Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report for New Jersey: Drill Operator and Mechanic Electrocuted After Contacting a 7,200 Volt Overhead Power Line With a Drill Rig Boom, FACE-91-NJ-012.

摘要

On July 30, 1991, a 45-year-old male drill operator and a 58-year-old male shop mechanic were electrocuted when their drill rig boom made contact with a 7,200 volt overhead power line. The incident occurred while the two men were moving a drill rig away from the side of a road where they had been drilling test bores. The workers were apparently moving the raised boom of the rig when it contacted the power line, electrocuting the rig operator. The second worker was simultaneously electrocuted while holding a steel-reinforced air hose attached to the drill rig. NJDOH FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future, the following safety guidelines should be followed: (1) A minimum clearance of 10 feet must be maintained between equipment and energized lines to prevent inadvertent contact. (2) Employers should ensure that employees are properly trained in the safe operation of equipment and that company safety procedures are followed at all times. (3) Drilling equipment should be posted with signs warning of contact with overhead power lines.