Fatal Accident Circumstances and Epidemiology (FACE) Report: Truck DriverElectrocuted After Contacting an Energized Dump Truck in South Carolina, August 7, 1989

摘要

The case of the electrocution of a 62 year old male truck driver was examined.The man was electrocuted while touching a dump truck that became energized. The employer was a manufacturer of ready mix concrete and septic tanks. The company employed 14 workers, and had written safety rules and procedures. The company had been contracted to provide a 1000 gallon septic tank and the gravel needed for the drain field for the septic system to be installed behind a small shopping plaza in a rural area. At the time of the accident the tank had been installed and gravel was being transported to the site for the drain field. The victim arrived on site with a 20 foot long dump bed tractor/trailer filled with 26.5 tons of gravel. He positioned the tractor/trailer underneath one phase of a 7,200 volt, three phase powerline which was about 20 feet above the ground. While standing on the ground, the victim operated the lever raising the 20 foot bed to its maximum height and inadvertently into contact with the powerline. Current flowed through the truck to the ground; the driver was in contact with the lever, and was electrocuted. It was recommended that a jobsite survey be made before starting any work to identify potential hazards and plan appropriate control measures. The local utility company should be contacted to deenergize or insulate the powerlines.