12.03.2014

Crane operator electrocuted

A loader crane operator was electrocuted and two others seriously injured while replacing telephone poles in wet conditions in Lusikisiki, Western Cape, South Africa on Sunday.

The three men were replacing wooden telephone poles with concrete ones for Telkom, when the incident occurred. The deceased man, 45, died when one of the concrete poles and lifting chains came into contact with an adjacent 22kV Eskom overhead powerline.
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The men were replacing wooden telephone poles with Concrete

The two injured men were holding each end of the wet concrete pole and were thrown by the shock, which knocked them unconscious. The operator was controlling the loader crane from the back of the truck and died almost instantly.

We understand that the men were employed by sub-contractor Biz Africa, which has the contract to replace Telkom’s wooden poles along the “fibre route” between Lusikisiki and Port St Johns, in order to overcome problems caused by people stealing the wooden poles to build houses.