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View Full Version : Hawkeye lineman badlly burned in accident



topgroove
07-07-2006, 12:39 PM
On June 29 in Pomfret NY a hawkeye apprentice was working with a journeyman replacing porcelain cutouts and aluminium capped I 7's. the apprentice was using a Bernz-O-Matic torch to remove the kerite insulation when he lost controll of the torch.it came in contact with B amd C phases. A flash occurred and a hole was burned in the tank of the torch. The apprentice then dropped the torch into the bottom of the bucket. The apprentice suffered 2nd degree burns to the face and knees. He was transferred by helecopter to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo for treatment. The Incedent is under investigation by hawkeye and National Grid.

loodvig
07-11-2006, 08:44 AM
How's this man doing? OK I hope.

topgroove
07-11-2006, 08:04 PM
Haven't heard much more allthough I believe He was released from the hospital.

BigClive
07-12-2006, 05:25 PM
That's one pretty weird accident. It must be a first.

old lineman
07-12-2006, 09:30 PM
This is a tragic accident because of flammable products in the flash zone. A definite NO, NO.
Since we can use this for education here's another one to steer clear of.
Several years ago we had a line crew doing a bit of line clearing.
These guys had a better idea!
They decided to use a hand held brush cutter.
For those who don't know what it is, it's a weed wacker with a blade instead of nylon line.
Written all over it are warnings NOT to use it where there is a possibility of an electrical contact. Well that's for those other guys who don't know what their doing.
We know what we're doing so let's go. They went through the circuit between the phases and the neutral.
When backing out again they placed the brush cutter in the bucket engine down.
The shaft cross phased the primary and the molten metal dropped into the bucket, hence a raging inferno from the leaking gasoline.
The lineman was burned to death as his partner could do nothing but continue to lower the buckets to the ground.
They arrived too late but before the man died he suffered terribly.
Don't do that, unless you have a death wish.
The Old Lineman

old horseman
07-14-2006, 01:19 PM
I just got the official Safety briefing from a Hawkeye Safety man. The apprentice is doing fine but had to return to the hosipital for some skin grafts on his left knee. 4-6 wks off then he should be able to return to work. JL's please watch your apprentices this should have never happend

loodvig
07-17-2006, 03:56 PM
Years ago there was a story about a telephone splicer who was splicing a large cable. They have, or had at the time, tent like things they would setup if they are going to be there a long time. The tent stays on the cable and you just come up into it from the bottom. Anyway this man had a propane heater in his bucket and something went wrong and it caught on fire! The bucket burnt so bad the man's body fell out the bottom of the bucket! Needless to say the man didn't make it.