INTERSTATE POWER COMPANY, WINNEBAGO DISTRICT

ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH OVERHEAD POWER LINE

AN EMPLOYEE WAS WORKING FROM THE BUCKET OF AN INSULATED AERIAL LIFT. NEW TRIPLEX CABLE HAD BEEN STRUNG OUT AT GROUND LEVEL AND WAS TO BE RAISED AND DEAD-ENDED A T A WOODEN POLE. THE DEAD-END ATTACHMENT POINT WAS LOCATED 4.5 FEET BELOW A SING LE ENERGIZED, 4160-VOLT OVERHEAD POWER LINE. THE ENERGIZED LINE WAS MOUNTED ON A N ALLEY ARM WHICH WAS OFFSET 66 INCHES TO THE WEST OF THE POLE CENTER LINE. THE EXISTING SECONDARY LINES HAD BEEN DEENERGIZED. THE EMPLOYEE WORE LEATHER GLOVES BUT NOT INSULATED RUBBER GLOVES. PREPARING TO RAISE AND DEAD-END THE TRIPLEX CAB LE TO THE POLE, THE EMPLOYEE OPERATED THE BUCKET CONTROLS WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AN D HELD THE TRIPLEX CABLE IN HIS LEFT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE TRIPLEX CABLE A ROUND SOME EVERGREEN BRANCHES WHICH EXTENDED TO THE WEST OF THE POLE, THE EMPLOY EE RAISED THE BUCKET, BRINGING THE BACK OF HIS RIGHT SHOULDER IN CONTACT WITH TH E ENERGIZED LINE. THE TRIPLEX CABLE, HELD IN HIS LEFT HAND, PROVIDED THE PATH TO GROUND AS THE OPPOSITE END OF THE TRIPLE CABLE WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE EARTH. T HE TRIPLEX CABLE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AN EXISTING SECONDARY NEUTRA L CONDUCTOR OR A CABLE TELEVISON MAIN LINE. ATTEMPTS AT CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCI TATION WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE EMPLOYEE DIED AS A RESULT OF THE ELECTRIC SHOC K.