Cable Installer Electrocuted

A cable television installer was working from an aerial lift bucket as he strung wires for television cable. He was using a saw to cut tree branches which were in the way. As he elevated the bucket to reach more branches, his head touched a 7,620 volt line. A co-worker saw the victim fall over, so he lowered the bucket. With the help of a police officer he attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but the victim did not survive.

When investigators looked at the conditions and events leading up to this fatal incident, they found no written record of safety training for this employee. Nor was the worker adequately protected by clothing or equipment. He was wearing a baseball cap instead of a non-conductive hardhat. He was not wearing a safety harness and lanyard to stop a fall. The aerial lift was not designed for work near power lines and it was being operated improperly within the 10 foot clearance.