A man working from a spider lift died yesterday after the boom of his machine came too close to overhead power lines near Reading, Pennsylvania.
The man, 31, employed by locally based New Castle Lawn & Landscape, had, we understand, been trimming a large Leylandii hedge in Exeter Township on the east side of Reading yesterday morning.
The lift was jacked free of the delivery truck and was working on a large hedge
Emergency crews arrived on the scene within half an hour of the call being placed, but were unable to save him. After the power was fully disconnected, he was declared dead at the scene.
OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) was notified and sent an investigator to assist with the investigation.
The local utility cut power to homes in the immediate vicinity
The company has issued and published a statement which says: “It is with extreme sadness that we share that we lost a dear member of our New Castle Lawn & Landscape family in a tragic accident.”
“Since our founding in 1994, New Castle has been more than a company, we are a family. The people who make up this organisation are its heart, and today we feel that deeply. We are holding space for grief, for one another, and for those closest to this individual as we all navigate this incredibly difficult time.”
“We are grateful for the compassion extended to our team by our clients and community, and we ask for continued thoughts and prayers for all those who knew and loved this person.”
“We will be closed on Thursday, June 11th. We appreciate your understanding during this time.”
Vertikal Comment
This is an absolutely tragic incident on so many levels. New Castle seems like a first class medium sized family company that does things properly. It has invested in a wide range of equipment in order to make the work it does safer and more efficient. So this incident will have hit the company’s team members very hard.
In a way, it shows that incidents like this don’t just happen to the sloppier companies. Good, well run companies that are careful how they do things can also be struck. It emphasises how important persistent and ongoing safety training is.
This is at least the ninth electrocution in the USA this year involving an aerial work platform that we know of. You can be sure there have been more.
The problem is that with so many overhead power lines, it is inevitable that people work in close proximity. Theoretically, if you cannot maintain the safe distances recommended by associations like IPAF and the EWPA, then you should ask for the power to be cut. If you have ever tried it, you will know how challenging that is.
Another alternative is to use fully insulated platforms and for staff to be specifically trained to work with power lines. Again, costly and challenging.
It is a damn shame that practical, affordable devices to warn operators before they get close enough for the power to arc are not widely available.
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Comments
bhancock4
I made this account solely to say thank you for the kind words about my husband’s company. He was the victim’s supervisor. We, along with entire company, are grieving the loss of him. Safety is always his absolute top priority. Many comments have been made assuming the opposite, or assuming the company cut corners. There is a mountain of self blame many of the employees of New Castle are trying to navigate even though we know this was a tragic accident. These are the comments that help them navigate these times. Thank you.
bhancock4
I made this account solely to say thank you for the kind words about my husband’s company. He was the victim’s supervisor. We, along with entire company, are grieving the loss of him. Safety is always his absolute top priority. Many comments have been made assuming the opposite, or assuming the company cut corners. There is a mountain of self blame many of the employees of New Castle are trying to navigate even though we know this was a tragic accident. These are the comments that help them navigate these times. Thank you.