., of Quakertown. Chief Coroner Dr. Michael Kenny said the electric current probably sent Diaz into a cardiac arrhythmia. "Electricians are always shocking themselves and unfortunately, this time it was a fatal case," said Kenny. Kenny said it wasn't a high voltage that killed Diaz. He explained that even a shock from a household current can be enough to send your heart into an arrhythmia.
Ethanol plant worker shocked, but doing OK Associated Press BROOKINGS, S.D. - A worker at an ethanol plant under construction in Brookings County was brought to the hospital after getting an electrical shock. Robert Rassel, 39, of Iowa, was conscious and doing OK after the accident Thursday afternoon at the Vera Sun Energy plant near Aurora. He went to the Brookings hospital as a precaution but has since been released. The sheriff said the accident happened when a back hoe unearthed a buried cable and it came in contact with chains being used to move equipment. Rassel was shocked when he touched the chains.
Electrocuted worker falls to his death canada.com Wednesday, May 14, 2003 VANCOUVER -- A man has plunged to his death from the roof a 10-storey building in downtown Vancouver. Police say two window washers working for Allstar Holdings were flipping a piece of scaffolding cable over the side of the building when it touched a power line. The force of the electrical shock threw the man over the side of the tower, which is located at Pender and Thurlow in the city's downtown core. The second man was injured. The coroner, the Workers Compensation Board and B.C. Hydro are all investigating the accident.
UPDATE Worker injured in drilling accident; Out of intensive care, listed in fair condition Staff Report A 29-year-old Caza Drilling Co. worker, seriously injured in a drilling accident south of Silt on April 30, was listed in fair condition in St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction on Monday. “He is out of intensive care, but still in the hospital,” said Caza spokesperson Harry Olds. Olds said the worker, from Rock Springs, Wyo., suffered scalp and chest injuries. Olds declined to release the worker’s name. The Denver-based Caza is a contractor for EnCana Oil and Gas, which plans to drill 250 gas wells in the Mamm Creek field this year. Chris Williams, a spokesperson for EnCana, said the accident occurred on Caza rig No. 11, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Workers were taking pipe out of the drilling rig when the accident occurred, Williams said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident. “We can’t say anything about it until the investigation is complete,” Williams said. The worker was airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, said EnCana spokesperson Sherry Long. “He was being trained at the time,” Long said.
Man Electrocuted Installing TV Antenna May 12, 2003 A man was killed when he was shocked while putting up a TV antenna at a home in southern Ohio Sunday. The Vinton County Sheriff's Office says Bruce Sims was killed when the tip of the antenna touched a power line. Sims was pronounced dead at the scene. A second person was taken to Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe with burns to his hands and feet. A third person wasn't hurt.
Construction worker dies when drill touches power line A Temple Terrace man was killed when the drilling pipe he was using touched 7,200-volt electrical lines, officials said. Daniel Rivera, 43, was pronounced dead about one hour after the incident, which occurred late Thursday morning. Rivera worked for Nutting Engineers of Florida Inc., officials said. Pasco County sheriff's spokesman Jim Campbell said the death was "avoidable," but that investigators found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing. John Pita, one of Rivera's co-workers, said the drillers relied on drawings provided by Rimkus Consulting Group. Michael Powell, a co-consultant at Rimkus, told Campbell he had "misaligned the drawing 180 degrees," a mistake that put the drilling too close to power lines.
Worker Suffers from Electric Shock May 9, 2003 — A worker suffered a serious electric shock atop a ladder today. It happened at 12th and Chew in Fern Rock at 2pm. The man was putting siding up on a house and one of the pieces of siding hit a line and the man was shocked. After being shocked the 50 year old man fell approximately 50 feet onto concrete and brought wires down with him. He was rushed to Einstein Hospital. PGW and PECO responded to the scene. The man was working on an area line which can carry anywhere from 4-13 thousand volts. A fire department battalion chief reported a strong odor of natural gas when he arrived at the scene. PGW said they are investigating the cause of the leak at this time. Power is currently out in the area.
UPDATE Pike Electric cited for Gardner Drive accident Pike Electric may have to pay a $25,000 federal fine for a November accident on Gardner Drive in Port Charlotte. In the Nov. 19 incident, a Pike Electric employee brushed against a power line on Gardner Drive, shocking him and another worker and creating a domino effect that included another gas leak and fires that damaged Karen's Kiddie Korrell, a daycare center, and destroyed a house. No one else was hurt. Just four days earlier, employees of Pike Electric, which subcontracts with Florida Power & Light, mistakenly cut a gas line on Gardner, forcing the neighborhood's evacuation. Now, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration is levying a $25,000 citation penalty against the North Carolina-based electrical contracting company for the Nov. 19 accident. The company can appeal that decision in 15 days. According to the citation, OSHA found that the Pike employee handled a live wire without using appropriate rubber gloves. The Friday after the incident, Karen Spieldenner, owner of the daycare center, said she saw workers on the power poles without safety equipment. "But they did (use safety equipment) after that," said Spieldenner, who thinks the $25,000 fine is fair. "OSHA handled it very professionally." She also had glowing praise for FP&L, which paid for and saw that all the damage to her business was repaired within two months. "They were good to me," Spieldenner said. The Gardner Drive incident was not the first time OSHA has fined the company for not using safety equipment. The federal agency cited Pike Electric for a similar incident in Pulaski, Ga. Other incidents proved more serious. In March 2001, OSHA cited Pike Electric for 10 serious safety violations and proposed $61,000 in penalties after a worker was electrocuted in Loganville, Ga. According to OSHA's Web site, a Pike employee working in an elevated lineman's bucket was electrocuted on Sept. 11, 2000, when he came in contact with a 14,400-volt power line. At the time, OSHA Atlanta acting director William Grimes stated, "Basic safety precautions -- responsible training and appropriate protective equipment -- could have saved this worker's life." Pike Electric officials could not be reached for comment Thursday. A company Internet site described Pike Electric as an electrical contracting firm with 4,400 employees, founded in 1945. Its service area includes the Southeast and areas as far north as Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. FP&L contracts Pike Electric to replace power poles and other maintenance in Southwest Florida. FP&L spokesman Bill Swank said his company will first evaluate the OSHA report before any action is taken.
Worker Electrocuted A day on the job turned deadly, when a man was electrocuted in Hancock County. It happened Wednesday afternoon, as an electrical crew worked at a sub-station in Washington Township. The sheriff's department says a male electrician came in contact with a grounded line and was electrocuted. We won't know who the victim is until authorities notify the family.
Lightning shakes up Austin Energy worker 5/6/2003 3:14 PM By: News 8 Austin Staff A lightning strike shook up an Austin Energy crew member, but he was not injured. Around 11 a.m. Tuesday, Justin Fowler was part of a crew installing a new electric line near I-35 and Parmer Lane. The team began working after lightning and rain appeared to have passed. "He has no injuries except, once again, just the shock of the event. The lightning struck nearby. It did not strike him. It did not strike the bucket truck," Ed Clark, of Austin Energy, said. As a precaution, Fowler was taken to Brackenridge Hospital for overnight observation.
Two RG&E workers burned Two RG&E workers were injured Wednesday morning after accidentally coming into contact with a live wire. It happened around 9:40 a.m. at an RG&E substation on Swan Street. Officials say the employees were in the process of working on power switches when a flash of electricity sparked in the process and injured them. They were taken to Strong Memorial Hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time but they were conscious on their way to the hospital. An RG&E spokesman says the employees were doing a routine job. Around 3,000 customers are without power in the downtown area. Those affected are between the Goodman Street and Scio Street area. RG&E hopes to have the power restored by this afternoon.
Worker Burned By Electric Shock A Breed Technologies employee working on electrical equipment suffered a 440-volt shock to his hands Monday, rescue workers said. The man, whose name was not released, suffered third-degree burns to his hands and was flown to a Tampa hospital, said Commander Jim Robson of the Lakeland Fire Department. The incident occurred about 4:10 p.m. while the man worked on electrical equipment. He was shocked, then walked into a break room where co-workers found him. The man was conscious and talked to emergency workers before he was flown out, Robson said. Peter McElroy, a spokesman for Breed, confirmed that there was an injury at the air bag and seat belt manufacturer company. He said company officials continue to investigate the injury.
Boss to face charges over earring electrocution An electrical company boss faces charges for failing to provide a safe environment for a young electrician electrocuted through his earring, police said Wednesday. Police have sent documents accusing the unnamed 53-year-old electrical company boss from Kawasaki of negligence resulting in death. They say he should have informed the 18-year-old electrician of the dangers involved in working with high voltage electricity, as well as prevented him from wearing the earring that ultimately cost him his life. Police said the young electrician was working in the power room of a building in Tokyo's Shinjuku-ku on Nov. 6 when the tragedy occurred. His earring touched an electrical circuit emanating 6,600 volts of electricity, killing him instantly. Fellow employees were testing the power flow on a transformer at the time and did not tell him that the high voltage circuit would be operating while he was in the room. The boy had only recently joined the electrical company. (Mainichi Shimbun, April 17, 2002)
Utility Worker's Truck Explodes As He Jumps To Safety
A close call Thursday for a utility worker in Luzerne County. He leaped to safety as his truck exploded in flames. It happened at First and Alter Streets in Hazleton just after 2:00 Thursday afternoon. A two-man crew from "Hinkels and McCoy" was replacing a utility pole for P.P.L. when the line started to fall. One worker thirty feet up in the truck's "bucket" jumped to safety just before the truck exploded. The blast was heard blocks away and even though firefighters arrived in minutes, they had to wait while the live line was turned off to fight the flames. By then the truck was gutted. A nearby home had its windows blown out but no one was hurt. Police, Fire and P.P.L. officials are still investigating and no names have been released after Thursday afternoon's close call in Hazleton.
Man dead after being electrocuted as tree tool touched power line Thursday, May 01, 2003 - GLENDORA — A Pomona man was electrocuted on Thursday when an aluminum tree trimming tool he was using came into contact with a 12,000-volt power line. Esteban Cardenas, 25, was perched on a tree limb clipping branches in the back yard of a home at 2507 Country Club Drive in Glendora when his tool struck the power line, said Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Ed Osorio. When Cardenas screamed out in pain, his employer, Exiquio Cazares, 32, of Riverside, tried to knock him out of the tree and suffered first- and second-degree burns to his arm, Osorio said. Firefighters arrived within minutes. It took another 20 to 25 minutes to shut off the power, Osorio said. County paramedics pronounced Cardenas dead at the scene. Cazares was taken to San Dimas Community Hospital and later released. Power was lost briefly for about 2,000 Edison customers in the area.
Charges against parent firm dismissed in electrical deaths By Shamus Toomey Daily Herald Staff Writer Posted May 02, 2003 A federal judge Thursday threw out criminal charges against the parent company of an electrical firm accused of improperly training two workers electrocuted atop high-tension wires in the suburbs. U.S. Magistrate Judge Geraldine Soat Brown dismissed the charges against MYR Group Inc. but left in place criminal charges against its subsidiary, L.E. Myers Co. of Rolling Meadows. Both were indicted Dec. 11 in the deaths of Blake Lane and Wade Cumpston. Lane, 20, was killed atop a Mount Prospect electrical tower in 1999 on just his second day on the job. Cumpston, 43, was killed in a Plainfield accident in 2000. The judge said the men did not qualify as employees of MYR Group under the law, and therefore the parent company could not be accused of failing to properly train them. "The accidental deaths of Lane and Cumpston were tragic," Brown said. "However, a criminal charge must have a foundation in law establishing criminal responsibility." U.S. attorney spokesman Randall Samborn said the office is reviewing the decision and will likely appeal. L.E. Myers faces fines of up to $2 million if convicted.
Electrician suffers burns in accident at refinery By PHIL HERMANEK Peninsula Clarion A Kenai man was in satisfactory condition at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Monday where he was taken after being burned in an industrial accident Saturday. David Ramsey, a Tesoro electrician, suffered second- and third-degree burns to his right arm while doing electrical maintenance work at the company's Nikiski refinery Saturday morning. Ramsey was performing turnaround maintenance work on electrical switch gear that had been de-energized, according to refinery manager Rodney Cason. Dust from the cleaning procedure, however, apparently flashed when it came into contact with a nearby switch that still had electricity going to it. Ramsey, who was wearing leather gloves and fire retardant clothing, suffered second-degree burns to his forearm and third-degree burns to his elbow through the protective clothing. He was given immediate first-aid care at the scene and taken by Nikiski Fire Department ambulance to Central Peninsula General Hospital. From there, he was flown to the Burn Care and Plastic Surgery Clinic of Harborview for additional care. Cason said he spoke to Ramsey Monday and the Tesoro employee "is doing really well." "He said he wants to get back and get golfing," Cason said.
Cement Worker Electrocuted In Suffolk (AP) - A construction worker was killed on the job Wednesday when a hydraulic pump struck a high-voltage power line in Suffolk. Fire department spokesman Jim Judkins identified the victim as 37-year-old Keith Withrow of Virginia Beach. He says another construction worker - 57-year-old Benjamin Porter of Virginia Beach - was injured in the accident and was taken to a local hospital. Judkins said the two men were working for a cement subcontractor and pouring a foundation for a duplex when the pump struck a 20,000-volt power line just after 5:00pm. He says a co-worker performed CPR on Withrow, but could not revive him. Dominion Virginia Power officials are investigating the accident.
Hopkinsville Electric System lineman electrocuted By SCOTT BURNSIDE An accident at a Hopkinsville Electric System work site today resulted in the death of one lineman and sent another to Jennie Stuart Medical Center, officials said. Christian County Coroner Dorris Lamb said Joe Wayne Holland, 37, of Cox Mill Road, was killed in the incident, which occurred while he on the job at Fourth Street and Linda Court shortly before 8 a.m. Firefighter Steve Futrell, public information officer for the Hopkinsville Fire Department, one of the emergency agencies dispatched to the scene, said Holland was working on some power lines at the time of the accident. A co–worker, Devin Thomas, no age or address available, was taken to the hospital, according to HES manager Austin Carroll, but only to make sure he didn't suffer any injuries in the accident. "Efforts were made to resuscitate him at the scene and later at the hospital," Futrell said. Lamb said he pronounced Holland dead in the hospital's emergency room at 8:26 a.m. The cause of death was ruled "electrocution," according to the coroner. Carroll said Holland and Thomas were working on new utility poles on Fourth Street, which had recently been put up. Holland was the senior lineman on the two–man HES crew. The accident was a rare tragedy for HES, he noted. "There has not been a serious injury or fatality since I've been here in the last 17 years," Carroll said. He added that HES last suffered a fatality on the job sometime back in the 1960s, and it also involved a lineman. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe's family," Carroll said. Carroll said both Holland and Thomas were "journeymen linemen," which is the designation for the most experienced employees in that particular job. According to Carroll, HES is investigating the circumstances of the accident. Carroll said Holland was the only one in the HES truck bucket at the time of the accident. He declined to release additional details, pending the completion of the investigation.
Transformer Blast Forces Partial Evacuation Of School; Cuts Power To Thousands In Hollywood UPDATED: 12:49 p.m. PDT April 23, 2003 HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- A transformer explosion cut power to nearly 17,000 utility customers in Hollywood on Wednesday, forcing partial evacuation of an elementary school. No one was injured in the blast shortly before 8:30 a.m. at a city Department of Water and Power distribution substation at Vine and Romaine streets. The cause was under investigation, Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said. The nearby school was partially evacuated while smoke wafted out of the substation, Wells said. Students were initially sent to the south end of the school's campus, according to NBC4. DWP spokeswoman Darlene Battle could not estimate how long the power outage would last or how much damage was caused by the blast. The substation has a minimal staff, she said. The Vine Street Children's Center was also evacuated. Seventy-four children -- ages 3, 4 and 5 -- and 10 adults were evacuated. Parents can come to Vine Elementary school to pick up students, although school is still the in session, the principal said. No one was injured, authorities said. One woman said she saw "dark, thick, black smoke ... Everybody was choking."
Shocked, trapped 50 feet over Dover By Michael Daigle, Daily Record A worker for a billboard company was in critical condition on Monday after an aluminum ladder he was using apparently touched an NJ Transit power line carrying 28,000 volts, Dover police said. The accident occurred at about 11:30 a.m., Detective Steven Brennan said, when 52-year-old Herbert Tennant of Orange suffered an electric shock while working on a Viacom billboard just west of the Traveler's Diner on Route 46. The lighted billboard is about 50 feet above the NJ Transit rails and about 15 feet from the high-tension power line. The accident shut down rail traffic for about an hour and vehicular traffic on Route 46 in both directions for about 90 minutes. Brennan said people in the area heard a pop and NJ Transit recorded a power spike at about 11:29 a.m. Police were called by a homeless man who lives under the bridge, he said. Tennant was flown by helicopter to St. Barnabas Medical Center's burn unit in Livingston, Brennan said. Police were told that he was in critical condition. Information from the hospital was not available. Police had not been able to interview Tennant by late afternoon, Brennan said. Tennant was working alone at the time and was found on a platform attached to the billboard. Brennan said Tennant was conscious and was able to place a 45-second cell phone call to his office. Firefighters extinguished a small brush fire at the base of the pillar that supports the billboard. Brennan said it was unclear Monday how the ladder came into contact with the power line, but that the line did show a burned spot. Viacom officials told Brennan that the ladder is kept on the platform so workers do not have to raise and lower it while working on the billboard. Viacom officials were unavailable late Monday. Police and fire crews from Wharton arrived to assist Dover. Picatinny Arsenal provided a ladder truck when it was determined that Wharton's ladder truck could not be used. Brennan said the ladder on Wharton's truck could not be extended at an angle flat enough to allow Tennant to be carried on a stretcher from the billboard platform to the highway, about 25 feet.
Man hurt in Plas-Pak blast By FRANCIS McCABE Special to the Bulletin NORWICH -- A worker lay in critical condition Friday after an explosion at Plas-Pak Industries Inc. in the Norwich Industrial Park. An electrical short that occurred when a maintenance worker, Richard Couture, 48, of Thompson tried to change a circuit breaker caused the explosion, Yantic Fire Department Deputy Chief Ray O'Connell said. Couture was electrocuted with 480 volts and suffered serious burns as a result of the explosion, O'Connell said. And according to a Norwich fire official Couture may not have had the proper license to be repairing electrical equipment. Couture was rushed to The William W. Backus Hospital and then transported to the burn unit at Bridgeport Hospital for further treatment. "I heard a big bang and then everyone yelled 'get out of here,'" Claudette Deshamps of Norwich said. Deshamps has worked at Plas-Pak for four years, "It rocked the whole building," Dr. James Petrelli of the Concentra Medical Center, next to Plas-Pak, said. Petrelli said Couture walked into the medical center after the explosion and Petrelli helped him until emergency services arrived. Couture suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns on his hands and head, Petrelli said. "He walked in under his own power. He was alert and orientated. His hands were badly burned and his hair was singed," Petrelli said. He said it was clear Couture had been electrocuted. Workers gathered outside the plant and were soon told to go home. Plant officials told them to listen to the radio to see if they would be able to come back to work Monday. Concentra Medical Center also was closed following the explosion. Norwich Fire Marshal Dan Cote said an electrical license is required of employees who do electrical work in an industrial setting. Cote said Couture tried to change a breaker and inadvertently crossed positive and negative wires, which resulted in his electrocution and the explosion. Worker unlicensed "I believe the employee didn't have that license," Cote said. Cote said he expects state and federal OSHA authorities to investigate the incident. Karim Gittens, the purchasing manager and safety director of Plas-Pak, said he did not know whether the injured employee had the proper licenses to work on electrical equipment. He also said he did not know when the plant might reopen. "Right now one of our employees is hurt and that is our number one concern. Our best wishes and prayers are with him and his family," Gittens said. He said private electrical contractors were being contacted to make the necessary repairs to building. O'Connell said the breaker had a charge of 480 volts of electricity. According to O'Connell, the short resulted in an explosion that blew the circuit box across the room and filled the room with heavy smoke. O'Connell said the first firefighters on the scene brought the fire under control, but they called in a second alarm as a precaution. Plas-Pak produces plastic parts and has been operating in Norwich since 1985.
Man electrocuted while repairing U.S. flag BY DAVID OVALLE A worker repairing a U.S. flag damaged in last week's tornado was electrocuted to death Thursday afternoon. The man, in his late 50s, was atop Potamkin's repair shop at 8301 NW Seventh Avenue, overlooking Interstate 95, when he was struck by more than 7,000 volts of electricity. Police would not identify the man, pending notification of his death to family members. But Florida Power & Light said he was an employee of the Fort Lauderdale-based Frank Harris Display. The man and another worker from the flag company were trying to straighten out the U.S. flag, which had been bent backward during the freak tornado that swept across the area last week, Miami-Dade police said. The metal flag pole, one of about 30 that line the building, was underneath an electric power line. ''Because of the depth of perception, they thought the flag was above the wire,'' one investigator said. ``But the pole was under the wire.'' The man was given CPR on the scene, according to Potamkin worker Andy Cruz, but was pronounced dead at North Shore Medical Center. Harris Display and Potamkin managers declined to comment.
UPDATE Bayview-Wellington Homes (Port Union) Inc. fined $400,000 for health and safety violations TORONTO, April 1 /CNW/ - Bayview-Wellington Homes (Port Union) Inc., a Concord, Ont.-based residential construction company, was fined $400,000 on March 27, 2003 for two violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of a young worker at a townhouse development in Toronto's east end. On November 23, 1999, a worker was moving a 7.3-metre-high (24-foot) aluminum extension ladder from one townhouse to another when the ladder came in contact with live 13,800-volt overhead power lines. The lowest of the power lines was 6.4 metres (21 feet) off the ground and about 4.9 metres (16 feet) away from the front of the two-storey townhouses. The worker received an electrical shock and died three days later at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. The incident occurred at a townhouse construction project in the 5400-block of Lawrence Avenue East in Scarborough. The townhouses were being developed by Bayview-Wellington Homes (Port Union) Inc., which had subcontracted the eavestrough work to an aluminum company, which, in turn, had subcontracted the work to another aluminum company, which employed the deceased worker. Following a trial, Bayview-Wellington Homes (Port Union) Inc. was found guilty, as a constructor, of: 1. Failing to ensure the ladder was not brought within three metres (9.8 feet) of an energized overhead electrical conductor rated between 750 to 150,000 volts, as required by Section 186(1) of the regulations for Construction Projects. This was contrary to Section 23(1)(a) of the act; and 2. Failing to ensure the worker was not endangered by electrical shock from overhead electrical conductors and that the conductors located adjacent to the construction project were covered or otherwise made safe for workers. This was contrary to Section 23(1)(c) of the act. Justice of the Peace Stephen Waisberg, of the Ontario Court of Justice at old City Hall in Toronto, fined the company $200,000 on each count. In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
Chunnel engineer electrocuted femail.co.uk - 30th March 2003 An investigation has been launched after an engineer working on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link was apparently electrocuted by overhead power cables. The man, who has not been named, was killed on Friday evening while working on the rail infrastructure for the link a few miles from the tunnel entrance in Folkestone, Kent. A spokesman for the project said a full internal investigation had been launched alongside a separate probe carried out by the Health and Safety Executive. He said the man was working with a small team of contractors who were involved in fitting the new line with railway equipment, including overhead power lines. It is the first death to occur during the construction of the link, the initial section of which is due to open from Gravesend to Folkestone later this year.
Electrical Accident Kills Man (Shelbyville, Tennessee-AP) - March 28, 2003 — One worker has been killed and another from Pittsburgh critically hurt in an electrical accident in Shelbyville, Tennessee. The name of the person killed hasn't been released. Witnesses have told the Shelbyville Times-Gazette that a crew was working on a utility pole at a Wendy's restaurant late yesterday afternoon when it touched a high-voltage line. The crew was from Superior Incorporated in Hermitage, Tennessee. Company President Tim Hill identified the injured worker as Paul Belcastro of Pittsburgh. Belcastro is in critical, but stable condition this afternoon in the burn unit of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. orkers Brandon Cruse of Nashville and Tim Birdsell of Indianapolis were treated at the Bedford County Medical Center and released.
Consumers Energy worker sustains burns HILLSDALE - A Consumers Energy employee was badly burned Monday when he came into contact with a power line. Roger Lamb of Hillsdale was removing an old power unit in an oil field on Sterling Road when part of the pole fell on him. According to his father, Mr. Lamb suffered severe burns on his left arm and back. A second employee working with Mr. Lamb at the time was able to get him down from the elevated bucket he was in and summon help. Mr. Lamb was taken to Hillsdale Community Health Center and then by air ambulance to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo. According to Mr. Lamb’s father, doctors operated on him Tuesday to restore blood flow to his left arm.
SP farm laborer electrocuted when aluminum ladder hits power line By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News Published on: March 26, 2003 A Santa Paula farm laborer was electrocuted on Tuesday morning when an aluminum ladder he was using to pick avocados at a hillside orchard fell onto a live electrical power line. Francisco Menchaca, 36, was working in an orchard on Pitch Drive in the Moorpark area when the accident occurred, according to Sr. Deputy Craig Stevens of the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office. Menchaca had been working alone and other workers found his body on the ground shortly before 11 a.m. Menchaca was repositioning the aluminum ladder around some trees on a hillside, which could account for how the 16-foot ladder reached the live electrical power line down from where he was working, noted Stevens. After Menchaca was found he was transported by a medical response helicopter to Los Robles Regional Medical in Thousand Oaks where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Menchaca has family in Mexico that was notified of his death. On Thursday, Sr. Deputy Medical Examiner Mitch Breese confirmed that an autopsy showed the Menchaca had died due to electrocution, “an accident. . .” while working at White Ranch. It is unclear how long Menchaca had lived in Santa Paula and whether he was a day laborer or ranch employee. Investigators from the state Division of Occupational Safety & Health Agency (OSHA) are looking into the death.
Worker electrocuted after hitting power line Associated Press Published March 21, 2003 ELEC22 KENOSHA, Wis. -- A man was electrocuted and a co-worker was hurt when they hit a buried power line while sinking a well. The 20-year-old Union Grove man was operating equipment for Hoover Well Drilling Co. Inc. when the gear touched the 4,800-volt power line Thursday morning in Trevor, authorities said. His name was not released. A 28-year-old co-worker suffered a shock while trying to help the victim. The co-worker was hospitalized in satisfactory condition late Thursday.
UPDATE OSHA Cites Sea Island Landscaper for Exposing Workers to Electrical Hazards; Agency plans compliance assistance program to prevent electrocutions SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Sea Island Company, Inc., for failure to protect workers from electrical hazards that contributed to a worker's death. OSHA is proposing a $63,000 penalty. On Sept. 18, the day of the accident, employees were using a truck crane to remove and replace trees located near overhead power lines. The truck's crane was positioned near the 7,200-volt lines. While lifting one of the trees into place, wire mesh around the roots of the tree came in contact with the power lines, transmitting an electrical current down to a worker who was standing near the base of the crane. The worker was seriously injured by the ensuing electrical shock. He died Oct. 14. The agency issued one willful citation to Sea Island Company, Inc., a grounds-maintenance and land development company, for allowing the crane to be operated near energized overhead power lines without taking any type of protective measures. "If the employer had positioned the crane away from the power lines or had the power company de-energize the nearby lines, this tragedy could have been avoided," stated John Deifer, OSHA's Savannah area director. Because electrocutions and shocks are a major cause of accidents in the Southeast, the agency is developing a program to address the hazards, including those associated with overhead power lines. The program will include training, outreach and compliance assistance, as well as strong and fair enforcement when employers expose workers to these dangerous conditions. The company has 15 working days to contest the OSHA citations and proposed penalties before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection of the work site was conducted by OSHA's Savannah area office at 450 Mall Blvd., Suite J; phone: (912) 652-4393. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
Construction Worker Electrocuted Lake Milton Gerry Ricciutti A North Lima man is dead, following an accident in a highway construction zone. State troopers say 37-year-old Peter DeLucia, Jr. was killed Wednesday morning along Interstate 76 near Lake Milton. Investigators say the victim was part of a construction crew working on a paving project on the interstate. He reportedly was moving concrete barricades with the help of a crane, when the crane came into contact with power lines overhead, electrocuting DeLucia.
Orchard accident kills county avocado picker By staff reports March 19, 2003 A farm worker from Santa Paula was electrocuted Tuesday morning when an aluminum ladder he was using while picking avocados hit a live electric wire. Francisco Menchaca, 36, was picking fruit on an avocado ranch on Hitch Road in the Moorpark area when the accident occurred, said Craig Stevens, an investigator in the Ventura County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office. "At this point we aren't sure of the time of death," Stevens said. "Some of the other workers found his body on the ground, and they didn't know how long he had been dead." Menchaca was maneuvering the ladder around some trees on a hillside, which could account for how the ladder reached the wires, Stevens said. The death was determined to be accidental, but an autopsy will be performed today to confirm death by electrocution, Stevens said.
Power line burns Lakeport man while he's pruning walnut trees Associated Press Lakeport - -- A Lakeport man was seriously burned when a pruning tower he was working in touched a power line. Officials say Benito Moreno suffered severe burns to his upper body after the accident yesterday. Investigators say Moreno had been trimming walnut trees from a pruning tower lift at a height of about 25 feet when the lift hit a 12,000 volt high-tension line. The electricity set Moreno's clothes on fire -- but he managed to lower himself to the ground and roll around to put out the flames. A co-worker helped extinguish the fire and Moreno was taken by air ambulance to U-C Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. Moreno was listed in critical condition with burns to his upper body, face and left arm.
Accident Shuts Down Portion Of Ridge Avenue Reported by: 9News Web produced by: Liz Foreman Last updated: 3/11/03 11:55:52 AM There's a bit of a mess at the intersection of Ridge and Highland in Columbia Township Tuesday afternoon. The boom on a construction truck hit wires overhead Tuesday morning, leaving the power lines hanging only four feet off the ground. The truck is used to transport bricks. The owner's name was not made available. Police are redirecting traffic in the area and Ridge Avenue is closed heading south at the intersection.
UPDATE Short circuit tied to electrocution death DAVE SHELTON SPRING HILL - Investigators found a short circuit that probably caused a 20-year-old man to be electrocuted Thursday.Christopher S. Krivjansky apparently died after touching a metal air line that, because of the short circuit, was carrying 230 volts of electricity. Although the state medical examiner hasn't yet reported on the cause of death, paramedics said there were burn marks on his hand and shoulder that could indicate electrocution. Krivjansky, an employee of Pasco Preventive Maintenance, and another man had finished working on an air compressor in a shed outside of Gator Door and Supply, 16020 Aviation Loop in the Airport Industrial Park. The other man, David Kachiroubas, 18, said they had not done any electrical work, just serviced an oil filter in the compressor that produces air used by pneumatic tools in the factory that builds doors. Kachiroubas said they had finished their work and he carried tools back to their company pickup truck shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, expecting Krivjansky to follow. WWhen his partner didn't show up at the truck, Kachiroubas went back to the shed where he found the victim unconscious and not breathing.Krivjansky was still grasping a metal air tube fastened to the wall, Kachiroubas said. When he turned Krivjansky over, he said, he felt a mild electrical charge coming from the victim's body. He ran for help and Gator employees tried to revive Krivjansky before paramedics arrived. While rescuers applied cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, he was rushed to Brooksville Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:20 p.m. County building inspectors were called to the factory to make sure it was safe for workers. They found an electrical charge in the metal air line. Nearby was a melted electrical nut and a plastic cap used to splice two wires together. All electricity to this power line was disconnected for worker's safety. The incident is under investigation by the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
WORKERS `WARNED' OF DANGER Mar 8 2003 TWO workmen were warned of dangerous overhead power lines days before being electrocuted, a fatal accident inquiry heard yesterday. Inverclyde Council worker Ronald Cook said he told Gary Moncrieff, 22, and Ross Cockburn, 32, to halt their job as he drove past the work site in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire. Five days later, the men died when a street light they were replacing hit the lines. Mr Cook said he told the men - subcontracted through Lightways of Larbert, Stirlingshire - "to beware". But Lightways boss Gary McLaughlin criticised him for not telling the firm in writing, as was his "responsibility". The council deny negligence. The Greenock Sheriff Court hearing continues.
Spring Hill man electrocuted on job By JENNIFER LIBERTO St. Petersburg Times published March 7, 2003 BROOKSVILLE -- A 19-year-old Spring Hill man was electrocuted Thursday afternoon after working on an air compressor at Gator Door & Supply Co. in the Airport Industrial Park. Chris Krivjansky of 13140 Cooper Road worked for Pasco Preventive Maintenance Inc. of Hudson, a company hired to tune up an air compressor, Hernando County Sheriff's Office spokesman Joe Paez said. Krivjansky and co-worker David Kachiroubas had nearly finished their work about 1:30 p.m., Paez said. They were checking the air compressor, which fuels air tools used in assembling doors, Gator Door general manager Andrew Fischer said. Kachiroubas left the wooden shed, where the compressor is located, to load a pickup truck, Paez said. When Kachiroubas returned, he saw Krivjansky on the ground. Krivjansky had burns on him and wasn't breathing, paramedics said. He was taken to Brooksville Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, sheriff's deputies said. The Sheriff's Office and county building officials are investigating how Krivjansky as electrocuted. The cause may have been an electrical short, Fischer said. The Medical Examiner's Office also is investigating to determine the cause of death. Pasco Preventive Maintenance Inc. declined comment. Kachiroubas didn't return calls. Gator Door & Supply Co, 16020 Aviation Loop, has been at the industrial park for 20 years, Fischer said.
Roofer shocked, airlifted to hospital Thursday, March 06, 2003 By NICK FALSONE The Express-Times HELLERTOWN -- Emergency crews pulled an injured worker off a roof Wednesday afternoon after he received a shock from coming in contact with a power wire, authorities said. The worker, a male who authorities at the scene declined to identify, was flown by helicopter to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township. There he received treatment for burns suffered as a result of the shock, authorities said. The rescue happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. on the roof of Rustic Exteriors, 631 Front St. Crews used an aerial ladder on a firetruck to get to the roof. Shortly before 3 p.m., a crowd of close to 30 people watched the rescue unfold. More than a half-dozen emergency workers on the roof used a backboard to move the injured worker. They placed him in the bucket of the aerial ladder and lowered it to the ground. The injured worker was carried to a stretcher and driven by ambulance to the nearby helicopter. Tony Branco, a supervisor for Dewey EMS, said the worker was laying metal sheeting on the roof when he lifted a piece of it. The sheeting touched a power line running above the roof, and the contact shocked the worker, Branco said. The rescue took awhile, partly because the conditions on top of the roof were dangerous, Branco said. The sheeting was slippery, and a portion of the roof was only covered with wood studding, he said. The worker remained conscious during the whole rescue, Branco said. "He suffered a couple severe burns," he said. "He was in good spirits." He was flown to the hospital as a precaution because of the unusual length of time it took for the rescue, Branco said. In addition to Dewey EMS, Bethlehem Fire Department, Bethlehem Volunteer Fire Co., Dewey Fire Co. and the Hellertown Police Department assisted in the rescue.
UPDATE Burned Dam Worker In Critical Condition A 22-year-old Arkansas man was in critical condition Wednesday, a day after he was burned by electricity. Manuel Salazar was hurt about 11 a.m. Tuesday after the crane he was standing near hit a 115,000-volt line at the construction site of a backup dam at Lake Murray. Another worker had first-degree burns on his hand after trying to help Salazar, officials said. The state Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, said Jim Knight, spokesman for Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The state OSHA department is part of LLR. OSHA, which is not required to investigate when only one person is hurt, stepped in because of the seriousness of Salazar's condition, Knight said. Salazar was flown to the burn unit at Doctor's Hospital in Augusta with second- and third-degree burns on 40 percent of his body, officials said. Salazar works for H.B. Mellott Estate Inc. of Pennsylvania, said Brian Duncan, SCE&G spokesman. The company is a subcontractor of Barnard Construction, overseeing the building of the backup dam. The $275 million construction began last month and is expected to be done in 2004. Construction resumed Wednesday after a safety meeting with work crews, SCE&G officials said.
Water Gas and Light worker injured on job March 6, 2003 Albany--An Albany Water Gas and Light employee was badly burned in an accident Thursday morning. The W.G.L. worker was trying to put a temporary water tap on the line into the Bridge House on Front Street. At 9:50, he cut into a power line. Miraculously, he was not electrocuted. The 35 year old worker was in this hole with two other employees, cutting into the water line, when he hit the main feeder line that powers Downtown Albany. That line carries 12 thousand volts. Eyewitness Ken Cribb said "I heard an explosion. That was when I started making my way back over here to see what was going on. As I was coming closer it exploded a second time. That's when I saw the guys coming out of the hole, taking the other guy to the hospital." He was not electrocuted, but his gas powered saw burst into flames. You can see the damage. The employee suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his arms and face. W.G.L. spokesperson Lorie Farkas said "When I got to the hospital, he was awake, he was lucid, and his concern was for his family. He was telling them to relax, that he was going to be all right." The employee has been transported to the Augusta Burn Unit for treatment. An investigation into the accident is continuing. The other two W-G-and-L Employees in the hole at the time of the accident were not injured.
Three electrocuted Herald Reporter THREE Harare men were yesterday electrocuted in separate incidents. Two of the three victims had been contracted to repair an electric motor pump in Chadcombe. They were electrocuted when one of them tried to clean the pump with a wet cloth. The other man was also electrocuted when he touched his colleague who had called for help. They both died on the spot. It is believed the third man was electrocuted when he tried to tamper with a Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority transformer in Hatfield. He was found dead by the side of the dismantled transformer in the afternoon. Zesa authorities, called to the scene of accident by police, suspected the 26-year-old man died of electrocution after discovering severe burns on both his hands and the face.
Accident involving crane, high-voltage wire halts work at Lake Murray By LORA HINES Staff Writer Work at the Lake Murray dam stopped Tuesday when a construction worker suffered a severe electrical burn after a crane hit a high-voltage line. The 22-year-old worker, who was not immediately identified, was burned about 11 a.m. after the crane he was standing near hit a 115,000-volt line, officials said. The man was in critical condition Tuesday night at Doctor's Hospital burn unit in Augusta, South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. spokesman Robin Montgomery said. Another worker suffered first-degree burns to his hands when he tried to help his burned co-worker, Lexington Emergency Medical Service supervisor Stuart Platt said. The man with the burned hands was treated at the scene. The man inside the crane was not hurt. The severely injured man, who had burns on his left chest and back, plus both arms and legs, was flown to Augusta from the dam's Saluda River side, where he was working, Platt said. The man works for Melott, a subcontractor, Montgomery said. He didn't immediately have information about the company. The construction crew stopped work for the rest of the day. It was unclear Tuesday night whether construction would resume today, Montgomery said. It's not unusual for people who stand near an object that's been energized with electricity to get burned, Assistant Lexington County Fire Chief Brian Hood said. "That's why we tell people not to stand under a tree in a storm. Electricity is looking for the closest and best pathway to the ground." The electricity that hit the crane probably arced and hit the man who was standing nearby, Hood said. "You have to remember that the arc is several thousands of degrees." The man who was inside the crane probably was safest, Hood said. "If you're in a car accident and you hit a live wire or pole, you want to stay inside the car," he said. "People get hurt when they try to get out and put their foot on the ground." Last month, as many as 90 people started building a backup dam at Lake Murray, Montgomery said. Construction started on opposite ends of the dam, moving toward the center. Work can occur simultaneously in two sections as long as those areas are at least 1,000 feet apart. But plans limit initial work to single sections for nearly half the wall, particularly those at the middle, where water pressure is highest. Construction is to be finished in 2004. The project will cost $275 million.
Worker dies after power blast THURSDAY , 06 MARCH 2003 By HAYDON DEWES and HANNAH LAWRENCE One man died and another faces several months in hospital after being severely injured in a Lower Hutt sub-station explosion so intense that it vaporised their clothing. The two Alstom electrical services employees suffered serious burns while working on 11,000-volt electrical switchgear at the Haywards Hill sub-station about 9am yesterday, company spokeswoman Nancy McConnell said. They were taken to Hutt Hospital in a critical condition. A 22-year-old man died in the intensive care unit last night after suffering burns to 92 per cent of his body. The other man, aged 26, had burns to 75 per cent of his body and was in surgery for about five hours. Hospital spokesman Rob Eaddy said the man was transferred to Waikato Hospital last night to be put on a long-term ventilator. He is expected to be in hospital for several months and will have to undergo many operations. A plastic surgeon at the hospital said the flames from the electric flash generated an intense heat. Though the men were only subjected to the flames for a short period, it was enough to vaporise their clothes and severely burn them. Immediate health concerns included dehydration and respiratory problems, the surgeon said. "They begin to swell up a huge amount, which can obstruct their airways. Then you have to give them a lot of fluid because they leak a huge amount of fluid, litres and litres." Three other men were taken to Hutt Hospital where they were treated and discharged, Ms McConnell said. One had gone to help his badly burned workmates and suffered minor burns. Two others were treated for traumatic shock. "Alstom expresses its deepest sympathies for those involved in the accident and is doing everything to assist them, their families and fellow workmates," Ms McConnell said. The company has begun a full-scale investigation. Transpower, which owns and operates the national grid, has appointed an independent expert to conduct a full investigation. Transpower spokesman Chris Roberts said the switchgear had been isolated and Alstom had suspended all non-essential work at the sub-station. The Occupational Safety and Health Service and the Economic Development Ministry were both notified immediately by Alstom. Senior station officer Phil Donnelly, from Trentham fire brigade, said the cause of the serious explosion was not known and was being investigated by Osh. There was no major fire after the explosion, but pressure fans were used to blow out smoke. "No real firefighting was required," Mr Donnelly said. Electricity supplies in the area were not affected by the explosion.
Contractor fined $15,000 in Wheelan mishap By LINDA RICHARDSON, The Sault Star Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 09:00 Local News - Lewis Wheelan’s employer was fined $15,000 in connection with an industrial accident that left the young man a triple amputee. Michael Piccolo, owner of Neat Site Vegetation, pleaded guilty earlier this week to two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The first offence was for failing to take reasonable precautions for the protection of a worker — failing to ensure guy ropes were used to control the direction of a tree’s fall. The second was for failing to provide information, instruction and supervision to protect the health and safety of a worker. Piccolo was fined $7,500 on each count. Wheelan, who was 19 at the time of the May 30, 2001, accident, sustained major high-voltage electrical burns to 55-to-60 -per-cent of his body. As a result of the accident, which occurred on his second day on the job, the Sir James Dunn graduate had both of his legs, his right arm and shoulder and one finger on his left hand amputated. A summer worker, Wheelan was retrieving brush for the contractor east of Sault Ste. Marie when a tree crashed into a power line and injured him. Piccolo’s company was under contract to Great Lakes Power Ltd. to cut trees and clear brush near a hydro distribution line. In agreed-to facts provided to the court, the judge heard another crewman, Brian Campbell, notched and back cut a tree. When his chainsaw bar became pinched in the back cut, Campbell and another worker Gerald Buchanan attempted to push the tree over manually. They did not use guy ropes and were unable to control the direction of the tree’s fall and it hit the power line, which was energized and carrying 7,200 watts of electricity. Wheelan was clearing brush directly under the line, which came down on him, Ontario Court Justice James Greco heard. Piccolo put on protective rubber gloves and pulled Wheelan from beneath the line. After Wheelan’s smoking clothing was doused with water, Piccolo and Buchanan performed CPR until he was able to breath on his own. The court was told Wheelan had been given no information, instruction or supervision by his employer regarding the danger of working near an energized power line with trees being cut nearby. He was scheduled to attend a safety meeting later that week. Other individuals and GLP also face charges under the health and safety act. They are slated to appear in court at a later date. Among those charged are Mike McEwen, former GLP Ltd. president and chief executive officer, and two directors, who also serve as executive vice-presidents with Brascan, GLP’s parent company. The directors, Harry Goldgut and Edward Kress — both with Brascan Power — and McEwen, who retired last year, are each charged under a section of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that holds corporate leaders responsible for employee safety. Also charged are Steve McClinchey, the GLP supervisor that day; Brian Campbell, a crewman at the scene; and GLP corporation. Under the act, convictions for individuals can lead to a $25,000 fine or one year in jail, while corporations can be fined up to $500,000.
Rail worker electrocuted 26feb03 A 32-year-old rail contractor has died after receiving an 11,000 volt shock in Sydney's south. The man was working on the new Heathcote East railway overbridge when the accident occurred, a spokeswoman for the Rail Infrastructure Corporation (RIC) said. She was unable to give further details as the area had been declared a crime scene and was under investigation by WorkCover. Earlier, an ambulance spokesman said the accident occurred shortly before 10am (AEDT) when a crane touched overhead wires on Wilson Parade at Heathcote. The man immediately had a heart attack and was taken to Sutherland Hospital in a critical condition where he died a short time later. It was believed the man was working near the crane when it touched the wires.
Worker injured at church remains in hospital YORK COUNTY ROCK HILL -- A maintenance worker burned in an electrical flash Friday at Westminster Presbyterian Church is expected to remain at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Ga., for a month recovering from third degree burns, said Jimmy Bagley, a deacon at the church and the assistant director of utilities for the city of Rock Hill. The worker, whose name has not been released at the request of his family, was burned on his face and arms, Bagley said. He was working in a small electrical closet in the church's multipurpose building when he touched a piece of metal to a part connected to electric current, causing a flash, Bagley said. The heat of the flash injured the worker. The force of the flash threw the man into a hallway, where he called for help, Bagley said. The man, who is also a member of the church, has worked at Westminster Presbyterian for four years, Bagley said. -- MARTY MINCHIN
Electrical worker injured at mall Tuesday, February 25, 2003 By STEPHANIE HOOPER, Telegraph Staff NASHUA – An electrical worker was injured Monday night when wiring in a panel at the Pheasant Lane Mall arced while he was servicing it. Firefighters responded to the mall about 6:30 p.m. after receiving a report of an explosion in the mall’s service room between J.C. Penney and Macy’s department store. The man was taken to St. Joseph Hospital with injuries to his face and left arm, said Deputy Chief Michael O’Brien. O’Brien declined to give the man’s name and his condition was unknown at press time. Shortly after the man was taken by ambulance to the hospital, firefighters, who were still on the scene, were called back into the service area to put out a small fire that started after another electrical worker attempted to fix the same panel, O’Brien said. That worker was not injured, O’Brien said. He said the damage caused by the short in the panel probably caused it to catch fire when the second electrician attempted to service it the second time. Firefighters were left on standby while the electrician continued to assess the problem. Public Service of New Hampshire officials were then called to the scene as a safety precaution in case power to the mall needed to be cut, O’Brien said “We are talking about an awful lot of power here,” O’Brien said. The electrical short caused power failures throughout the mall, shutting down lights, elevators and even some stores. Workers in the mall said power was first lost on one side of mall, then the middle. Noah’s gift shop was without power after the incident. Officials at the mall said they were working on the problem but would not comment further.
Man electrocuted at piggery 22feb03 A DANISH man was killed after suffering an electric shock at a piggery near Dalby, south-east Queensland. Ole Frederiksen, 34, was electrocuted just after 4.30pm (AEST) yesterday while repairing an electric water pump at a piggery at Jimbour, 40km north west of Dalby. Police said the man, who had an Australian working visa and was living at the piggery, died on the scene. He was found by fellow workers, who alerted authorities. Workplace health and safety officers and an electrical safety officer were investigating the incident. Police said Danish authorities had been notified.
City employee suffers from electrical burns A Shreveport city worker suffered severe burns Wednesday when he was electrocuted while trying to trim back trees in the 3200 block of Alabama. Oliver Patterson, 45, came in contact with a power line just after 10 a.m. while clearing trees from the power line, Shreveport Fire Department spokesman Brian Crawford said. Paramedics described Patterson's injuries as first- and second-degree burns on his hand and second and third degree burns on his elbow, Crawford said. His injuries were not considered life threatening, Crawford said. Patterson was taken to LSU Hospital in Shreveport for evaluation. He was listed in good condition late Wednesday.
Man injured from electric shock Last updated: Feb 18, 11:15 PM DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- A 53-year-old Port Orange man was seriously injured Tuesday after getting an electrical shock while working on a drainage project on South Peninsula Drive, emergency workers said. Pedro Soto was standing on wet ground when the accident occurred at 3:26 p.m., just west of city limits near Van Avenue. R.A. Scott Construction officials said Soto, a popular crew member who has worked for them about four years, was helping put a steel well point into the soggy earth when he was knocked unconscious by an electric jolt. The well point was being used to drain water from the site so work on sewer lines and water mains could proceed along what construction officials called a $3 million project between Oceans Boulevard West and Dunlawton Avenue. The electrocution occurred when the arm of an excavator attached to the equipment Soto was guiding came close to overhead electric lines, creating an arc, construction officials said. Soto's breathing and heartbeat were stopped by the 3- to 4-second shock, rescue officials said. Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety officers and EVAC paramedics used a defibrillator to restore Soto's heartbeat and breathing before he was taken to Halifax Medical Center. He was unconscious on arrival and was being treated in the emergency room late Tuesday night. "It's upsetting," said Gary Hurst, 48, who was operating the Volvo excavator when Soto fell. "I hope he'll be OK." -- Jay Stapleton
Dublin man electrocuted in building site accident February 19, 2003 A 27-year-old Dublin man was electrocuted when machinery he was operating came in contact with overhead lines at a building site in Bray in County Wicklow. Gardaí and Health and Safety officers have examined the scene of the accident at Upper Dargle Road in Bray.
UPDATE Horror blast men died from burns Feb 19 2003 By John-Paul Ford Rojas, The Journal Three workers died from extensive burns after a massive explosion ripped through a North power plant as they carried out maintenance work, an inquest heard yesterday. One of the men, Andrew Sherwood, was thrown 40ft by the force of the blast at the Enron plant on Teesside. The 36-year-old from Hartlepool was pronounced dead at the scene by rescue workers, the inquest at Teesside Magistrates Court was told. Darren Higgins, 28, from Normanby, near Middlesbrough, was also found dead at the site. The third victim, father-of-one Lawrence Surtees, 40, from Hawthorn, County Durham, died at Middlesbrough General Hospital after suffering 90pc burns, Home Office pathologist Dr Peter Cooper confirmed all three had died as a result of extensive burns. A fourth man, Graeme White, sustained severe burns to his face and hands but later made a full recovery. The inquest heard the tragedy happened in August 2001 after staff worked on a giant electrical transformer at the 27-acre gas plant near Redcar. Site director Ian Clifford said the men had been trying to adjust the voltage on the transformer so that maintenance work could be carried out. This could not be done while it was switched on, he added, and the men's attempt to do so - following a meeting of senior staff - was what had caused the explosion. The mechanism short-circuited and became hot, causing oil within it to heat up and boil, Mr Clifford said. The blast caused a huge fireball to envelop the area, taking the top off the transformer and causing extensive damage to that part of the plant. Eleven fire engines raced to the scene where they quickly brought the blaze under control and tackled a number of other patches of burning oil around the transformer. The inquest, before an 11-member jury, is expected to last four days and the hearing will continue today.
Trooper Electrocuted By Downed Power Line; Trooper Was Responding To Crash February 14, 2003 FRANKLIN, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania State Police trooper was electrocuted early Friday morning by a downed power line as he investigated a traffic accident in Vanango County. State police said Trooper Brian Patterson, 36, died at UPMC Franklin Hospital. Patterson was a Tutusville, Crawford County, resident and had been a trooper for nearly 10 years. State police said Patterson responded to an accident in which a car hit a utility pole on Valley Road in Frenchcreek Township, Venango County. The crash left wires hanging near the ground. There is no word on the condition of the person or people in the other vehicle.
Accident Shocks and Kills Worker; Another Contractor is Hospitalized Clifton Heights- February 13, 2003 — A bizarre accident in Delaware county left one man dead Thursday morning. It happened just after 10:30 at 462 East Baltimore Avenue in Clifton Heights. 2 contractors were installing an aluminum liner for a chimney when they were shocked. One worker was on the roof feeding liner down the chimney to a second worker, when the liner came into contact with a 13-thousand volt power line. The worker inside the home was electrocuted. The second worker was shocked, and remains hospitalized. PECO crews were called out to the scene, they say the lines are in working order.
UPDATE OSHA fines company after death; Cebal America hit with $16,500 penalty after worker dies from burns. Friday, February 14, 2003 By TOM QUIGLEY The Express-Times WASHINGTON -- High-voltage electricity coursed through the overhead power system as Cebal America worker Ernest E. Meshach installed a switch on the morning of Monday, Jan. 20. Family members said a fireball erupted and Meshach suffered third-degree burns over 80 percent of his body. He died at the St. Barnabas Hospital burn center in Livingston on Tuesday. His death followed a three-week effort to fight off infections caused by the extensive burns, said his sister-in-law, Louise Meshach. The Oxford Township woman said Meshach's death on Tuesday could have been prevented if company officials had allowed him to shut off the electricity. "It was a senseless thing," she said. "All they had to do was shut it down for five minutes." It is not yet known what caused the electrical fire to erupt, a company spokeswoman said. But only a week after the accident, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an inspection at the Route 31 plant in Washington. The federal agency found four of what it described as "serious" safety violations and imposed penalties totaling $16,500. "Sixteen thousand dollars is not enough for a human life," Louise Meshach said. The OSHA citations allege the company: ( Failed to cut the power to 480-watt electrical boxes to prevent accidental contact during electrical maintenance/service operations. ( Failed to provide employees with specific safety training related to electrical hazards. ( Failed to employ safety-related work practices to prevent electrical shock or other injuries resulting from direct or indirect contact with energized equipment. The third alleged violation cites specific failures of the company to provide required tools, protective equipment, proper use of a man-lift, a competent person to ensure the operation is set up properly, methods to de-energize and lock out equipment, live electrical testing where needed, meters for testing purposes, and uniform training for all exposed employees. ( Inspectors also charge the company failed to provide an eyewash facility in an area where workers check battery fluid levels. The company has the right to respond to the findings within 15 days of the notification date, said OSHA Assistant Area Director Ronald Frye. One of Warren County's top 10 employers, Cebal America currently employs 500 people. The company manufactures plastic and laminate tubes for cosmetics, dental products and pharmaceutical products. Cebal America parent company Pechiney Plastic Packaging Inc. purchased the plant when it acquired the former American National Can Co. in 1988. "At the time of the accident, Mr. Meshach was installing an electrical switch in preparation for new tube-making equipment at the plant," company spokeswoman Polly Moles said in a prepared statement. "An electrical fire started, and Mr. Meshach sustained severe burns," she added. Meshach, formerly of Lopatcong Township, was an electrical maintenance technician and had worked at the plant for 37 years, the spokeswoman said. "The company is continuing to investigate the accident and is making every effort to determine the cause," she wrote. "We have been helping the family through this difficult time, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends." Authorities initially reported Meshach suffered an electrical shock. Family members described Meshach as a man who loved life. A former co-worker, Richard J. Heater of Washington, said he and Meshach were lifelong friends. In a letter to The Express-Times, Heater said his friend would still be alive if electrical power had been shut off that day. "The reason they won't turn the power off is because they would lose about 10 to 15 minutes of production on the other lines," he wrote. "This is very sad that a friend and fellow employee had to lose his life for a few dollars," Heater wrote. "This just shows what they think of our lives." Meshach was a member of the Promised Land Church of the Nazarene in Bethlehem.
UPDATE Man dies of work injury Thursday, February 13, 2003 By TOM QUIGLEY The Express-Times WASHINGTON -- The Cebal America Co. worker critically injured on the job last month has died. Ernest "Ernie" E. Meshach, 55, of Lopatcong Township suffered an electrical shock while working at the former American Can facility on Route 31. The Jan. 20 accident caused a mid-morning fire at the plant and Meshach was flown to the burn unit at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, where he died on Tuesday. Meshach, an electrician, worked at the plant for about 35 years. He and his wife Barbara would have celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary next month. A daughter, Renee, lives at home. White Township resident Leroy Meshach described his deceased brother as a man who cared about others. "You wouldn't want a better brother," he said. Leroy Meshach said his brother sometimes spent his vacation time doing volunteer work through his church, the Promised Land Church of the Nazarene in Bethlehem. That work included traveling to Native American reservations in places such as Oklahoma to help build homes for the people there, Leroy Meshach said. "He was an outdoorsman," Meshach said. "We used to go fishing and hunting together." He said family members are "taking it the best they can." Family members said he enjoyed shopping with his daughter and collecting Santa Claus statues, bottles and light houses. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rupell Funeral Home in Phillipsburg. Calling hours are from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. Cebal America could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
STORY OF INTEREST Settlement reached in student injury case By DOREEN OBERMEYER, Coolidge Examiner February 12, 2003 In January of 2001, a 15-year-old girl at Coolidge High School received a severe electrical shock while using a portable welder in an agriculture welding lab. Cameo Madewell was knocked off her feet and thrown a short distance after the electrical plug for the 220-volt welder she was using exploded in a wall socket. Attorneys for the girl's family said the district was responsible for creating unreasonably dangerous conditions which were not apparent to the student. Former voc ag teacher, Steve Sipes was also named in the suit, as the instructor in charge of the class. The claim stated that Sipes failed to properly train, instruct, supervise or warn the student of the dangers involved with the welding unit and area. The Madewells asked for damages for their daughter's bodily injury, pain and suffering, medical and other expenses. The attorney for the district and for Sipes claimed that the district was not negligent, and that in any case a statute of limitations applied since the suit was filed a full year after the incident. The defendants also claimed that the student was responsible for the mishap and that she knowingly assumed risk in using the equipment. Both parties agreed to mediation and they reached a settlement on Jan. 24 before Lawrence H. Fleischman. The Madewells also agreed to dismiss the lawsuit. The settlement amount was $18,000, according to attorneys for the district. After the accident, Madewell was airlifted to the burn and shock unit of Maricopa Medical Center for evaluation where she was released the following day. According to an incident report filed at the time, Sipes, reported hearing a loud pop before the power went out and then saw Madewell falling to the ground. She apparently suffered a seizure and lost consciousness for several minutes. A ground fault interrupt (GFI) breaker cut power to the entire block of classrooms in the Voc/Tech complex and possibly prevented the girl from being electrocuted. The class was an advanced agriculture class and the student had been trained on the equipment. Madewell was wearing the department's required safety gear at the time of the accident , including leather gloves, canvas apron, goggles and a welding mask. Sherrill Stevens, principal at CHS, said an electrical contractor , employed by the district, inspected the welder and the outlet after the incident and found no malfunctions.
Four electrocuted in Vietnam while installing TV antenna HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Four people were electrocuted and four others were injured when the television antenna pole they were installing crashed onto electric cables in southern Vietnam, an official said Tuesday. Three people - a sister, brother and a cousin - were killed instantly Monday, while another victim died later at a hospital. Two others remained hospitalized with minor burns, said Nguyen Ngoc Loi, head of the local Communist Party organization in Cao Lanh town, 150 kilometers (93 miles) southwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Loi said the accident occurred as the eight people were trying to erect a 13-meter (42.6-feet) water pipe to which the antenna had been attached. The pipe broke free and fell onto the electric lines. - APPioneer Electric
Employee Killed in Dallas County 02/10/2003 Stephen McLamb A Dallas County Electrical Cooperative worker is killed and two others are injured after A log Truck crashed into them while they were clearing A tree from A State Highway. Pioneer Electric and State Transportation workers were clearing off State Road 89 after A tree collapsed on the roadway taking out A powerline. With no flagmen present, 52 year old Julius Blackwell was struck and killed by an oncoming truck shortly after Ten a.m. The truck driver, Tiny Andrews and Reginald Grace, A State transportation worker, were both taken to A Camden hospital where they were treated and released. Troopers say the accident remains under investigation.
1 Dead, 2 Injured In I-10 Construction Accident; Workers Electrocuted By Power Line February 11, 2003 NEW ORLEANS -- One worker was killed and two others were hospitalized Tuesday morning after a construction accident on Interstate 10. The accident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. at I-10 and Richland. Police said three workers in a bucket truck were electrocuted when the truck accidentally came in contact with a live power line. The three were rushed to East Jefferson General Hospital, where one man died of his injuries. His name is being withheld pending notification of his family members. The condition and names of the other men have not yet been released. The workers were independent contractors out of Baton Rouge, police said.
Workers Hurt In Accident At PGI Tuesday, February 11, 2003 By JON SOLES Of The Record Staff An electrical circuit breaker box flashover at the PGI plant in Benson Monday, sending two workers to the hospital. But only one of the workers was injured and those injuries were minor, Director of Operations Rick Halpin said. Both workers were treated at Betsy Johnston Regional Hospital in Dunn and released, Mr. Halpin said. Company policy forbids the release of the workers’ names, Mr. Halpin said. The accident occurred around noon. According to Mr. Halpin, an electrical technician and another nearby worker were injured when a circuit breaker arced. An arc is an electrical discharge that jumps a gap between a circuit or between two electrodes. The electrical technician suffered first- and second-degree burns on his hands and was back home shortly after he was injured, Mr. Halpin said. The other worker returned to work after he was checked out at Betsy Johnson as a precaution, Mr. Halpin said. “One was treated and one was just reviewed and nothing was found in the least,” Mr. Halpin said. Mr. Halpin said PGI, which stands for Polymer Group Inc., was going to schedule a briefing with the workers to determine the cause of the electrical flashover. The accident happened in PGI’s Line A, which is a section for entangled fiber and pulp, Mr. Halpin said. Mr. Halpin compared the electrical arc to a spark created by crossing battery cables under the hood of a car. “I’m no electrical engineer, but it sounds like when you go from a hot wire to the ground and you make that connection,” Mr. Halpin said. The flashover did not affect company operations, Mr. Halpin said. The two workers were transported to the hospital by Benson Rescue. Benson and Dunn fire departments also responded to PGI, but there was no fire. PGI’s Benson plant employs about 319 corporate and plant-level workers. PGI employs about 40,000 people worldwide. Mr. Halpin said there were about 100 on duty Monday when the accident occurred.
Transfer Station Fire Investigators are looking for the cause of an overnight fire that destroyed the Madison County transfer station in the town of sullivan . The plant was nearly burned to the ground by the time firefighters were able to get there. The transfer station will remain closed, people who need to drop things off are being redirected to the town of Lincoln's transfer station.
UPDATE University of Maryland Cited for Safety Violations in Fatal Blast College Park - The University of Maryland has been cited for alleged state health and safety violations stemming from an electrical explosion that killed a campus employee back in October. Three employees were working on an electrical panel in the physics building when the blast happened on October 27th. Master electrician Kurt Tassche died from lung damage six days later. Two firefighters and a university police officer were also injured. Inspectors from the office of Maryland Occupational Safety and Health found that the workers wore flammable clothing and no eye protection. They also found that the room had inadequate exits and poor lighting. The university won't be fined because it's a government entity, but it will be ordered to correct any problems. College officials tell The Washington Post they're inspecting all campus electrical facilities and fixing any deficiencies.
UPDATE Company to pay $10,000 after worker seriously burnt Transfield Services Ltd was sentenced to pay $10,000 today after being prosecuted by the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH). The company was sentenced at the Auckland District Court after a worker suffered serious burns in an accident in the Epsom suburb last year. Transfield provides maintenance services to a third of the Auckland power distribution network owned by Vector Limited. “The victim was a live line mechanic carrying out maintenance work,” said John Forrest, OSH Service Manager, Auckland. “He suffered serious burns to his face and torso when an 11,000 volt flashover occurred. The worker experienced excruciating pain under his right armpit and his clothing ignited. “New Zealanders being injured and killed at work is simply unacceptable. In this instance the worker spent eight weeks in hospital.” The Court considered that the company had looked after the victim very well and had paid a total of $18,000 in advances to assist the victim. “There was inadequate supervision on site and this allowed a variation from the safe system of work. There should have been two levels of insulation during live line work at all times,” said Mr Forrest. “Variation from safe working procedures had occurred on numerous occasions in the past. “Everyone has the right to go to work and be safe. Companies must ensure that workplace hazards are identified and controlled correctly, and that their safety systems are constantly reviewed and updated.” Further information: John Forrest, Service Manager, Auckland, OSH Tel: 09 525 0268 Mobile: 027 201 9768
Bland Street manhole explosion breaks mini mall windows By: KATHY KISH of the Daily Telegraph staff February 05, 2003 Bluefield - An explosion from a manhole on Bland Street Tuesday shattered the front windows of the Landmark Mini Mall and threw the manhole cover into the air, but firefighters said things could have been much worse. "If someone had been walking by, it could have been bad," said Bluefield Fire Chief Gerald Steele. He said the force of air from the explosion was enough to break the storefront windows and the manhole cover flew off about 10 feet in the other direction. "I'd say that manhole cover ways about 250 pounds," he said, "and it flew all the way over there and took a big chunk out of the sidewalk." Steele said the manhole owned by AEP harbors an electrical junction. He said such explosions are not common, but do occasionally happen, usually if there is a short in the electrical wiring which sparks and ignites sewage gases or other types of gases which might build up in the manhole. However, tests of the area were showing no signs of gas buildup. He said an accumulation of coal dust that has gathered over the years probably burned for a few seconds, causing the smoke, but would not have been the major source of the problem. "I don't think there is any immediate danger," Steele said. Steele said he was notified of the explosion at about 8:25 a.m. Tuesday and responded to find the plate glass windows of the store broken but still standing and smoke coming from the manhole adjacent to the building. "The glass was just swinging back and forth in the wind, so we had somebody from Warlick Glass come on over and take it out so they could replace it," he said. "Residents in the Opera House apartments and those in the business center across the street heard it, so it was apparently a pretty significant explosion, but it was very brief and there is no indication of a buildup of natural gas." He said they inspected the building to make sure there were no electrical problems inside and had found none there or in any other buildings in the area. Steele said he was aware of one other such explosion on Bluefield Avenue several years ago, but Landmark Mini Mall manager Christine Bordeaux added that a similar but much less serious event occurred in the same manhole in front of the store a few years back. "It happened out there before, about two years ago," said Bordeaux. "Then it just blew the top off and our alarm went off. Apparently, the force was enough to set off the alarm. I'd really like to know what's causing this." She said neither she nor owner Evans Riley were in the store at the time of this latest explosion. "It was a real shock to come in and see fire trucks everywhere," she said. "I thought the place was on fire. I immediately got a sick feeling in my stomach and thought 'Oh, no, the mall's gone.'" Fortunately, the explosion only damaged the windows, and no other items in the store were affected. At 4 p.m. Tuesday, Steele said the department was continuing to monitor the site for signs of any sort of combustible gas, but they had already check three times during the day and found none. No signs of electrical damage to the wiring in the manhole were evident. "At this point we're just kind of mystified," he said.
Worker electrocuted while unloading salt truck Wednesday, February5, 2003, 6:22 AM SKOWHEGAN (AP) -- The investigation is continuing into the death of a 19-year-old worker who was electrocuted while helping to unload a salt truck in Skowhegan. Police say Jon Atwood of North New Portland had his hand on the trailer when the truck touched overhead power lines attached to a garage on Milburn Street. The accident took place around 11 a.m. Tuesday morning. Atwood was pronounced dead at Redington-Fairview General Hospital. No other injuries were reported.
Underground Explosion Closes Downtown Offices; Transformer Causes Fire, But No Injuries February 4, 2003 An underground explosion and fire forced the closing of several offices at the Detroit Edison complex downtown Tuesday morning. A transformer exploded Monday night, blowing out a manhole cover. Underground wires also burned, which slowed down efforts to assess the damage and make repairs. Workers in several DTE Energy offices were advised not to return to work Tuesday while repairs were made. There were no injuries, Local 4 reported.
2 electrocuted, 1 hurt at ship facility in Cebu Posted:1:26 PM (Manila Time) | Feb. 05, 2003 INQ7.net TWO WORKERS were electrocuted and another was hurt when they accidentally touched a high-tension wire at a Japanese ship building facility in Balamban town, Cebu. Quoted on radio, Balamban police identified the fatalities as Romy Pisong Pisong and Joel Mesa, both residents of the town. Another victim, Lolito Roylan was rushed to the hospital for treatment. The three were cleaning inside the compound of Tsuneishi Heavy Industries when they accidentally touched the 32,000-volt wire, which served as a transmission line. Officials of the Japanese firm promised to shoulder the burial costs.
State investigates electrocution, Vacaville man was shocked By FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS Thursday, January 30, 2003 - CONCORD -- State investigators arrived Wednesday at a medical manufacturing facility where a veteran engineer was electrocuted while fixing an oil leak. The victim, identified as Thomas Michael Guest, 48, of Vacaville had worked at Siemens for nine years. Guest was fixing an oil leak in a project test room when he was jolted by high voltage at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday, Concord Police Cpl. Maurice Jennings reported. His co-workers found him unconscious and began performing CPR, which was continued when paramedics arrived at 3:40 p.m., according to a company statement. He was pronounced dead shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday at Mount Diablo Medical Center in Concord. The plant, located at 4040 Nelson Ave., houses the Oncology Care Systems Group of Siemens Medical Solutions USA. The plant employs 400 workers. The facility manufactures linear accelerators, which are machines that emit radiation used to combat cancer. "The company is investigating the circumstances of this tragic accident and is fully cooperating with California Occupation Safety and Health Administration and the Concord Police Department to determine the cause," said a statement by Siemens.
Man suffers electrical shock in area refinery By: Icess Fernandez January 29, 2003 A 40-year-old man was injured by a 35,000-volt electric shock at the ExxonMobil Baytown Complex, Jan. 27. The unidentified man, an independent contractor from Industrial Specialties Contractors, was Life-fighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital at approximately 2 p.m. "Our thoughts remain with the individual and his family for a full recovery," Mike Brown, Refinery Manager, said in a press statement. The 3,600-acre ExxonMobil Baytown complex houses two chemical plants, a refinery, a technology lab. he refinery, the largest in the country, was founded in 1919 and is situated on 2,400 acres. It employs 600 contract personnel. The annual salaries, wages and benefits at the plant are about $121 million for the 1,450 refinery employee alone. The incident rate at the refinery is .82 percent for employees and .27 percent for contractors. The plant operates 24 hours a day year-round and pays $28.1 million in city, county, property, school and college taxes. ExxonMobil owns four manufacturing plants in the greater Houston area. Both the Mont Belvieu plant and the Baytown Complex have approximately 4,000 employees combined. ExxonMobil manufactures several household items including plastics, rubber and steel. The company's specialty products include lube oils and fluids. ExxonMobil gasoline is shipped to several states across the country including Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Florida and Tennessee. About 10 percent of the products manufactured leave by tanker, another 10 percent leave by barge, 3 percent by tank car and tank truck and the majority, 77 percent, leave by pipeline. The accident at the Baytown refinery is still being investigated.
Worker electrocuted on state Route 8 AKRON - An employee of a Wadsworth electric company apparently was electrocuted Tuesday on state Route 8 as he wired highway lighting. The victim was identified as James D. Brulinski, 27, of Maple Heights. He died at Akron City Hospital shortly before 1 p.m. The accident occurred at 12:15 p.m. on state Route 8 northbound near Perkins Street. An autopsy is to be done today to determine the official cause of his death. According to an Akron Police Department report, Brulinski was electrocuted while he and another man worked on the wiring of a light post. Brulinski's employer, Perram Electric of Wadsworth, does highway lighting maintenance jobs for the city, according to public works officials. The work that Brulinski was doing was not part of the state Route 8 construction project, officials said.
Steel mill burn victim still ‘critical’ By Scott Harper, staff writer January 28, 2003 A Georgetown Steel worker who was severely burned in an electrical accident Saturday remained hospitalized in critical condition at a Georgia hospital Tuesday afternoon. Michael Cribb of Georgetown, who has worked at Georgetown Steel for 30 years, suffered burns over 40 percent of his body about 2 p.m. Saturday, according to James Sanderson, president of United Steelworkers of America Local 7898. “[Cribb] was measuring voltage for a rectifier in some switch-gear” when the accident happened, Sanderson said. Cribb, 51, is a general foreman in the plant’s rolling mill. Since the Medical University of South Carolina Hospital closed its adult burn center last year, Cribb is being treated at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta. Sanderson said Cribb’s accident has been a topic during Georgetown Steel contract negotiations this week. Although Cribb has a long employment record, Sanderson said his accident is an example of why more training is needed, especially for new workers. Union officials want the company to provide at least two weeks of school-type training before new employees can start working at the mill. “They need to understand the dangers of the equipment they will be working on and with,” he said.
UPDATE OPPD looking into work-site accidents BY NANCY GAARDER WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER The Omaha Public Power District is in the midst of its second investigation in two months of a serious workplace accident involving apprentice line technicians. Last week, a lineman was critically burned when a live wire came in contact with the elevated bucket he was standing in. Last month, a worker died when he fell from a power pole. "These are a tragedy," said Ron Morrison, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 763. "But it's not something that appears to be a pattern, at least I hope it isn't." Morrison said he has confidence in OPPD's commitment to the safety of his membership. Because OPPD is a public entity, its accidents are not investigated by the U.S. Occupational, Safety and Health Administration. Instead, accidents are investigated by an internal committee. Cynthia Buettner, spokeswoman for OPPD, said the committee includes representatives of management, labor and someone with direct knowledge of the work involved. Buettner said the investigation into last week's ccident remains under way, so the details are not available. ark O'Connor, 35, is in fair condition at the Clarkson Hospital burn unit. He was working with two crews - six other people - near 43rd and Burt Streets on Jan. 16 when he was injured. In December, Michael Johnson died after he fell from a pole near Ceresco, Neb. The investigation into that accident indicated that all safety guidelines and equipment were in place, Buettner said. Both O'Connor and Johnson had extensive training, she said. They had taken two years of course work before joining OPPD in late 2001. The apprenticeship itself takes four years.
Two workers jolted by 14,400-volt line The men were installing a new line that became energized when the far end brushed another line in use, an official said. By BRIDGET HALL GRUMET, Times Staff Writer St. Petersburg Times, published January 24, 2003 WESLEY CHAPEL -- A jolt from a 14,400-volt live wire sent two Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative workers to the hospital Thursday morning. Carl Smith Jr., 37, of Spring Hill is in serious condition at Tampa General Hospital. His co-worker, Scott Yeager, 29, of Ridge Manor, was treated and released Thursday evening, hospital spokesman John Dunn said. Smith, an apprentice lineman, took the brunt of the shock about 9:30 a.m. while trying to install a new line just inside the Seven Oaks subdivision on County Road 581, a couple of miles south of State Road 54. The new line had no electricity running through it -- that is, until one end brushed up against an energized wire at the cooperative's Saddlebrook substation, Pasco County Fire Marshal Larry Whitten said. The contact with the 14,400-volt overhead line created a "fireball" at the substation, but did not injure a nearby employee hoisted in a bucket truck, Whitten said. That employee's name was not available Thursday. "He was checked out by paramedics, and other than being shaken up by the whole thing, he appeared to be okay," Whitten said. But the crossing of the wires sent a powerful jolt to the other end of the line, which Smith was handling on the ground, Whitten said. Yeager, another apprentice lineman standing nearby, also received an electrical shock, he said. Both men were taken by helicopter to the hospital. Yeager came on board with the company in August 2000, and Smith was hired in December 2001, cooperative spokesman Ernie Holzhauer said. Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative's safety officials are investigating the incident, Holzhauer said. "They're looking into all aspects so we can disseminate information to our employees to prevent another accident like this from happening," he said.
Kings Mountain man electrocuted while trimming tree Associated Press KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. - A man was killed over the weekend when he touched a power line while trying to trim a tree, police said. David Allen Parker, 33, of Kings Mountain, was climbing a ladder when he came in contact with a primary power line that carried 7,200 volts of electricity, Kings Mountain Police Department Sgt. R.S. Davis said. Parker was pronounced dead at Kings Mountain Hospital. A friend holding the ladder for Parker suffered neck and back injuries when Parker fell, Davis said. His name and condition weren't available. Parker, who worked for a gutter company, was a father of four. He and his fiancee were expecting a child, according to his family.
Worker critical following shock Tuesday, January 21, 2003 By KATHERINE BLOK The Express-Times WASHINGTON -- A mid-morning fire on Monday has sent one man to the hospital, police said. A fire broke out at Cebal America on Route 31 about 11:30 a.m. Monday, police said. The building is commonly known as the former American Can facility. The fire started when a factory employee, Ernie Meshach of Lopatcong Township, was electrically shocked, said fire Chief Steve Alpaugh. Alpaugh said the cause of the electrical shock is unknown. The incident is under investigation. Meshach was transported by helicopter to the burn unit at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, N.J. He was listed in critical condition Monday evening. Cardboard boxes and plastic materials in the area where Meshach was working caught fire, but it was controlled and extinguished by the factory's industrial sprinkler system, Alpaugh said. Cebal America shut down for the remainder of the morning shift, but was expected to resume business for the afternoon shift, Alpaugh said. Representatives of Cebal America could not be reached Monday.
UPDATE, Conectiv must pay injured house painter $5.1 million By RENEE WINKLER Courier-Post staff A jury awarded $5.1 million in damages to a Gloucester County house painter who was partially paralyzed on the job when an exposed electrical line shocked him. Tom Litka, 44, was painting the exterior of a home down the street from his own Franklinville residence when the accident happened June 10, 2000. He fell from a ladder and was shocked by an uninsulated power line attached to a utility pole at the house. Litka broke 15 bones, including several ribs, his backbone and sternum. One bone severed his spine, paralyzing him from the chest down, said his attorney, John Mininno. After four months of hospitalization and physical rehabilitation, Litka must use a wheelchair to move around and rely on friends and family for his care, according to testimony at the trial before Superior Court Judge Charles Little. The power line was installed and maintained by Wilmington, Del.-based Conectiv, which provides electrical service in the Franklin Township area. The company was the defendant in Litka's suit. Litka expressed gratitude after the verdict Friday that New Jersey doesn't impose caps on judgments in civil cases. "He needs constant care, professional care, and this will pay for it," Mininno said. The attorney declined further comment. Conectiv also declined to comment on the suit. The Camden County jury awarded damages of about $7.2 million - $4 million for pain and suffering and the balance for Litka's medical expenses. Jurors found that Litka was 30 percent responsible for his injury, reducing the amount Conectiv must pay to $5.1 million.
5 suffer burns in transformer blast Express New Service Pune, January 14: FIVE persons, one of them an MSEB employee and four workers from Smash Electrical Company, suffered high-degree burns from boiling oil when an electrical transformer exploded at the Joshi Hospital on Bhandarkar Road on Tuesday. PMC chief fire officer L N Raut said the workers from Smash had installed the 200 KV transformer on the hospital campus just a few minutes before the explosion. The injured MSEB staffer was supervising the work. The transformer exploded within seconds after the workers switched on the power supply, Raut said. The injured include MSEB staffer Shakil Shaikh and Smash workers Abhijit Joglekar, Padmanabhan, Bhosale and Mahajan. They have been admitted to Joshi hospital. All five were reported to be in serious condition.
Jackhammer Accident In Waterbury Waterbury - A workman remains in critical condition after an accident in Waterbury. Authorities say Otamir Cordera was using a jackhammer to dig a trench across Phoenix Avenue yesterday, when he struck a power line. Cordera suffered severe electrical burns to his face. He was rushed to St. Mary's Hospital. Cordera worked for Green Mountain Communications. The accident is under investigation.
Construction worker electrocuted By a Staff Writer JEDDAH, 13 January 2003 — Yahya Saleh, a Yemeni national, was killed by high voltage electricity while working on a building site in Jizan, Okaz daily reported yesterday. He was climbing a ladder when he touched the wires and then fell, seriously injuring his head. Firefighters rushed to the scene to investigate and assist Yahya, but he was dead when they arrived. His body was taken to a nearby hospital. By a Staff Writer
UPDATE, Downtown on temporary generator By JOHN REZANKA — News Reporter A 4,000-volt power line “flashed” while a ComEd worker from Joliet used a torch to melt lead off spliced power lines in order to gain access to and test them for faults. Hettrick described a “flash” as a huge electrical spark which gives off heat in its immediate vicinity, similar to the effect a person would get by standing near a firework when it detonates. The worker was immediately transported to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment, where it was determined his injury, a redness similar to a sunburn on one side of the face, was minor. The worker was wearing all his safety gear, a fact which helped protect him from serious injury, Hettrick noted. “He was given a clean bill of health and returned to work yesterday afternoon.” Rather than proceed with underground investigation after the accident, Hettrick said ComEd determined it was safer to cut power to the underground lines and use a temporary generator to supply power to downtown Streator. “We are proceeding cautiously to make sure it’s safe for our workers,” Hettrick said. “In order to safely reopen the manhole, we need to cut power to downtown Streator and use the generator as an alternate source of power.” The two-megawatt diesel generator, which fills a specially designed semi trailer and can produce enough electricity to serve a medium-sized community, arrived at the Walgreens’ north parking lot Thursday morning. It will remain there until ComEd can locate the underground problem. Under the best case scenario, Hettrick said workers may be able to find and fix the problem in the underground power lines today. However, depending on what workers find in the underground vault, it could take several more days. As far as the impact to electricity users in the downtown area, Hettrick said the switch from underground power lines to the generator should not result in any power outages or power surges. “It should be seamless,” he said. “We will power up the generator before we cut power to the underground lines.” The only anticipated impact to customers will occur when crews switch back from the generator to the regular power lines, Hettrick said. Customers in the downtown area will probably experience an outage of about one-minute as workers manually reconnect to power lines. Workers at the site Thursday spent the remainder of the day testing the generator to make sure it was properly phased. This morning, they restarted the generator and connected it to power lines serving the downtown area. In order to meet the electrical needs of the downtown area, the generator will run at about 25 percent of its peak capacity.
Electrical Workers Burned by 12,000 Volt Flash Two electrical workers were severely burned Wednesday morning while installing heating and air conditioning equipment at a Sacramento-area Kmart store. The accident happened at the store at Cottage and Howe Avenue at about 11:15 a.m. The workers were replacing equipment on the roof of the store and went down to a utility room to energize the equipment. When they turned it on, a 12,000 volt flash burned the workers. The two men received second and third-degree burns. The current did not go through their bodies, so they did not receive an electrical shock. The flash was so enormous that it tripped a SMUD breaker nearby and shut off power to the Kmart store. Crews are checking the equipment before turning power back on. The store remains closed.
UPDATE, Luverne sued for two electric accidents By: Franny White, Daily Globe January 07, 2003 One man died, another lost a hand because of Luverne's errors, lawsuits allege LUVERNE - "Substandard, negligent and dangerous" work by City of Luverne employees caused the 2001 electrocution death of a man installing cable on a Luverne power pole, a lawsuit alleges. The family of Brad Gerald Herr, who was fatally electrocuted Oct. 10, 2001, while installing cable near the National Guard Armory at 309 S. Freeman Ave., is suing the city for $750,000. In an additional legal action, Luverne employees failed to de-energize high-voltage equipment on Dec. 3, 2001, causing the electrocution of a Fulda Electric Service, Inc., employee, a separate lawsuit alleges. Fulda Electric is suing Luverne for $50,000 to compensate for the higher workers' compensation premiums it claims to have paid because of the latter accident. Pete Regnier, an attorney representing Luverne through League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, said "the city denies liability in the cases" but refused further comment Monday, citing the case was ongoing. Luverne will file a formal response to the Brad Herr lawsuit by February and will request an extension to respond to the Fulda Electric lawsuit, Regnier said. Herr, of Waubay, S.D., was an employee of RCH Cable Sales Company of the Midwest, Inc., and was hired by Mediacom, LLC, to pull traps along cable lines for digital cable service at the time of the accident. According to his family's lawsuit, Herr "came into contact with an energized vertical ground wire that was not connected to a suitable grounding electrode," resulting in Herr's electrocution. Another accident occurred on the same power pole in September 2001 that burned and shocked a different Mediacom employee, the lawsuit claims. Afterward, Luverne "did not take appropriate measures to remedy the lines and equipment," the lawsuit says. Fulda Electric was subcontracting work for Luverne when Fulda Electric employee Phillip Kramer was working at the west Luverne substation, where Kramer was electrocuted with 14,000 volts. The accident occurred because of Luverne's "failure to properly de-energize the high-voltge electrical equipment" before Kramer began work at the substation, the lawsuit alleges. Kramer lost his left hand and part of his forearm because of the accident, Fulda Electric CEO Don Welling said. As a result of both incidents, three Luverne employees have been reprimanded, Luverne City Administrator Matt Hylen said. A senior lineman received two verbal reprimands, while another senior lineman was suspended for two days. Public Utilities Director Red Arndt was also suspended for five days. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined Luverne $2,000 for the fatal electrocution, which OSHA called a "serious" violation. OSHA also fined Luverne $56,000 for two "willful" violations in the Fulda Electric electrocution. Hylen said the two electrocutions were the "first bad incidents that have happened" during his seven years of employment with the city.
Coffee workers electrocuted in truck Six Nicaraguan coffee workers have been electrocuted while travelling in a truck. The incident happened near La Dalia after a 15-year-old worker accidentally touched an electric wire. Jose Ruden Perez reached out to catch his cap as it flew away, and lost his right hand to electric burns but survived. Some 100 workers were traveling in the truck on the way to coffee field 110 miles north of the capital Managua. Six were electrocuted and another 30 sustained injuries. Government officials have promised to help the victims.
UPDATE, Wheelan to accept GLP offer; Money will never repair anguish he’s endured, triple amputee says By RACHEL PUNCH January 06, 2003 Local News - Lewis Wheelan, who lost both legs and an arm in an electrical accident while clearing brush for Great Lakes Power Ltd. two years ago, says he plans to accept the company's latest offer of financial assistance. GLP sent Wheelan a letter just before Christmas last month, offering a new deal of $3,000 per month plus a two-per-cent increase annually. Any money that Wheelan earns before May 30, 2007, would be taken off his settlement. Wheelan said he is prepared to accept, but feels GLP took far too long to work out the arrangement. The 20-year-old says it will never repair the mental and physical anguish he has endured. “I think that's nothing compared to what I've been through,” said Wheelan on Saturday during an interview from his parents’ home in Sault Ste. Marie, where he was visiting for the holidays. “It's very tough because no one understands how I feel. It's torture.” Wheelan was working on a summer job with a tree-cutting contractor on May 30, 2001, when a tree crashed through a power line that had been left live. Electrical burns, as a result of 7,200 volts of electricity running through his body, cost Wheelan his right arm, right shoulder and both legs. The contractor, Neatside Vegetation, had been hired by GLP to clear brush. Initially, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board offered Wheelan $288 a week, about $15,000 net income a year, until he turns 65. The Wheelans rejected the offer from WSIB. GLP offered to pay for Wheelan's education and give him a job, but he felt he deserved more. Wheelan said Colin Clark, president of GLP, visited him in hospital in Toronto on March 13, 2002 and told him he was top priority to the company. In June 2002, GLP made him another offer but Wheelan didn't accept it. Wheelan said he outlined to GLP in July what he wanted. Wheelan also said that during prior negotiations, GLP was attempting to get him to tell the media how co-operative the company was. “They were trying to coax me into signing a contract that said I would go into The Sault Star and say that they (GLP representatives) were nice guys.” When contacted for comment on Saturday, Clark said, “I'm not prepared to discuss anything with the media right now. My company is having private discussions with Lewis and his family and endeavoring to assist him, and that's all I'm prepared to say.” Wheelan was attending Sir Wilfrid Laurier University when the accident happened. Since then, he has completed a distance-education course while living in Toronto and is a student in the Faculty of Arts at York University. He lives on his own in an apartment in North York. “I can live mostly independent, but it is still very difficult to deal with. It's still pretty tough,” he said. “I'd like to thank all the people from Sault Ste. Marie and all over Ontario who have supported me through this. I'd also like to thank my close friends.”
UPDATE, Company fined in double death Associated Press January 3, 2003 MERIDEN, Conn. -- The federal safety regulators have proposed a $10,850 fine against a New Haven company that employed two men who were electrocuted while washing bricks on a Meriden city building. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration Thursday proposed the fine against Milestone Restoration Inc. for violations of state standards including insufficient training in the use of a boom crane. Eugenio Torres, 47, and Hector Leon, 50, both of New Haven, were killed Oct. 2 while power washing the Stoddard Municipal Building. The two men were working in the bucket of a boom crane when they came in contact with high voltage wires running from the building. Representative of Milestone will meet with OSHA next week to discuss the violations. Milestone will have the options of paying the fines, reaching a settlement with OSHA or appealing the citations in court.
UPDATE, Lakeland Agrees To Pay Widow; City worker's estate gets largest settlement allowed without a suit. By Rick Rousos The Ledger LAKELAND -- The city of Lakeland will pay a $200,000 settlement to the family of Marc Moore, the city utility worker electrocuted on Aug. 26, attorneys said Friday. In exchange, Moore's family will waive its rights to sue the city. The $200,000 payment -- the most lucrative allowed under Florida law without a plea to the Legislature -will come from city coffers because Lakeland is self-insured. That money does not include $100,000 already paid to Moore's estate from the city's workers' compensation self-insurance fund. Four other utility workers were treated for minor injuries in the accident near Reynolds Road that killed the 31-year-old Moore, a special equipment operator. Moore was helping to install a 40foot utility pole when part of a crane hit a live wire, sending between 450 and 550 volts toward the damp ground. "This (settlement) at least puts the legal part of this tragedy behind us," City Attorney Tim McCausland told city commissioners Friday morning during an informal meeting. Commissioners are expected to approve the settlement Monday morning, without discussion. The item has been placed along with several others on what is called the consent agenda, meaning commissioners will vote on all of them at once, without debate. The settlement will be paid in the absence of a lawsuit, which would have been filed had the settlement not been reached. The $200,000 settlement was the most Tracy Moore could be paid by the city in a lawsuit settlement because of state limits on awards, known as sovereign immunity caps. Governments in Florida can be sued, but the Legislature has put limits on the amount of money plaintiffs can collect. The only way Tracy Moore could possibly have been paid more than the $200,000 was to take the case to trial and be awarded more by a jury. However, any award in excess of $200,000 would have required petitioning the Legislature for approval. "Bottom line, the odds were very high that litigation would have resulted in no additional recovery -- or $100,000 at best," Kent Lilly, Tracy Moore's attorney, said Friday. "Since the settlement permits retention of the workers' compensation benefits, the total of $300,000 is a bestcase scenario from a financial standpoint. "While the money doesn't come close to fairly and adequately compensating the Moore family for their tremendous loss, it's the best resolution possible . . ." Lilly said McCausland and the city have acted in good faith and shown considerable decency toward Tracy Moore and her two young sons. "They could have taken a whole different approach to this, especially with the workers' comp thing, and fought it till the cows came home -- but they didn't," Lilly said. "We would have had an uphill battle, not because of the facts of the case, but because of the caps." Also, soon after Moore's death, city commissioners voted to establish a $10,000 educational trust fund for each of the Moores' two young sons. Tracy Moore could not be reached Friday to comment. However, one of her main concerns since her husband's death has been seeing that the safety practices of the utility and its line workers improve. An investigative report prepared by J. B. Shepherd and Associates of Windermere criticized the workers' failure to follow established policies and procedures in the the accident. "They have assured me that they recognize internal problems, and they are correcting them," Lilly said. "It's important that they do better in protecting the guys that are still there." He said Tracy Moore keeps in touch with some linemen and has so far been satisfied that positive changes are being made.
UPDATE, Faulty cable caused Watts Bar fire: TVA report Faulty insulation around an electrical cable caused the September fire that injured five people and damaged the hydroelectric station near the Watts Bar nuclear plant, according to a Tennessee Valley Authority investigation. The investigation results, which were released Friday, conclude that an arc extending from the cable to a metal grate ignited the insulation Sept. 27. The ensuing fire caused an estimated $30 million in damage to the station, which serves as a backup power source for the nuclear plant and provides electricity to the entire TVA power grid. The fire destroyed equipment in a control building and a cable shaft that runs from the building to the Tennessee River. TVA hopes to have the five units at Watts Bar Dam producing power by the spring, said spokesman Gil Francis. "We would love to be getting the hydro-generation from that plant because it's low-cost generation," he said. Despite Watts Bar's four-month hiatus, TVA has generated more hydroelectric power overall through increased production t its 28 other stations, Francis said. Heavy rain in 2002 has benefited the public utility, he said. The fire has not disrupted the dam's effect on the Tennessee River, TVA officials said. "We are continuing to operate the dam for flood control and release water to maintain downstream aquatic habitats, and to meet navigation and cooling-water requirements," Janet Herrin, TVA's senior vice president of river operations, said in a statement. The fire was first detected when control-room employees saw smoke pouring into their work area. Twenty-five employees were inside the plant at the time. Five workers were taken to a local hospital treated for smoke inhalation. An investigation by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms found no criminal involvement in the fire at the plant, which dates back to 1942 and has a generation capacity of 145 megawatts. Francis said TVA is increasing inspections and emergency response procedures at its other plants to avoid a similar situation. TVA provides electricity to some 8.3 million people in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Spring City is about 50 miles south of Knoxville.
UPDATE, Company fined $12,000 after worker suffers serious burns Watercare Services Ltd was fined $12,000 in the Auckland District Court today after an accident last year. The company was prosecuted by the Occupational Safety and Health Service (OSH) under the Health and Safety in Employment Act. “This was an horrific accident that left a contractor with severe burns over most of his body including his face, chest, arms and hands, said OSH Auckland Service Manager, John Forrest. “New Zealanders being harmed at work is simply unacceptable. In this case it is unlikely the victim will ever return to work. “The worker suffered serious injuries from an 11KV electrical flashover while working on switchboard equipment at the Mangere wastewater treatment plant. “The judge commented that the accident would not have happened had Watercare’s safety procedures been properly adhered to, a permit for the work obtained, and the necessary isolation carried out. “Everyone has the right to go to work and be safe. Companies must ensure that workplace hazards are identified and controlled correctly, and that safety systems are constantly reviewed and updated, and that staff are trained and supervised." Further Information: John Forrest, Service Manager, Auckland, OSH, Tel: 09 525 0268 Mobile: 027 201 9768
ComEd worker electrocuted By Rhonda Sciarra Daily Herald Staff Writer December 29, 2002 ComEd officials said Saturday they are investigating the death of an Addison father of four who was electrocuted Friday while working on power lines in Schiller Park. Jorge Mijares, 42, was pronounced dead at a Melrose Park hospital 40 minutes after the 10 a.m. "freak accident" in the 4000 block of Scott Avenue, Schiller Park police Sgt. Tom Belpedio and ComEd spokesman Tim Lindberg said. Mijares, an 18-year employee with ComEd, was in a cherry picker that came in contact with a live power line, they said. A hole was burned through the cherry picker basket that had lifted Mijares and another worker to the power lines, Belpedio said. "From what I understand 35,000 volts of electricity went right through him," he said. The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled the death accidental and caused by electrocution after an autopsy Saturday. The second employee, James Bowdry, 41, of Maywood, was treated for minor burns. ComEd is looking into the incident. "Exactly what happened up there is still under investigation," Lindberg said. Meanwhile, family and friends of Mijares, of the 200 block of North Friars Court, cannot fathom what happened. "I know my husband would not make a mistake," said wife Fran. "He was the head of a safety committee at ComEd and knew what he was doing." The couple had been married for 15 years and had four children ranging in ages from 9 to 14, she said. Jorge Mijares coached his children and their sports teams with the Addison Rec Club and Pop Warner football for about eight years. "He was the best father and a family man," his wife said. "He was the gentlest, kindest man. Words can't express how we are going to miss him." Chuck Fossen, who has coached and vacationed alongside Mijares for years, said his friend was great with children. "I have never heard anyone say a bad word about him," Fossen said. "He was big, jovial and always cracking jokes." ComEd is providing counseling services to employees who worked with Mijares and said accidents like Friday's are rare, Lindberg said. "This is a tragedy in the ComEd family," he said. "Our sympathy and prayers go out to his family." A wake for Mijares will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday at Humes Funeral Home, 320 W. Lake St. in Addison, his wife said. Services begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church at 1213 Army Trail Blvd. in Addison. Burial will be at Eden Memorial Park in Schiller Park.
UPDATE, Meadows companies indicted for employees’ electrocutions BY BARBARA BELL Federal charges have been filed against two Rolling Meadows firms, alleging the companies’ lack of training led to the deaths of two employees by electrocution. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced Dec. 11 that Rolling Meadows-based L.E. Myers Co. and its parent firm, MYR Group Inc., had been indicted on charges of deliberately disobeying federal workplace safety regulations. Myers provides construction services for electric utilities. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MYR. Blake Lane, 20, of Sullivan, Ill., was killed Dec. 28, 1999, while doing maintenance work on a Commonwealth Edison high-voltage transmission tower in Mount Prospect, according to federal prosecutors. Lane touched an energized wire while inspecting a steel tower and was electrocuted. Wade Cumpston, 43, of Ashland, Ky., was electrocuted March 25, 2000, in Plainfield after he touched an energized grounding cable while working from an uninsulated bucket. Myers had a contract with ComEd at the time of the employees’ deaths. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, the charges against Myers and MYR are the first time in the nation that the electrocution of two men in high-voltage transmission towers resulted in criminal prosecution. In a prepared statement, William Skibitsky, president of Myers, denied that the company deliberately violated federal safety laws. “We deeply regret these tragic incidents,” he said. “We understand OSHA’s (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) role in helping to maintain a safe work environment, and we support its efforts. We cooperated fully with its investigations. However, we believe that the court will find the facts of the case do not support OSHA’s position.” Myers and MYR each are charged with two counts of violating OSHA safety regulations. The charges are misdemeanors. If convicted, Myers and MYR each could be sentenced to a maximum of five years probation and a maximum fine of $1 million. Both companies will be arraigned later in U.S. District Court at which time they'll be asked to enter a plea to the charges.
Man dies from electrocution Curtis DeBruin worked at Orv’s construction site By John Lee KAUKAUNA — A 28-year-old man died Wednesday when he was apparently electrocuted while working on a construction project. Curtis J. DeBruin of Kimberly, an employee of Enterprise Electric, did not have a pulse and was not breathing when he was found near an electrical panel at Five Star Frozen Foods Inc., 1601 Hyland Ave., at 1:15 p.m. Outagamie County Coroner Ruth Wulgaert said he was apparently working on the electrical panel in a part of the plant that is being expanded. She said there were no witnesses. DeBruin was found by another worker. Assistant Kaukauna Police Chief John Manion said co-workers — and later police officers — started cardiopulmonary resuscitation until paramedics from the Kaukauna Fire Department arrived. DeBruin was transported to Appleton Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m. Wulgaert said an autopsy will be performed today while police, company and insurance officials continue their investigation. Five Star is the maker of Orv’s Pizza. The owners bought the business over six years ago. Company President Jim Niemuth said the expansion will add about 35,000 square feet, mainly for warehouse space. The company makes frozen pizzas and employs about 70.
UPDATE, OSHA: Electrical Hazards Factor in Two Accidents December 17, 2002 The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., for failing to protect workers from serious electrical hazards at a dredging and beach replenishment project south of Vilano Beach, Fla. The citations carry proposed penalties totaling $43,000. OSHA began an inspection of the worksite July 2, after notification from St. Johns County Sheriff Department officials that two company employees had received severe electrical shocks at the site where sand was being pumped from the ocean bottom up to the eroded beach. The first worker, using wet gloves during a welding operation, was injured June 17; the second worker was injured July 1 and sustained deep electrical burns to his right arm. Both employees were hospitalized as a result of their injuries. "Using electrical equipment without grounding protection is often fatal," says James. D. Borders, OSHA's Jacksonville area director. "These workers are fortunate to be alive. The long, painful months of recovery they will have to endure could have been avoided if the employer had taken the proper precautions to protect them." OSHA issued ten serious citations to the Oak Brook, Ill-based firm for failure to provide employees with proper personal protective equipment while working with energized welding cables and electrode holders; failing to properly ground temporary electrical wiring and allowing employees to operate hand-held electrical tools with missing grounding prongs. The agency also cited the company's failure to repair or replace damaged portable ladders and guardrails around an elevated work area. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard. The company has 15 working days to contest the OSHA citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
26-year-old welder electrocuted EUGENIA OKPARA, Owerri THE Orji Mechanic Village of Owerri North Council area in Imo State was at the weekend thrown into confusion as a 26-year-old welder, Festus Ibe, was electrocuted in a grotesque circumstance. A witness account had it that the late welder was working on a Volkswagen Golf car when the ugly incident happened. A friend of the late Festus Ibe, fondly called “DD”, who pleaded anonymity, revealed that the late welder was welding something under the car “and unknown to all of us, a live wire fell on the metal board on which he was lying.” The witness told the DAILY TIMES that their attention was drawn to the spot when they realised that he was no longer working. Explaining, “one of the people around bent down and discovered that all was not well with Ibe and raised alarm which attracted other colleagues to the scene”. Continuing, he said that they had no premonition of the impending doom adding that “we all came to work as usual and prayed for a peaceful, fruitful outing but unfortunately we had a tragedy”. “Discovering that he was motionless under the car after calling him and there was no any response, we switched off his welding machine, brought him out and rushed him to a nearby private hospital where he was certified dead by a medical doctor”, he said. He said the staff of the hospital did all they could to resuscitate Ibe but did not succeed. The late Festus Ibe was a native of Umuofor Amaimo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State and had earned his living at the Orji Mechanic Village as a welder before the incident. It would be recalled that the same mechanic village lost one Kennett Nwachukwu in August through electrocution, thereby making the death of Festus Ibe the second artisan to have been electrocuted this year. The irony of the situation is that the two victims of electrocution were from Ikeduru Council Area as late Nwachukwu hailed from Ikembara. Meanwhile, the remains of the late Ibe have been deposited in the morgue of an unknown private hospital.
Two die of electric shock in Dar In the second incident, God Maimu (24), died and his two colleagues were seriously injured in an electric fault after their drilling machine accidentally touched a live electric wire. Explaining the incident on Sunday, the RPC said that the drilling machine had accidentally touched a live wire which lay on the ground at Hindi Street No.12 in Ilala. Those who were injured in the accident are Ahmed Amir, (20), and Abass Ngaza, (25), both of whom are employees of GO Tanzania Drilling Company, said Tibaigana. The two have also been admitted to Muhimbili and their conditions are improving, according to the RPC. In another incident, Steven Njemeni, (35), died on Saturday in a car accident at Manzese Darajani in Dar es Salaam. According to the RPC, the incident, which took place at around 9.a.m on Saturday, involved a car with registration number TZE 3404. The car driver, Agapiti Kabezo, (40), has been arrested for further investigation in connection with the accident.
UPDATE, Electrical contracting firms charged in worker deaths U.S. attorney: First federal indictment regarding tower safety CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) --Two large electrical contracting companies were charged with federal misdemeanors in the deaths of two employees who were killed while working on steel towers supporting high-voltage power lines. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said it appeared to be the first time an indictment has been brought against companies concerning violation of safety rules applying to work atop such towers. "It is our intention that today's charges will remind employers of the extraordinary responsibility our nation places on them to insure the safety of their workers," Fitzgerald said Wednesday. MYR Group Inc., based in Delaware, and its subsidiary L.E. Myers Co. were charged with willfully violating federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations, offenses that could result in fines totaling $2 million. The companies said they would defend themselves in court. "We deeply regret these tragic accidents," L.E. Myers President William Skibitsky said. However, he said, the company objected to any implication that the deaths were caused by willful acts. Both men were electrocuted, one in December 1999 and the other in March 2000, and had been under contract with L.E. Myers. According to OSHA, 37 workers were killed doing work for L.E. Myers between 1972 and September 2000. OSHA had proposed a $423,500 fine, but that was on hold pending the outcome of criminal charges, federal officials said. Myers employs more than 1,000 workers nationwide.
Workman electrocuted By Jerry Pratley A 33-YEAR-OLD man died and another was seriously injured after a crane installing a light pole hit 132,000-volt powerlines yesterday. The incident was at a new housing development near Hepburn Avenue and Giralt Road in Marangaroo. The name of the man who died has not been released. The injured man was taken by ambulance to hospital. Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union State secretary Kevin Reynolds claimed workers at the site said they believed the contractor was told the lines were not live. "There is no proof of that but that is what was being said by people on site," Mr Reynolds said. "It was around Christmas three years ago that we had exactly the same type of fatality happen when a crane hit powerlines. When is something going to be done?" Both firms involved in the work declined to comment. The firms were not working for Western Power, spokesman Peter Winner said. Power sometimes was switched off to wires when construction work was being done nearby but Western Power had not had any application in relation to the Marangaroo site. "Normally, when there is this type of work going on in the vicinity of high voltage power lines, Western Power is advised," he said. "But there is no record of Western Power being advised. "If we are advised that work is going on, we can either turn off the line or put some protective sleeves over the line so that if something like this occurs, it is the protection rather than the wires that are hit. "We turn off wires when we can accommodate it but today it would have been difficult because the demand for electricity is so high that we needed that line." The incident will be investigated by WorkSafe, the Office of Energy Safety and police. A review of WA Occupational Health and Safety laws by former Australian industrial relations commissioner Bob Laing that was tabled in Parliament two weeks ago recommended that negligent senior officers or company directors be held personally liable for serious injury or death on work sites. Mr Laing recommended that significantly bigger penalties, including jail terms. UnionsWA also has called for stiffer penalties, including jail.
Electrical mishap disrupts CCH By:Stephen Mercer December 11, 2002 A contractor suffered mild burns, and many people at Coulee Community Hospital went without heat for hours following an electrical accident Thursday. Coulee Community Hospital Administrator Mike Wiltermood said contractors were working on an electrical panel when an electric arc struck one of the workers and caused substantial burns. "I was standing in the room when it happened," said CCH maintenance worker Ryan Fish. "Something did arc, but we're not sure what." The arc knocked out the power in the hospital and filled the north end of the building with smoke, Wiltertmood said. A backup generator started about 30 seconds later to provide power in the emergency room and the hospital. The electrician, from Omak-based Don Kruse Electric, was taken to the emergency room and released later that night, he said. Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Dept. Captain Dean McPherson said they received the fire call at about 3:30 p.m. and power was restored by 7 p.m. "The main concern was patients and hospital staff," he said. "(We offered) assistance in anything we could in patient care." Fish said he told people to put out fans to take the smoke out of the building. The hospital went into "lockdown" mode for about an hour and CCH staff monitored closely who went in and out for the next several hours. The Grand Coulee Volunteer Fire Dept and the Bureau of Reclamation Plant Protection personnel stayed until 7 p.m. "The hospital really appreciates the tremendous support that Grand Coulee and Bureau of Reclama-tion's services provided," Wilter-mood said. The hospital was mainly concerned with the lack of heat, especially in the nursing home, he said. The nursing home's roof-mounted heaters, which provide much of the heat in the home, were knocked out along with the power. Wiltermood said the residents were inconvenienced by the lack of heat because they could not go into their rooms, where it would be too cold. He said the hospital's heat did not come back on until 8:30 p.m. The lack of power also meant that the hospital staff could not cook food, so sandwiches had to be brought in. A second, more powerful arc, left the panel when the fire fighters examined it, but they were prepared for the arc and were unharmed, McPherson said. He said Grant County Emergency Services stood by in Ephrata with meals and heat generators in case the power could not be turned on in time and CCH needed emergency supplies. The upgrade to CCH's wiring was being done in preparation for a new X-ray machine, Wiltermood said. Fish said the upgrade is still on schedule, despite the accident. The hospital hopes to have the upgrade done by January.
Camden Man Dies In Electrocution Accident Police say Jeff Fernandez was pronounced dead at Cooper Hospital following the accident just after noon Monday. The 39-year-old was working with two other men, installing flashing around the windows of a building on North Fourth Street. The trio were trying to move the ladder, which was extended 30 feet, when they lost control of it. The ladder fell backward away from the building and came in contact with an electrical line. Police say Fernandez was wearing sneakers but was standing on a metal grate. The other men were wearing work boots, but were not in contact with the grate. They were examined at the hospital, then released.
GA Power Worker Shocked, Critical A shocked and badly burned Georgia Power worker is taken from an ambulance to a nearby helicopter. A badly injured Georgia Power worker is airlifted to a hospital. A Georgia Power worker is listed in critical condition after being shocked while on duty in Alpharetta, Ga. Alpharetta police said the employee, whose name has not been made known, suffered serious burns. A helicopter was used to airlift him to Grady Memorial Hospital. It's not yet known what caused the accident, which happened Tuesday morning near Windward Parkway and Windward concourse.
OHS in death probe Sunday December 08, 2002 Occupational Health and Safety officials are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 23-year-old labourer with the Pacific Fishing Company in Levuka. The man was reportedly electrocuted. The accident occurred on Thursday at about 10.30am while the deceased was carrying out some repair work and painting at the PAFCO building. The deceased was painting the roof, he (deceased) came down to the ground to switch off a welding plant which was still on. When lifting the welding plant, he was accidentally electrocuted,” acting police public relations officer, Corporal Erami Raibe said. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Levuka Hospital. The deceased was not wearing any safety gears while he was working. It is advisable that safety precautions are observed to avoid such incidents,” he said. The post mortem (examination) on the deceased is yet to be carried out.
UPDATE, Electrician burned in accident rests at home An electrician who suffered electrical burns while working on a building expansion at The Idaho Statesman is recovering at home. Calvin Miller, who works for Power Plus Co. in Boise, received second-degree burns from the accident on Oct. 24. He was helping move inactive cables at the Statesman for a new elevator when a cable hit a live electrical source and grounded, causing a flash of electricity that burned him. He was taken to the Intermountain Burn Trauma Center in Salt Lake City for treatment. Miller was released from the burn unit in mid-November and is now resting at home, according to a representative of Power Plus. He is expected to return to work in January, the spokesman said
Overhead wires electrocute worker YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- A man laying sewer pipe in a new home development was electrocuted when a backhoe, operated by his father, hit a powerline overhead, the Yakima County sheriff's office said. William Anderson, 26, was pronounced dead Monday at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. Chuck Anderson, 63, the owner of Central Concrete and Utilities, was operating the backhoe while his son stabilized a section of pipe that was tethered by cable to the backhoe bucket, the sheriff's office said. The boom on the backhoe hit a powerline above it and the electrical current was transmitted to the younger Anderson. The state Department of Labor and Industries is investigating.
UPDATE, GRDA fire under investigation, Workers still hospitalized Kathy Parker Pryor Daily Times Two electricians who were burned in a fire at Grand River Dam Authority's coal fire plant Nov. 15 are on the long road to recovery. Joseph Lewis, Pryor, and Robert Ladd, Muskogee, were burned in a flash fire. The fire was caused by an arc created by a short when a sheet metal cover removed during repairs came into contact with the conductors. The electricity came from a 480 volt breaker. Both men were burned on their faces, arms and chests. Each have received skin grafts and remain in the Alexander Burn Center in Hillcrest Hospital, Tulsa. the electricians are long-time GRDA employees. "It's not uncommon for these men to be working with thousands of volts, or even 10s of thousands of volts," said Charles Barney, the GRDA Coal Fire plant manager. See the Thursday, Nov. 21st, 2002 edition of The Daily Times for a full story.
UPDATE, OSHA to investigate Gardner Drive accident Federal agency to look at electrical contractor's safety precautions PORT CHARLOTTE -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the Pike Electric accident Tuesday on Gardner Drive. "We just found out this morning," Les Grove said Thursday. Grove is the area director in OSHA's Tampa office. A chain-reaction series of events erupted when two Florida Power & Light subcontractors from Pike Electric were shocked Tuesday while working on a power line along Gardner Drive in Port Charlotte After the two men were injured, a large power outage followed, which contributed to five minor vehicle wrecks in the Port Charlotte area. A downed power line grazed a day-care center on Gardner Drive, scorched by fire, and Gardner Drive residents Kay and Ken Kuriger's home exploded. The two Pike Electric employees were airlifted to the Fort Myers hospital. One worker suffered burns to his head, face and neck. One of the employees, Ricky Messner, was taken to a burn unit in Tampa. Pike Electric's Human Resources vice president Zack Blackman said Thursday Messner is expected to be released from the Tampa hospital in the next two days. Blackman said his company has sent its own investigators from its North Carolina home office to Port Charlotte. "I don't want to speculate on what I think happened," Blackman said. "What happened has yet to be determined." FP&L is also investigating the incident. "We put a great deal of emphasis on safety for our workers, contractors and customers," FP&L spokeswoman Kathy Scott said Thursday. Officials with the State Fire Marshal's Office will not be investigating the accident since the cause is known and arson is not suspected. An OSHA investigation can take a month to six months to complete. The investigators look for any violations of federal safety standards. According OSHA's Internet site, the federal agency cited Pike Electric for 10 serious safety violations in March 2001 and proposed $61,000 in penalties after a worker was electrocuted in Loganville, Ga. The employee, working in an elevated lineman's bucket, was electrocuted on Sept. 11, 2000, when he came in contact with a 14,400-volt power line. Electrical accidents and fatal electrocutions in the workplace aren't unusual. According to "Workers Death by Electrocution," a 1998 OSHA investigative report, 5,348 workers were fatally electrocuted on their jobs from 1980 to 1992. An average of 411 workers died annually, and it was the fifth leading cause of death in the workplace. The same OSHA report included a study of 224 electrocutions and found five common factors: * Safety work procedures were not implemented or followed. * Workers did not wear personal protective equipment or were not provided safety equipment. * "Lockout/tagout" procedures to control the electrical energy were not implemented or followed. * Failure to follow OSHA and other safety regulations. * Worker and supervisor training in electrical safety was inadequate.
UPDATE, Newnan Yamaha plant fined over worker's death NEWNAN - A Yamaha Manufacturing plant received an $82,000 fine Wednesday for electrical hazards that led to a worker's death. Forty-six-year-old Eugene Pope died June first from an accident while he was doing electrical work at the plant. He suffered a fatal heart attack after he was struck with 480 volts of electricity. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the fine, saying that Pope was working on electrical equipment and power lines that had not been properly labeled and disconnected before work began. The fine included $63,000 for failing to label the equipment and an additional $25,000 for other safety failures, including not giving workers proper tools. Yamaha has 15 days to appeal the citation.
Accident spawns chain reaction Officials tackle five wrecks, two blazes and gas leak PORT CHARLOTTE -- A freak accident that injured two electrical workers Tuesday afternoon caused a bizarre domino effect of incidents -- a large power outage, five wrecks, a day care center fire, a gas leak, a house fire and an evacuation of several homes along Gardner Drive. Children were safely evacuated from the day care center, but the two male workers were flown to Lee Memorial Hospital. Remarkably, there were no other serious injuries caused by the accident's chain reaction. "It's really true that for every action there's a reaction," said Charlotte County Fire & EMS spokeswoman Dee Hawkins. "I don't think anything like this has happened in a long time." The events began around 3:20 p.m. Tuesday when two Florida Power & Light subcontractors from Pike Electric were shocked while working on a power line on Gardner Drive off U.S. 41. "Somehow, one of the workers made contact with the line ... he then made contact with the other worker," Hawkins said. Both were airlifted to the Fort Myers hospital. One worker suffered burns to his head, face and neck. The other was unconscious. At the hospital, both men were conscious and able to speak with relatives, said Charlotte County Sheriff's Cpl. Kenn Watson. According to WINK-TV, one of the men was transported to a burn unit in Tampa. A nursing supervisor at Lee Memorial said man named Ricky Messner was airlifted to the Fort Myers facility and later taken to a burn unit in Tampa. She could not say whether the man was involved in the Port Charlotte accident. This accident caused a large power outage in the Port Charlotte and Charlotte Harbor areas, affecting 1,857 customers, knocking out six traffic lights and contributing to five wrecks with two minor injuries, said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Allen Williams. Two Sheriff's deputies were involved in the wrecks, though neither suffered severe injuries. After the two electrical workers were hurt, the snapped power line began flopping around on Gardner Drive, hitting a day care center. The day care center, Karen's Kiddie Korrall, caught fire around 4 p.m. and all 24 kids were evacuated safely, Hawkins said. "The line just exploded -- all I could see was that line flopping," said witness Tammy Hight, who works nearby at Best Coast Insurance. "We helped get kids out (of the day care center). I'm very surprised we weren't hurt. We're just trying to regain our senses." Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze that burned portions of the roof and exterior of the day care center, located at 4021 Gardner Drive. "It's not a total loss," said Emergency Management Director Wayne Sallade. "There is no damage to the interior." After battling the day care center fire, officials were investigating the odor of gas coming from a nearby residence on the south end of Gardner. Things appeared to be winding down shortly before 4:45 p.m., and Fire Chief Dennis DiDio was getting ready to go home when a loud boom signaled another strange event. Firefighters running to investigate found black smoke and flames pouring from the residence where the gas odor had earlier been detected. A power line came across the house and caused the gas line to "pop or crack," Hawkins said. The house filled with gas, found an ignition source and exploded into flames. No one was inside the home at the time and no emergency workers were injured during the explosion or fire, Hawkins said. "They can't live in it," Hawkins said of the 4054 Gardner Drive residence. "It's gone. The inside is trashed." Residents along Gardner Drive were evacuated and several remained out of their homes for hours as officials continued to search for the gas leak. Around 8:15 p.m., the gas leak was contained and residents began returning to their residences. "It was pretty overwhelming," Hawkins said. "The crews did a really good job handling it, between the Sheriff's Office, Fire & EMS and the power company. "It's amazing how one event can chain react into so many other events," Hawkins added. Or, as one witness called it: "Murphy's Law."
Worker injured on job site Palm Beach Daily News Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002 -- A construction worker was injured Tuesday when he came in contact with an electrical wire on a job at 238 Plantation Road, Palm Beach Police and Fire-Rescue said. The worker, West Palm Beach resident Rafael Ferreira, 27, was standing on a platform above a chimney when a section of steel building wire he was moving came in contact with the power line, said Fire-Rescue Lt. Pete Codispoti. He was taken by ambulance to St. Mary's Medical Center, said Palm Beach Police spokeswoman Janet Kinsella. There was initial concern about the need to turn off electricity in the vicinity but Florida Power & Light deemed a shutdown unnecessary, Kinsella said. Ferreira suffered an electrical exit wound between two of the toes on his left foot, Codispoti said. He was listed in fair condition Tuesday evening.
Father-son painting duo killed in electrical accident The Associated Press A father and son working as paint contractors died Tuesday in an apparent electrocution accident at the Dairy Fresh facility, police said. Charles Myers, 63, and Eric Myers, 37, were pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m., about an hour after the accident occurred, said Bill Land of the Houston County Sheriff's Department. Land said investigators believe Eric Myers was painting a storage silo when the hydraulic lift he was standing in made contact with a 12-kilowatt power line, knocking him to the ground. Charles Myers was electrocuted when he ran to his son's aid. It was unclear whether he was electrocuted by touching his son or the lift. Dothan Fire Department Capt. Ed Roberts said the jolt from the power line also ignited a fire in the lift's gasoline motor, badly burning both bodies. But Deputy Coroner Jack Persch said the men were dead before the fire. "I think they were dead immediately," Persch told The Dothan Eagle. "There's 12,000 volts going through that power line." Linda Brannon of Alabama Power said electricity for almost 200 customers was shut off so that firefighters could put out the fire. Investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration went to the scene Tuesday, but Land said the investigation was turned over to the sheriff's department because the Myers were contractors, not employees of Dairy Fresh.
Barge snags, damages electric cables with anchor November 19, 2002 Associated Press NORTHPORT, N.Y. -- Divers were working Tuesday to assess the damage caused to four underwater electric cables when a drifting barge dragged its anchor across them. The 138,000-volt power lines that transport electricity from Norwalk, Conn., to Northport under Long Island Sound were leaking 20 liters of dodecylbenzene per hour after they were hit Saturday, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection said. The chemical is an insulating fluid similar to mineral oil and is not expected to create health or safety hazards, environmental officials said. It was unclear exactly how much of the chemical leaked. The cables were immediately shut off after the DEP learned of the leak, environmental officials said. Divers were able to identify damage to three of the cables Tuesday, and they were scheduled to try and reach the fourth Wednesday, said Bert Cunningham, vice president of communications for the Long Island Power Authority. Dive teams will be working through the day and night, and a repair schedule is expected to be set by Thursday or Friday, Cunningham said. "The first step is try to ascertain the extent of the damage, and based on that come up with some type of repair strategy," he said. Officials said the barge's anchor hit the cables about 1.5 miles from Northport off Long Island. A weekend nor'easter forced the privately owned dredging barge into a westerly drift at about 3:45 p.m., environmental officials, Berlin, Conn.-based Northeast Utilities and the Long Island Power Authority told the Connecticut Post. The four lines, co-owned by Connecticut Light & Power and the LIPA, are part of a group of seven that are separated and spread out over about 2,100 feet along the floor of the sound just over a mile beyond Northport, officials said. Mitchell S. Gross, manager of transmission communications for Northeast Utilities, CL&P's parent company, said company workers noticed the damage Saturday night when the line tripped and went out of service. Richard Kessel, chairman of the LIPA, said the accident increases pressure to begin using a new 24-mile underwater cable between New Haven and the former Shoreham power plant on Long Island. The Long Island Power Authority has said it needs the 330-megawatt cable to alleviate possible power shortages on the island. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the accident was another piece of evidence in the argument against the new cross-sound cable. "This unfortunate accident demonstrates how fragile Long Island Sound's ecological systems are, and that ill-conceived utility projects greatly threaten the sea bed," Blumenthal said.
Indonesia electro fisher stuns himself, drowns Wednesday, November 20, 2002 By Associated Press JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian man using a homemade stunning device to catch fish electrocuted himself and drowned, hospital officials and reports said Tuesday. Syahrul, 42, had attached electric cables to a diesel engine and was trailing them in the Mentaya River in Kalimantan on Sunday, the state news agency Antara reported. Syahrul, who goes by a single name, reportedly dipped his foot into the river and received an electric shock that jolted him into the water, the report said. Villagers later found his body. Hospital officials in the town of Sampit, where the accident took place, confirmed that Syahrul's body had been taken to a hospital but were unable to state the cause of his death. Indonesian fishers often resort to unconventional fishing methods — including electrocution, explosives, and poisons such as cyanide — to increase their haul. All three practices are widely blamed for depleting fish stocks and damaging the environment.
Couple electrocuted by rat trap in northern Vietnam HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - A farming couple in northern Vietnam were electrocuted by an electric trap they constructed to protect their rice seedlings from rats, local police said Monday. Pham Ngoc Thach died instantly when he stepped on the bare electric wires Thursday, and his wife was electrocuted when she tried to pull him away, a police officer in Binh Giang district of Hai Duong province said. Thach's mother found the bodies Friday morning, said the officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The couple had placed live electric wires around the field to stop rats from eating the seedlings, she said. The province is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) east of Hanoi. Several deaths from homemade electric rat traps are reported in Vietnam each year. Vietnamese farmers kill millions of rats every year. The rodent population has become a major problem since the mid 1980s, when their numbers boomed as a result of an expansion of crops and a shrinking population of predators such as cats and snakes, which are sold to restaurants in China. - AP
2 workers burned in power plant fire 2002-11-15 CHOUTEAU (AP) -- A flash fire at an eastern Oklahoma power plant burned two employees on Friday, officials said. The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, said Charles Barney, assistant general manager of the Grand River Dam Authority's coal-fire generation plant. Both men were burned on their hands and one of the victims had burns on his face, Barney said. He said no one was blinded in the accident. Both men were taken to Tulsa's Hillcrest Medical Center. A cause has not been determined. "We're investigating so it won't happen again," Barney said. "This is an abnormal event." He said the fire happened at about 11:30 a.m. as the workers, both electricians, were doing routine maintenance on a piece of equipment. Barney said the blaze lasted about a quarter-second. He said the fire happened on auxiliary equipment so there were no interruptions at the plant which provides power to about a half-million people. Barney said utility officials are still trying to contact the employees' relatives, so their identities were not immediately released. The plant employs 210 workers.
Three firefighters injured battling overnight house fire By James Irby ABC13 Eyewitness News (11/15/02) — Three Houston firefighters are injured in a suspicious house fire. The fire broke out in a vacant house in southeast Houston on Corinth Street near Holmes around 2am. When fire crews arrived at the scene, they found the house fully engulfed. Arson investigators say the fire is suspicious because the home is vacant and the fire started near the front porch. The Houston fire department attacked the fire from all sides of the house. Three firefighters climbed up a ladder at the back of the home to get to some heavy flames coming from the attic. As crews were hitting the blaze with water from the front of the home, the chief says that's when the men sustained some kind of electrical shock near the back of the house. "We had two firefighters sustain electrical shock. Two of the firefighters are stable right now, but went in for observation. The third firefighter had a fast heart rate," said Charles Julian with the Houston Fire Department. That final firefighter is in stable condition and is still having some tests run. The other two firefighters are expected to be released from Memorial Hermann Hosptial Friday morning.
Girard worker hurt in flash fire By JOE NOGA A Girard city worker was injured Thursday while working on equipment at an electrical substation in Girard. Ken Bradshaw, power plant supervisor for more than 10 years, was working at a substation near Cherokee and Antelope Streets in Girard when he was injured by a flash fire. Bradshaw was taken to Via Christi Regional Medical Center's Burn Unit by MedFlight where he is listed in fair condition. A report of fair condition usually means that the patient's vital signs are stable and within the normal limits. It also means the patient is conscious but may be uncomfortable and that indicators are favorable. According to Mike West, Girard city manager, around 8:37 a.m. on Thursday, Bradshaw was working at a substation near the intersection of Cherokee and Antelope Streets in Girard while grounding an OCR to perform maintenance on the metering. "Basically, an OCR is a recloser," said West. "It's not a transformer but it is something that comes off the transformer." West said that in the process of grounding the equipment there was a fire flash on the OCR, injuring Bradshaw. "It is usually an arc between that OCR and the ground-grid," West said. Bradshaw was the only person injured at the scene. According to West, emergency crews responded after employees called 911. "One of the persons who was with him ran in and relayed the message to call 911 for medical assistance," West said. "The Girard Fire Department responded first and EMS followed and then he was taken to Girard Hospital." Bradshaw left Girard a short time later and was taken by MedFlight to Via Christi Regional Medical Center. Staff at the burn center said Thursday that Bradshaws burns were not severe and West said that he was taken there as a precautionary measure. No one else was injured in the incident.
UPDATE, Payout in electrocution case By KYLIE STOCKDALE A BABY boy who was born 24 days after his father died in a workplace accident on a poultry farm near El Arish will receive $20,000 from the property owners. Supreme Court judge Justice Kerry Cullinane ruled in Townsville this week that the money be paid to the Public Trustees and kept in an account for Samuel Frank Scarpignato, now three, until he turned 18. Legal documents filed to the Supreme Court show Samuel's father, Antonino Carmelo Angelo Scarpignato, 36, died from an electrical shock on March 13, 1999, after he came in contact with a live electrical wire on a chicken feeding machine at a property owned by Nathan James Mood. Mr Scarpignato was a self-employed excavator operator at the time and ran his business in partnership with his wife, Angelique. After an investigation into Mr Scarpignato's death it was found the incident was caused by negligence from Mr Mood or James Edward Mood. Their failure to maintain electrical equipment in safe condition on the property and provide a safe workplace breached the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995. Parties involved in the incident agreed Mrs Scarpignato and her son relied on Mr Scarpignato for income. A separate financial settlement for Mrs Scarpignato was previously reached between her and the property owners. The involved parties similarly settled on $20,000, being the amount to be paid to Samuel.
UPDATE, Long wait for answers in job death, After 16 months, inquest to probe workplace fatality Frances Barrick Torstar News Service KITCHENER — Sixteen months after Gerald Leader was electrocuted at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Cambridge, Lynn Leader still doesn't know how her former husband died. "I have never, ever heard why he died" from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, which investigated Leader's July 13, 2001, death, his ex-wife said. The 50-year-old Cambridge electrician was working on the plant's welding equipment when he was electrocuted. Leader said ministry officials never contacted her with results of their investigation, and now she has to spend $100 for a copy of their report — which may not be complete if the 11 people interviewed by the ministry don't give permission for Leader to have a copy of their statements. She requested the report in September and still hasn't received it. "I'm angry and frustrated," she said. "The way they (ministry officials) have treated me and my children, it's just terrible," she said. "It's just very insensitive. My kids have lost their father and they still don't know why," said Leader, who has a 15-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. Ministry spokesperson Belinda Sutton said freedom of information legislation prevents her from "divulging any information" about this case. She did say the ministry followed its general procedure of contacting next-of-kin following the completion of an investigation and/or a decision not to lay charges. Leader said she welcomes the news that an inquest into her former husband's death will begin Dec. 9 in Kitchener. Under the Coroner's Act, an inquest is mandatory when a worker dies as a result of a workplace accident.
Utility worker electrocuted SIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES November 5, 2002 SAN DIEGO – A utility worker died of an apparent electrical shock Tuesday while on a maintenance job about 80 feet up a Kearny Mesa transmission tower, authorities said. About 4 p.m., fellow crew members found the man hanging upside-down, suspended by his safety belt, near the top of the power-line support structure off the 6600 block of Convoy Court, according to San Diego police. They managed to lower the man to the ground, aided by arriving firefighters on ladder trucks, a dispatcher said. In about 40 minutes he was on the way to an air ambulance helicopter waiting in a nearby baseball field. Medics worked to revive him at the scene, but the man was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital, SDPD Sgt. Tom Carmody said. Initial reports indicated the electrical lines the worker was servicing were carrying 160,000 volts at the time of the accident, the dispatcher said.
UPDATE, Explosion victim dies By Debra Kahn Staff writer Kurt Tassche, a 41-year-old electrical maintenance worker at the university, died this morning at Washington Hospital Center of injuries sustained in the explosion in the Physics Building on Sunday. A 24-year employee of the university, Tassche lived in College Park with his girlfriend of one year, who described him as "an unassuming redhead" who was a "fabulous electrician." Tassche was working on an electrical panel on the first floor of the building with four others when the explosion occurred, but was the only worker injured. The resulting fire blocked his exit for more than 10 minutes until he was rescued by firefighters and helicoptered to the hospital. He remained unconscious for six days in intensive care until his death. In addition to severe lung damage, exacerbated by the smoke's increased toxicity from the burning insulation, he suffered minor burns and scrapes. Also called "a go-in-and-get-the-job-done guy," Tassche was known for his dedication to his job. "He's that kind of guy where they'd be like 'Of course he's with us,' " said Tassche's girlfriend, Kristen Kamp. The direct cause of the explosion is not yet known; Tassche and the others were working on the panel because it had malfunctioned Oct. 26 after having been upgraded the day before in an attempt to meet the power requirements of the 53-year-old Physics Building. The accident cut off all electricity to the building, disrupting some experiments. The building is still without a permanent source of electricity in some locations, but classes will resume normal schedules Monday. University President C.D. Mote Jr. issued a statement on the university's website Saturday. "Kurt was a long-time, dedicated and skilled employee," Mote said. "He will be missed." Tassche is survived by his mother, who lives in Dunkirk, Md., his father, of Gaithersburg and a sister, who lives in Virginia.
BellSouth Worker Electrocuted Manav Tanneeru 10/30/2002 A BellSouth worker was reportedly electrocuted Wednesday afternoon, suffering burns on over 30 percent of his body. The electrical contractor was hired to do some work at the BellSouth switching station on 60 Oak Street in Roswell, Ga. He reportedly came into contact with a 480 volt electrical panel. He suffered second and third-degree burns on his face and chest. He was LifeFlighted to the Grady Memorial Hospital Burn Center.
Power line sends shock to worker, 2 hurt as boat mast hits high voltage PENOBSCOT - Two men were injured Thursday after the mast on a sailboat they were moving connected with a high-voltage power line just after noon. The two men, employed by Devereux Marine on Route 166, were taken to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Bryan Smith of Bucksport, who is about 18 years old, appeared to have suffered the more severe injury, according to Hancock County Sheriff's Deputy Ken Mitchell. Smith's co-worker, William Stevenson, also of Bucksport, who Mitchell said was in his 30s, was not directly struck when the electrical current surged down the mast and sailboat. Mitchell did not think the injuries were life-threatening to either victim. "It certainly could have been a lot worse," he said. A nursing supervisor at EMMC said late Thursday night that Smith was in fair condition, and Stevenson had been treated and released. Mitchell said Smith was on the ground operating a small custom-built crane at the Devereux boatyard and Stevenson was posted on top of the boat when the mast connected with the 34,500-volt power line. Stevenson had let go of the mast just before it landed on the wires, but Smith was not so fortunate, Mitchell said. He said the electricity surged down the boat and burned through the crane wires and into the controller that was being held by Smith. Smith fell to the ground, with the controller still in hand, Mitchell said. Stevenson jumped off the boat, injuring his foot, as he rushed to help his friend. The LifeFlight helicopter was called to the scene, but turned back without landing at the recommendation of ambulance crews at the scene, Mitchell said. Mitchell said he didn't know why or how the sailboat mast was allowed to come into contact with the power lines. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration arrived at the scene later Thursday afternoon to investigate the workplace accident. A spokesman at the Bangor OSHA office declined to comment on the incident pending further investigation. Attempts to reach the owners of the marine company were unsuccessful. David Allen, spokesman for Central Maine Power Co., which services the Penobscot and Castine area, said the accident knocked out power to 1,600 customers for about two hours. Allen said the company was able to section off the area of the boatyard in order to restore power to all but 750 customers. Power service had been restored to all customers by late afternoon, Allen said. He said that while a typical residential power line carries between 4,000 and 12,000 volts of power, the lines running down Route 166 are high-voltage because they carry electricity for the entire peninsula. According to Mitchell, neighbors near the boatyard heard the accident and ran to the boatyard to help. They called police on cell phones.
Utility worker injured by electrical jolt By Rani Gupta, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer October 29, 2002 LAKE WORTH -- A Lake Worth Utilities Department worker was hospitalized Monday morning after being shocked while working on a power line. William Harrington of Lake Worth was flown to Delray Medical Center after receiving an electric shock while he repaired a power line at the intersection of 12th Avenue South and Pine Street, Utilities Director Patrick Miller said. Officials are investigating the incident to see whether Harrington touched the line or the current jumped to Harrington, which sometimes happens on humid days. Miller said all of Harrington's safety equipment was in place. The accident shut off power in parts of Lake Worth for about 15 minutes, Miller said. Harrington, who remained conscious while being treated by fire-rescue workers, is listed in critical condition.
Electrician burned on job improves The condition of an electrician who suffered severe electrical burns Thursday while working on a building expansion project at The Idaho Statesman has improved. Calvin Miller, who works for Power Plus Co. in Boise, was listed Monday in fair condition at the Intermountain Burn Trauma Center in Salt Lake City. Thursday, Miller was helping move inactive cables at The Statesman for a new elevator when a cable hit a live electrical source and grounded, causing a flash of electricity that burned him.
Worker Is Critically Injured in U-Md. Fire, Physics Building Suffers $250,000 In Damage By Mary Otto, Washington Post Staff Writer An electrical fire on the University of Maryland campus yesterday left one employee critically injured and caused an estimated $250,000 in damage to the John S. Toll Physics Building, authorities said. The fire started shortly before 11 a.m. in an electrical panel in a utility room in the physics building as five electrical services workers were installing a line, Prince George's County Fire and EMS spokesman Mark Brady said. Four of the workers managed to flee the building, but the fifth was trapped, Brady said. "Two university police officers made a valiant attempt to rescue him but were forced back by heat," Brady said. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The officers were able to relay the man's exact location to Prince George's firefighters who arrived on the scene, Brady said. The worker, identified by a university official as Kurt Tassche, 44, was taken to the burn unit at Washington Hospital Center, where he remained in critical condition late yesterday. Three firefighters and a university police officer suffered from smoke inhalation, Brady said. They were transported to a hospital where they were treated and were expected to be released. The process of rescuing the worker and extinguishing the fire, which heavily damaged the first-floor electrical utility room, took about 15 minutes, Brady said. Crews remained on the scene throughout the day, monitoring and ventilating the building. Because the electricity in the entire structure was turned off, fire officials, accompanied by hazardous materials experts and university staff, walked through the lab to check on the safety of experiments that were in progress. "Some experiments, if allowed to overheat, could present a health concern," Brady said. No such problems seemed apparent by midafternoon, said Fred Welsh, chief of College Park Fire Station 12. The scientific validity of some experiments probably was compromised as a result of the power outage, said Physics Department Chairman Jordan Goodman. "Some will lose months of work," he said. But he added, "Someone was badly injured. The other things we'll deal with. We feel for the person who was hurt and his family." The building, still without power, will remain closed today, Goodman said.
Investigators Believe Electrocution Causes Workers Death By Patrick McLendon Fox News At Nine Associate Producer Police are waiting for autopsy results on a man they believe was electrocuted on the job, in east El Paso. Emergency crews were called to Steris Isomedix services, to help 28 year old Willie Garcia. Instigators believe Garcia was working on a control panel when he shocked; he later died at Del Sol Medical Center. The police are investigating Grcia's death, but do believe it was an industrial accident.
Two Workers Injured In Construction Accident Two construction workers suffered burns after one of them accidentally hit a power line with a metal object. Both workers were taken to UMC yesterday. The men were working on a house when the accident happened Friday afternoon. One of the men fell about 20 feet to the ground and suffered third-degree burns to his chest, face and arm. The other man also was burned and went into shock. Power was shut off in the area of West Charleston and Rancho for about a half-hour.
