1. Electrical Shock (Injury)
What Happened?
September 11, 2017
Electrical Shock (Injury)
Sharing our stories and the lessons learned and the actions taken to prevent it from happening again.
Approved for release: October 2017

2. Conditions Activity Date, Time, Day Weather
Installing URD in ditch as part of work plan; would have to cross a wind tower circuit.
Date, Time, Day
September 11, approximately :45 AM on a Monday
Weather
Normal day – a little hot and humid

3. Conditions, continued Terrain Road conditions Other conditions
Working on small incline; other side of county ditch was steep but not a factor
Road conditions
Good and dry
Other conditions
Slight breeze, quiet machine noise

4. Shows landscape
Red marking indicating wind tower circuit that had been marked.
Note – this picture taken after incident for position of plow

5. Employees Involved Experience and employment status
Crew lead – 26 years with co-op; 2 years as lead
Journeyman – 13 years with co-op
Journeyman – 5 years with co-op (contact victim = Employee A)
Apprentice – 1 year with co-op

6. Employees Involved Time on job Job Briefing Held/documented
First job of the day
Job Briefing Held/documented
Verbal job briefing conducted; form available but not used that day
Others on scene
No other people on scene

7. Equipment and Tools Equipment and condition Vehicles
Vermeer cable plow in average condition
Backhoe
Vehicles
2 bucket trucks
1 digger truck
1 flatbed truck

8. PPE and Safety Items PPE Signage Cover-up
Hard hat, Safety glasses, High-vis/FR clothing
Signage
Signs were present on road
Cover-up
Would not be part of this job

9. Description of Scene
Crew was plowing in cable for replacing OH to URD in ROW. They would be parallel to a wind tower circuit and it would be crossed at some point. This circuit had been flagged and trenched in and were confident of its location.

10. Earth View

11. Wind tower site
Where lines would cross
Wind tower circuit
Co-op line being plowed in
Pedestal being installed 430 feet from intersection of lines

12. 4 crew members working near trench; Employee A was back at pedestal working which was 430 feet away from plow/crew.
Plow ended in this position
30 ft long trench
Backhoe
Employee A terminating at pedestal N
Green line is wind tower circuit
Red line is co-op

13. The Story
Plow operator was plowing in cable approximately 6 to 10 feet to the east of the wind tower circuit.
When he got to the point it would cross, they dug it open with backhoe and then hand dug to expose the wind tower circuit.
3O 4/0 345 mil stranded aluminum 34,500 volts with 1 communication wire and a 4/0 ground wire

14. Operator of plow will straddle trench and drive in this direction
The Story
Crew decided to lay cable over wind tower circuit and would have about 1 foot of clearance. Plow operator began to drive over open trench.
Backhoe
Employee
Employee
Plow
Not to scale
Operator of plow will straddle trench and drive in this direction

15. The Story
As plow operator is driving over trench, the east side gives way (to his right) and it tilts the plow to the right, down and back. He briefly pauses and then starts to drive out of it by going forward. But, the plow sabre was still in the lower position. As he is trying to drive out of it, the sabre snags the top two lines of the wind tower circuit, cutting them.

16. The Story
The crew hears a loud “Uuummmmfffff”. They then look to the south where the other crew member is working in the URD pedestal and see him standing up and looking like “what happened!” They rush down there and he is now standing by his truck in a daze and wondering if he got shocked.

17. Two lines of wind tower circuit cut

18. Bent other line
Ground wire
also present in trench and did not get snagged; remained in place

19. He was getting ready to terminate this line and was holding it in his left hand.
He thinks his right elbow was touching the cabinet.
He felt the shock in his right arm.

20. The Story
Crew not sure what has happened and called Line Supt. They are told to bring him to the co-op right away. Crew Lead and Employee A get into truck and head to co-op. As soon as they get to the co-op, they take him to the emergency room. His right arm is starting to feel tight with intense pain.

21. The Story
While waiting for help, he has more discomfort. Shoulder is starting to hurt now and he is feeling tightness in his chest. No burn marks on body. The emergency room is in contact with HCMC (burn center) and they advise to watch his symptoms but he does not need to be transported. Returns to work within 2 days.

22. The Story
Back at scene, line supt and remaining crew are conducting investigation. Pictures were taken, line was inspected, cable plow inspected, pedestal was inspected.
No burn marks on any items.
What caused injury?
Induction?

23. The Story Routine work? Procedure available?
This was routine work and being done as part of a normal work day.
Procedure available?
Staking sheet had instructions on it.

24. The Story Key decisions made Safety precautions taken
To plow over an open trench (although this was a common practice)
Safety precautions taken
Termination pedestal where Employee A was working was grounded on source side. Load side was being plowed in so not grounded.

25. Getting Help Mayday? Ambulance? Helicopter? Law enforcement?
Not used; phone call made via cell phone to line supt’s cell phone.
Ambulance?
Not used – employee transported in truck
Helicopter?
Did not need
Law enforcement?

26. OSHA Results Was OSHA called?
This incident did not meet the criteria for reporting to OSHA since employee was not admitted to a hospital .

27. What Went Well Describe the things that went well.
Employees remained calm.
Line Supt notified right away.
Photographs taken at scene to capture incident.
Open discussion of incident at co-op.

28. Lessons Learned
Realization that an emergency had occurred did not sink in right away; employee did not want to go to emergency room.
Although it had been a common practice to drive over trench, the hazard of a cave-in was not viewed as a risk.

29. Moving Safety Forward
To prevent cave-ins, for all line crossings that are exposed, the equipment will be “pulled up” and the plow will be driven around the facility crossing.
When plowing along an energized line, no one will be working on the cable being installed.

30. Moving Safety Forward
911 will be called from the scene and actions will take place per their direction.
Job briefings will be documented and signed by all employees.

31. Now that you know, what will you do?