14.11.2007

Another electrocution

A man working from an aerial work platform was burned severely today in Sacramento, California after he came into contact with high voltage overhead power lines as he was trying to untangle balloons from them.

The injured man and a colleague work for a private contractor and had set their lift up in front of the Restaurant Depot on Vine Street, Sacramento in order to remove the string of balloons, when he was severely shocked.

Firefighters rushed to the scene and found the man conscious, but with severe burns to his arm and body. He was taken to a regional hospital for treatment.

Vertikal Comment

There way too many electrocution accidents both with cranes and platforms. This in spite of the fact that all of the relevant training courses stress the need to maintain a safe distance from overhead power lines.

In this case one has to assume that the contractor was selected for his ability to work on or near overhead power lines, surely either the contractor or the eventual client understood the risks associated with this work?

How is it that so many accidents like this occur with aerial lifts and power lines? Given that a large number of the incidents involve truck mounted lifts equipped with 1KV fibreglass baskets, one wonders if the users believe that they are thus equipped to work with any power line?

Perhaps the standard IPAF course needs to do a little more than simply state the recommended distances to keep between the lift and power lines?