Electrical injuries from power line accidents remain to be a dangerous risk across various industries. Without proper equipment or safety procedures, workers are at risk for electrical shock, severe burns, or even death.
Below are a few scenarios that occurred due to contact with overhead power lines this year. We also give some tips to avoid these electrical hazards.
Direct contact isn’t the only way workers are at risk on-site. The rise of power line accidents occurring due to the vicinity of the equipment to the line’s electrical charge continues to rise.
In a recent power line accident in Washington, two workers received electrical burns due to the proximity of their equipment to the overhead power line. The electrical current arced to the nearby metal railing of the lift passed through the frame into the ground where the two workers were standing. The two men survived the encounter.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for another worker for a solar panel installation company that was involved in a power line accident in March 2020. The construction worker was operating from a boom lift when he made direct contact with an overhead power line which burned a quarter of his body.
In April 2020, an employee of a pumping company was operating an excavator at a construction site. The excavator contacted an overhead power line, and the employee sustained electric shock and was killed.
In March 2020, a construction employee was working on the renovation of a two-story building. While working on the roof and using a steel tape measure, the wind blew and extended the tape measure into an overhead power line that was transmitting 19,920 volts of electricity. After an electric arc occurred, the worker fell from the roof and was killed.
In the same month, a construction employee was working on the third story of a commercial renovation. While installing gutters, he made contact with an overhead power line, causing him to fall three stories.
Power line accidents can occur due to various circumstances such as the need to observe multiple targets at the same site, reduced visibility due to weather or environmental landscape, or worker complacency. However, these accidents remain a serious risk and precautions can and should be taken to avoid them. There is never a reason to delay keeping your employees safe on the job site.
Without proper safety strategies intact, companies are at risk of electrical accidents and OSHA violations. There are a few strategies that companies can invest in to keep their workers safe.
They should ensure that workers receive proper training and understanding of on-site safety measures. For example, training on working near high-voltage electrical lines or how to deal with downed power lines.
Workers and construction managers need to practice and promote safe behaviors that minimize the risk of electrical accidents. In particular, a great way of preventing such instances is investing in technology that can take on-site safety to the next level. Proximity alarms are a great tool to add to any heavy equipment. These devices will alert workers if their equipment is too close to any overhead power lines.
For decades, Sigalarm has proven that installing proximity alarms is a great way to prevent power line accidents. Sigalarm is proud to be the world leader in power line proximity alarms, keeping workers safe on the job.
We work with various companies and industries to provide the necessary equipment to save lives. We are proud to be a community that prioritizes life and safety. Contact us for more information on how we can keep you safe on the job.
