3 contractors injured when lift comes near power lines during a roofing job

[Fred B]

3 contractor receive severe shock when lift comes near power lines. The damage appears goes beyond the burns received by the contractors.

Three men remained hospitalized after lift truck touches power lines

Utica, N.Y.-- Joseph Vittone described the scene he arrived to in front of his business on Kossuth Ave one way:

www.wktv.com

 

[Sahib]

What are NEC/ NESC code violations that resulted in the accident here?

 

[SSDriver]

What are NEC/ NESC code violations that resulted in the accident here?

I know OSHA requires 10' of separation from powerlines when using an Arial lift. Not sure what these guys were working on. That being said certain work is not possible to do with that restriction sometimes.

 

[zbang]

Is that a solid 10'? IIRC it's 6' minimum for scaffolding and 9' for moving lifts from 12kv lines (that's the list time I needed to check).

 

[SSDriver]

Is that a solid 10'? IIRC it's 6' minimum for scaffolding and 9' for moving lifts from 12kv lines (that's the list time I needed to check).

Per this OSHA flyer (not sure how accurate this still is) it just says 10'. IIRC it's different distances for ladders or scaffolding based off of the power line voltage. Either way the picture in the article had the lift inbetween the lines. Maybe they have more strict distances because it's a powered machine and it's easier to make a mistake and hit the lines if too close? Thankfully these guys survived.

 

[Chamuit]

Probably this section?

1926.1408 - Power line safety (up to 350 kV)--equipment operations. | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

www.osha.gov

 

[Sahib]

Thanks SSDriver. The following lines from the rreport may also need clarification from codes point of view:
....That wasn't the end of the damage caused by the bolt.

"So, it just got worse, it blew a hole into the ground and I thought that was the worst of it and the guys they took them to a hospital and this machine was fried so it was stuck here and I thought it was the end of it," he said. "Then I wake up and we have a swimming pool in our basement and apparently the bolt that hit the ground cracked the pipe that was going into the building also, we didn't know ....."

 

[Chamuit]

For your flyer @SSDriver

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/aerial_lifts.pdf

 

[Chamuit]

They weren't using a spotter either from the report.

 

[gadfly56]

I was going to say that sometimes it may be difficult to gauge exactly where 10 feet is, but the story says they got within 6 inches of the power line before it arced. They are very lucky to be alive.

 

[drcampbell]

... Thankfully these guys survived.

It's not over 'til it's over. If their emergency room docs aren't familiar with electrical trauma and electroporation, they may be leaving the hospital feet-first on Day Four.

 

[zbang]

I have an interest in distance as I part-time manage a small building with 12kv lines down the two street sides of it. Makes getting material to the roof a bit of a bother.

 

[gadfly56]

It's not over 'til it's over. If their emergency room docs aren't familiar with electrical trauma and electroporation, they may be leaving the hospital feet-first on Day Four.

Is this something like dry drowning? A delayed symptom?

 

[drcampbell]

If I understand correctly, (not guaranteed) a substantial electric shock punches holes in your cell walls. It becomes impossible to maintain electrolyte balance, and you end up poisoning yourself. In most cases, nobody's looking at your liver enzymes because you're injured, not sick, and apparently getting better, at least until the moment of sudden death. And if nobody looking in on you has any specialist knowledge of electrical trauma, they won't know to prevent it.

 

[Sahib]

High voltage injuries are mostly arc flash injuries, internal organs may be spared.

 

[zbang]

Citation, please.

 

[hillbilly1]

View attachment 2564180


Per this OSHA flyer (not sure how accurate this still is) it just says 10'. IIRC it's different distances for ladders or scaffolding based off of the power line voltage. Either way the picture in the article had the lift inbetween the lines. Maybe they have more strict distances because it's a powered machine and it's easier to make a mistake and hit the lines if too close? Thankfully these guys survived.

I don’t know if they ever fixed it, but at one time 70e said to add 1” for every 10,000 volts over that. I think they meant 1’. Pointed it out to the instructor. ( It was a course actually given by the NFPA)

 

[Fred B]

I know a couple of old lineman that got hard hits, both had long term residual effects from the hard shocks, mostly neurological effects long after initial recovery.

They weren't using a spotter either from the report.

There was a ground guy but seems totally untrained. When the incident occurred he went to move the vehicle from the ground controls and he too got severely shocked according other reports. Seems if it was a single arc event and not a direct contact it wouldn't had an ongoing effect to the ground man. How long will it normally take to short the xfer breaker on a 27K line?

 

[hillbilly1]

Down here, it’s real easy to get the poco to sleeve the lines if you have to work close to them. Usually the contractor is in a hurry or lazy to not have them do it. Could have saved several injuries in this instance.

 

[gadfly56]

Down here, it’s real easy to get the poco to sleeve the lines if you have to work close to them. Usually the contractor is in a hurry or lazy to not have them do it. Could have saved several injuries in this instance.

Or ignorant. You may not know until the first time you find yourself in that situation. I'm doubtful anyone's trying to see how close they can get to the overhead cables to see what happens. I don't know if anyone makes a non-conducting lift suitable for what the crew was trying to do.