Electrical and Arc Flash Safety » Boom-Crane Electrical Incidents

UK Firm Fined £30,000 After Two Workers Suffer Burns From Electrical Incident

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:18:23 +0000

A firm in the UK was ordered by the Health and Safety Executive to pay £30,000 after two workers were burned in an electrical incident. The workers were electrocuted while working on a dockside crane. A maintenance worker was asked to investigate a power failure on the crane even though he was not a trained electrician. The maintenance worker enlisted the help of three electricians. All four workers thought that the crane was a low voltage crane and had not been given any information otherwise. Two of the men suffered burns, one with severe burns to his face and hands and the other with minor burns to his face. The investigation found that the men wrongly thought that only 415V were running through the junction box. A 6600V surge severely burned the maintenance man.

The investigation also determined a lack of adequate training and a lack of sufficient information provided about the electrical supplies to the dockside cranes.

Click here to read about dockside electrical incident

25-Year-Old Man Electrocuted in Tree Triming Accident

Hugh Hoagland — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:28:07 +0000

A 25 year old Colorado man was electrocuted while trimming trees when the arm of his bucket came into contact with a high-voltage line. The man was found unconscious in his bucket and was unable to be revived. It appears the line slid under the bucket and came into contact with the arm. OSHA is investigating.

Click here to read more about the electrocution in Colorado

Illinois Man Electocuted While Painting Barn

Hugh Hoagland — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:27:28 +0000

The 20-year-old man was electrocuted when the bucket he was using to paint a barn came into contact with an overhead electrical wire. He was flown to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. An investigation of the incident is pending.

Click here to read more about Illinois electrocution

North Carolina Man Receives Severe Electric Shock

Hugh Hoagland — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:27:02 +0000

A worker who was using a boom truck to position a sign was severely shocked in Charlotte, NC. The truck accidentally came in contact with power lines causing the operator of the truck to receive an electric shock. The victim was transported to the hospital with Life-threatening injuries.

Click here to read more about electrical shock injury in NC

Ontario company fined $81K following electrical shock incident

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 03:41:18 +0000

An Ontario Canada company was fined a total of $81K following a serious accident that occurred in 2009. A worker was seriously hurt and underwent an amputation after coming in contact with a crane’s hook and receiving an electrical shock.

Click here to read more about Ontario electrical shock incident

Two Farm Workers in Edmonton, Alberta Fatally Electrocuted. Farm Workers Not Covered by Workplace Legislation in Alberta.

Hugh Hoagland — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:34:07 +0000

Two farm workers in Edmonton, Alberta were fatally electrocuted after the grain auger they were transporting came in contact with an overhead power-line. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) responded to the accident but left without conducting a full investigation as farms ate not covered under Alberta’s workplace safety laws. Alberta is the only Canadian province that does not have workplace legislation to cover farm workers. This is a common incident and farm workers like all workers need to understand the hazards of powerlines.

Click here to read more about Edmonton farming electrocution

One Masonry Contractor Killed, Another Receives Shocks and Burns Concrete Pumper in Powerline

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:36:48 +0000

A masonry contractor was killed and another received a massive electrical shock and burn while spreading concrete behind a concrete pumper boom truck. One employee was moving the hose to direct the flow of concrete when the boom of the pumper truck came in contact with the overhead line carrying 7,620 volts. The employee received a fatal electric shock. The second worker received a massive shock and burns when the first employee fell on him.

The employer was cited by OSHA for not educating the employees on recognizing and avoiding unsafe conditions and for operating the equipment within 10 feet of an energized electrical, ungrounded transmission line rated 50 kV or less and for not erecting insulating barriers.

Click here to read more about the masonry accident and OSHA citations

Man badly burned in electrical accident awaiting face transplant

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:38:57 +0000

A contractor who sustained horrific burns two years ago when the boom he was operating made contact with electrical wires, has been approved as a candidate to receive a face transplant. The accident left the victim blind, with no sense of smell, no lips and no teeth. Although he has undergone 22 surgeries, but still needs a face transplant.

Click here to read more about victim of electrical burn preparing for face transplant

26 year-old fatally electrocuted while on construction job

Hugh Hoagland — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:42:15 +0000

A 26 year old man was fatally electrocuted while working on a project for Norfolk-based Lake Erie Construction company in June, 2010. He was removing old guardrail posts when he came in contact with a boom truck that touched a live power line. Four months later, OSHA continues to investigate whether the company violated safety standards that may have contributed to his death and the investigation could take up to six months to complete. The field investigation is complete, but the case continues to be under review.

Click here to read more about the fatal electrical accident