PDA

View Full Version : Employee Electrocuted



safetman1
04-02-2007, 11:32 AM
I heard that an employee was electrocuted Saturday, down in So. Florida when a guy wire got into the primary. The employee worked for Utility Lines. Any news?

iceman1
04-02-2007, 10:06 PM
His name was Ricky may god be with his family he did pass away

loodvig
04-03-2007, 11:22 AM
What a shame! It's only April and how many have died this year? What is going on?

US & CA Tramp
04-03-2007, 05:13 PM
What part of South Florida did this accident happen?

fpl759
04-03-2007, 05:24 PM
He worked for Asplundh utilities and we were told that he supposedly didn't have his 20kv gloves on. Thats all we have been told and it happened in West Palm Beach.

loodvig
04-03-2007, 06:52 PM
Asplundh has a utility outfit? I hope it's better than thier tree outfit!

tramp67
04-04-2007, 12:36 AM
Asplundh has a utility outfit? I hope it's better than thier tree outfit!

No, they are even worse!:eek:
My thoughts go out to Ricky's family and friends. Is he from Florida?

20x
04-04-2007, 12:24 PM
he worked for Utility Lines, which is owned by Asplundh. From what I've seen and heard they aren't that bad. Actually have a pretty good safety record. Of course I can't speak for any crews they might have in Alaska.

iceman1
04-04-2007, 06:40 PM
from what i was told he was hanging a temp. guy holding it with left hand(no gloves)boomed up and right shoulder hit the feeder and was in it for 30sec. before it tripped

PA BEN
04-04-2007, 08:38 PM
Again I say where's the cover? Who's watching these guys? Booming up into a phase??? It shouldn't have happened!!!!:confused:

taco
04-04-2007, 09:05 PM
utility lines? i have nothing good to say about them. that outfit is two steps away from being rat. i will be starving and homeless before i work for them again. their office in tolland ct might as well wipe their ass with the saftey book.

Bull Dog
04-04-2007, 10:16 PM
Im dumb dont know what to say anymore. I might have to quit looking on this site too depressing. Samething different day more lives for dollars.

tramp67
04-05-2007, 12:19 AM
he worked for Utility Lines, which is owned by Asplundh. From what I've seen and heard they aren't that bad. Actually have a pretty good safety record. Of course I can't speak for any crews they might have in Alaska.

I worked for Asplundh in Detroit. What a joke that company was. Safety rules? They didn't exist. The big push from the foremen was to find good hiding spots to drink beer.:eek: I'd work rat before working for them again, and I won't ever work rat.

dbrown20
04-05-2007, 12:03 PM
Off the top of my head I can remember 3 other contacts that were almost exactly the same thing. I know 2 were fatalities and I can't remember on the other one. 2 were guy hangers, 1 was a person who was dinging a piece of wire that was added to make a line 3 phase. All were people, in buckets, holding onto a grounded conductor and booming up into a phase. You've got to wear those rubbers! dbrown20

safe_tman
04-05-2007, 03:09 PM
from what i was told he was hanging a temp. guy holding it with left hand(no gloves)boomed up and right shoulder hit the feeder and was in it for 30sec. before it tripped

It get worse, I was told that the feeder was not on a 1 shot and he was in it much longer, It is really tight lipped not much but hear say, the facts are another person is gone and safety procedures where either violated or not practiced. My thoughts and prayers for the family.

42linehand
04-05-2007, 07:09 PM
I don't get what everyone is saying the man was a foreman and he went up in the air to hang a guy wire. He did not have gloves and sleeves on. That is his fault and no one else's. The companies have safety rules in place for a reason. It is up to the men to follow them and for coworkers to speak up if they see a safety violation. I guess the rules need to be changed and we should have a safety guy bird dogging every lineman while they are working, that would make us all happy. As far as safety is concerned I know that Utility Lines in Connecticut has a zero tolerance for safety issues especially if it has to do with gloves sleeves and rubber hoses blankets. Everyone keeps blaming the companies and the foreman that is ridiculous we are all brothers and we need to look out for each other and speak up when we see something that is unsafe.
I guess that if I am up in the air and I don't cover up the neutral and a tap wire falls and comes in contact with the neutral it must be the companies fault. Not mine WHAT PLANET ARE YOU GUYS ON?????????????
The recent deaths and injuries that we keep hearing about on this site could have all been prevented with use of rubber goods ie:gloves sleeves hoses blankets

Orgnizdlbr
04-05-2007, 07:29 PM
It get worse, I was told that the feeder was not on a 1 shot and he was in it much longer, It is really tight lipped not much but hear say, the facts are another person is gone and safety procedures where either violated or not practiced. My thoughts and prayers for the family.

Having the circuit on one shot, while a good practice, isnt really any protection. Especially on a high impedence fault, if the pickup amps are not reached, the relay will never see the fault and the feeder will just stay in and not trip. One shot is not a substitute for good safety practices in any case.

taco
04-05-2007, 08:47 PM
I don't get what everyone is saying the man was a foreman and he went up in the air to hang a guy wire. He did not have gloves and sleeves on. That is his fault and no one else's. The companies have safety rules in place for a reason. It is up to the men to follow them and for coworkers to speak up if they see a safety violation. I guess the rules need to be changed and we should have a safety guy bird dogging every lineman while they are working, that would make us all happy. As far as safety is concerned I know that Utility Lines in Connecticut has a zero tolerance for safety issues especially if it has to do with gloves sleeves and rubber hoses blankets. Everyone keeps blaming the companies and the foreman that is ridiculous we are all brothers and we need to look out for each other and speak up when we see something that is unsafe.
I guess that if I am up in the air and I don't cover up the neutral and a tap wire falls and comes in contact with the neutral it must be the companies fault. Not mine WHAT PLANET ARE YOU GUYS ON?????????????
The recent deaths and injuries that we keep hearing about on this site could have all been prevented with use of rubber goods ie:gloves sleeves hoses blankets


i'm on planet earth, an that little shitty outfit named utility lines is still half rat.

Bull Dog
04-05-2007, 08:54 PM
It dont say he was a forman just that the ashplund forman like to find hidding spots to drink beer on the job. Guess he dont like the company. I wont respond to such questions cause its a waist of time. Three men three careless men is that what your saying? Gee that makes it simple.

KingRat
04-05-2007, 09:21 PM
I don't get what everyone is saying the man was a foreman and he went up in the air to hang a guy wire. He did not have gloves and sleeves on. That is his fault and no one else's. The companies have safety rules in place for a reason. It is up to the men to follow them and for coworkers to speak up if they see a safety violation. I guess the rules need to be changed and we should have a safety guy bird dogging every lineman while they are working, that would make us all happy. As far as safety is concerned I know that Utility Lines in Connecticut has a zero tolerance for safety issues especially if it has to do with gloves sleeves and rubber hoses blankets. Everyone keeps blaming the companies and the foreman that is ridiculous we are all brothers and we need to look out for each other and speak up when we see something that is unsafe.
I guess that if I am up in the air and I don't cover up the neutral and a tap wire falls and comes in contact with the neutral it must be the companies fault. Not mine WHAT PLANET ARE YOU GUYS ON?????????????
The recent deaths and injuries that we keep hearing about on this site could have all been prevented with use of rubber goods ie:gloves sleeves hoses blankets Your wasting your time 42linehand, these guys don't get it- they are the new breed.

20x
04-06-2007, 01:51 PM
Taco, I think you're in the wrong forum, sound like you want "union issues." Are you trying to tell me that union contractors or utility crews never violate a safety rule? Check the history of this forum or just open your eyes.

King Rat and 42 Linehand hit the nail on the head. It seems like everyone wants to blame the company. IT IS UP TO THE WORKER TO FOLLOW THE RULES. The company can not have someone following every crew every minute of every day.

NJlineman55
04-06-2007, 04:29 PM
utility lines? i have nothing good to say about them. that outfit is two steps away from being rat. i will be starving and homeless before i work for them again. their office in tolland ct might as well wipe their ass with the saftey book.

But as far as my experiences working for Utility Lines in Ct they were a pretty safe company. They definitly push a little for production but if anyone cuts corners to make numbers thats their problem, not mine. When I worked with them I gave them an honest day and worked safe and never heard a complaint from anyone there. As far as this fella that died it is very unforntunate but easily could have been prevented by wearing his PPE.

NoName
04-06-2007, 05:11 PM
First let me say that this is a tragedy. Accidents are a terrible thing. Noody goes to work wanting to have an accident.

What I find strange is that not long ago I stated that Linemen take shortcuts. They get away with it 10,000 times. It just takes that 1 time when they didn't and an accident occurs.

Everyone jumped on me about how it was the companies fault. How The company and OSHA always blames the workers.

I said it before. No company wants to have a worker injured or killed. Some companies have better training and safety practices than others but when it comes down to it, I am my own best protection.

There have been times when human error have played a major role in someone elses fatality, but the majority of it is self induced.

I'm glad to see some of you start to stand up and state the obvious. Stop taking shortcuts! Do the job properly! Do not rely on anybody else to keep you safe! The man in the mirror will take you home every night if you trust in him alone!

Now Rusty will get up on his pedestal and say some things that will pretty much go against all of that. It's his business to go after the comapnies that employ these poor people. I'm for getting the families all they can get, but lets stop saying that it is always the companies fault 100%.

We've all been around the block. We have all taken the short cuts. We have gotten away with it. Some have not, and it is not anyone's fault. Poor judgement and a lot of bad timing.

Nobody can ever force you to do anything! Do not be that job scared to risk your life even more than the normal risks we all take due to the nature of the work. If it's unsafe or wrong, SAY NO! Stand up for your family if not for anything else!

Mouse
04-06-2007, 11:25 PM
42Linehand, Noname, Kingrat . . . it is true, the true Journeyman lineman is a dying breed, literally and figuratively. The old lineman(no reference to the very informational and accurate lineman that posts here) is one of integrity, knowledge, and accountability that is not present in todays lineman. The present day lineman looks for a place to position his truck, then looks around for the 4-6 guys that are supposed to to support him, while filling out paperwork and tail boards to kill the day on that one pole. If he cant get his truck to the pole, he writes off the job as unable to complete and sends it back in. Look at the accident last year when the pole tipped over on the Golf course(Halpin, Northeast)...the lineman blamed it on the golf course for not allowing them to drive their over weight line truck on the course!?! They did not fault themselves for not checking the integrity of the utility pole first or securing the pole....as a veteran lineman would do(as the "old lineman" suggested)
The company is faulted for putting inexperienced men into the air too early, when it is the young men who are pushing to get in the air to earn the increased rate of pay. They are not interested in the art, yes I said ART because it is one, of linework. The lineman of today are interested only in the money that is paid to a skilled worker. However, they are not skilled, barely even competent, as lineman and yet are given white tickets as journeyman without a single test because the demand is great and the kids with their bravado feel they are ready. They have so much confidence the "lineman" don't even wear their gloves or harness themselves in for safety. Again, the true lineman is a dying breed, and maybe Rusty will get his way and everything will be done as dead work....then the true lineman can get replaced by a monkey, and get paid with bananas.

scammy
04-06-2007, 11:55 PM
depends on were your at ,,I have been tought by the best lineman in the field ,, over half of my work is in rightofway,,about 80% of my work is done hot ,,,,,I also work 24 by 7 emergancy work ,,,I take test for progression , and have safty meeting s once a week ,,before each job is a tailgate ,I take extreem pride in my work ,,never leaving it bad for the next guy,,,,,,the next guy is useally me, I am tierd of hearing the same old story about how the old lineman walked 5 miles uphill in the snow both ways to school... the work I do now is the same if not more dangerous than before,the power loads have doubled ,,no singlephaze no, 6 copper here with 3 amps on it ,,,,,,go ahead and retire ,,,,,,your lights will stay on ,,scammy

PSE Lineman
04-06-2007, 11:58 PM
OK , I'm gonna rant here. The reason I am pro union is you get 4 years of OJT. You get tested every six months of those 4 years. Then you go to the hall and have the one and only test to get your yellow ticket. (A member) It is mostly safety and transformers. Lets not forget 3 JRY to even sign your card before the test. Once you have all that , you have a ticket that has runny ink. Just like a snot nosed kid! You still don't know much. It is a license to keep learning. You people out there that think you can train for 90 days and call yourselves "lineman" are dreaming. (have a banana on me! , I just loved that one!!) As for gloves and sleeves , I've never even seen pair of sleeves , let alone try them on. The gloves only come out when I'm on the ground or in the 4kv. We also have the 2 foot rule. A lineman needs to be aware of where his body parts are when you are in close proximity to the conductors that are energized. It's something that we need to know along with building and maintaining lines. It has to become an instinct. Like knowing when someone is staring at you. The last accident around here was a guy not wearing his gloves on the ground. The last fatality was in the underground with mis marked cables that had "never been energized". Before that was 2 xfmrs on the same pole and 1 was 480 and the jry couldn't see that the jumper was going to it and he got it on the secondary. That was at least 10 years ago. Bottom line , you have to take care of yourself and stop blaming anyone else for YOUR actions because , you and only you , are in control of them!!!

Bull Dog
04-07-2007, 04:02 PM
Listen the OLD line man woulnt let an apprentice go up a pole and get in the energized zone he would do it himself. No were not a dying breed everywere. We want to retire and think the guys still there will keep the company going safely. Things have canged a lot in the last 5yrs and will change much more in the next five. If companys dont get there head out of the sand and do something this kind of thing will get worse period. Now I have to disagree that the lineman is always at fault if he gets hurt. Depending on several factors the company could be held at fault and have hopefully to pay. To make blanket statements like some of you do and just call names aint gonna help. Leadership is a big factor on how well the copany does on the safety issue. That would be in the field and in the office. Big clive I think made the point very well read his post it hits the nail on the head. Anyone on here want to call him the NEW BREED! I had no man ever hurt on my crew ever and go to a doc and that im most proud of.

jerseyslave
04-07-2007, 05:42 PM
Lets see, the Co. checks signs, chocks, cones, rubber boots, fr clothing, rubber goods dates, paperwork for the day, safety glasses, hard hat, and would not know a unsafe practice in the air.

They just dont know, but will crush you for not adhering to everything else.

I want to retire with everything still attached, but with less people to work with and the pressure to hurry up and get people back in, it seem the Co. is willing to kill me to geturdone...

The time will come soon to take a stand and say I will work safe or not at all and soon be working for another Co.

dbrown20
04-08-2007, 12:06 AM
will ever see the time that Linemen are not electrocuted in this trade. I have worked around many linemen from years ago. I always characterized them as being WW2 or Korea vintage to date them as to their age and experience. Many I worked with had burn scars from primary contacts. I think as voltages have become greater that the possibility of being killed has become greater.

The greatest factor that a lineman can have is awareness. Awareness of the distance between himself and lethal voltage, that sort of becomes a second sense. As good as each person imagines himself to be in this discipline, there is always that once in thirty or forty years that he will be careless for just one moment. Everyone imagines that he is invinceable. If not he would not be able to do the work. On the other hand electricity is more forgiving than most people would admit. I have worked with and around people who were complete klutzes and they still soldiered on and seemed to acompolish the work.

Companies have a mind set that if they create more and more rules that it will become impossible or highly improbable that people will not be hurt or killed. Rules are fine but factoring out the silly ones from the good ones is a formidable task. The silly rules tend to create an attitude of complacancy that causes the worker to be confused as to what is relevant and what is not. Rules should be like laws, with a lot of discussion and thought before a rule is implemented. Even then as we know we are then plagued with stupid laws etc. Same with safety rules.

Training a hand to be safe is a tough task. Until he sees a screw up, most apprentices imagine that this work is pretty simple. I don't think any apprentice makes it through without seeing some screw ups. I have seen apprentices become overly cautious or not cautious enough.

As far as union or non-union, I believe a person will learn enough either way in the manner of linework. Like I said, I believe theory will have to be taught and read and the best chance for that is Union. As far as trying to lessen the dangers, it is just going to be a constant ongoing battle and it will always continue. No, as long as folks hold something lethal at armslength with rubber gloves then there will be fatalities. The best rule is concentration and awareness. Always watch your fellow hand and try and hope he will be diligent in watching you.

I remember being in a bucket with a man one time. We looked down to see the men on the ground just completely grab assing. I remarked to him. You know we could be burned up and they would never notice. Keep that in mind. dbrown20

scammy
04-08-2007, 12:45 AM
well said brown ,,,,,,,scammy

PA BEN
04-08-2007, 08:45 AM
Companies have a mind set that if they create more and more rules that it will become impossible or highly improbable that people will not be hurt or killed. Rules are fine but factoring out the silly ones from the good ones is a formidable task. The silly rules tend to create an attitude of complacancy that causes the worker to be confused as to what is relevant and what is not. Rules should be like laws, with a lot of discussion and thought before a rule is implemented. Even then as we know we are then plagued with stupid laws etc. Same with safety rules.

Always watch your fellow hand and try and hope he will be diligent in watching you.


I remember being in a bucket with a man one time. We looked down to see the men on the ground just completely grab assing. I remarked to him. You know we could be burned up and they would never notice. Keep that in mind. dbrown20

New Boss’s rules

Cones: If I’m in a field and no one is around I have to cone off my truck.

Hand line with meat hook: Meat hook does not have a load rating stamped on it even if it came from the manufacture that way, cut it off use a Becky.

Chain saw: O my god there is gas in that saw, if you get a flash it COULD BE A BOMB!!! We have to use Hydraulic saws, until they come in we can’t use them with in 10ft of any conductor. [secondary & primary] Use a hand saw!!!! This went away when upper management found out the cost of new saws.

Ground the truck when working a street light.

Tons of spec changes, to many to say.

These are just a few changes of too many to write down.

As far as the guys on the ground playing grabass:
The saftey rules state all talk and what ever will stop when men are in the primary zone, If I look down and I'm in the primary and no one is watching, I chew ass.:eek:

42linehand
04-08-2007, 08:54 AM
The time will come soon to take a stand and say I will work safe or not at all and soon be working for another Co. Jersey Slave
If the Company that you guys are working for is unsafe then why the hell are you still their. Their is no reason for any one on this site that are IBEW members to be working in unsafe environments. If you are shame on you. Anyone on this site has the right to speak up about safety issues, whether you are a grunt, apprentice, Lineman, Foreman or General Foreman. I am unaware of any Companies that are working within my Local that are forcing their men to work unsafely. If they are the men on the job should be calling our full time OSHE Safety in the hall who is a Journeyman Lineman and if you are not you are just supporting the unsafe acts.
If someone is forcing you to work unsafe than I think it is time to drag to a new job. Being a Union Lineman has its benefits and working safely is the main one for me.

Stinger
04-08-2007, 09:30 AM
I see a lot of good conversation and points here. I think dBrown said it pretty good. One of union meeting our BA and Apprentice trainer told us at the present time our wash out rate for apprentices was 65%. The main reason was that lineman were stepping up the plate and giving honest evaluations of the apprentices for their own good and the good of the union so we are not giving tickets to klunks who have no business in this trade. Reading and passing a test is one thing, actual job preformance is another. You know when some of us were young, we were trained by a seasoned old lineman who could give a shit less if he hurt our feelings as long as we were learing both good safe work ethics and the knowledge they were passing onto us. Today we have to listen to some college puke who has a degee in basket weaving about our sensetivity in the way we deal with apprentices because we hurt their feelings some how because they just weren't getting it.

duckhunter
04-09-2007, 08:25 AM
If you know the hazzards, know the rules, have the right equipment but choose to do it the wrong way, it is not an accident. It is a choice.

"When the gates are down, the lights are flashing and the whistle is screaming in vain. If you stay on the tracks, avoiding the facts, you can't blame the wreck on the train".

Bull Dog
04-09-2007, 02:55 PM
The company has the responsability for safety and is finally at fault for every accident. Its in the union contracts everyone of them. While ago the companys started to claim cause they hired a contractor they didnt have to worry about safety on there property. That was thrown out buy the courts. The company is responsible even for the contractors they hire. If you work nonunion then the company cares even less. Now a days they make contractors carry big insurance before they hire them. That is how they cover there butt. Hope this helps.

NoName
04-09-2007, 08:17 PM
is at fault HOW, when the employee does not follow safety rules when he was injured? For not being there to baby sit him or his crew every second of the work day?

You claim it is always the companies fault. Did that lineman go through his entire apprenticeship in that company? Not realistically. He probably spent many years going from outfit to outfit and being trained by many journeymen over the years. Are they at fault?

What is at fault is the mentality that the company owes you something other than a paycheck, and the tools required to perform the job safely. OSHA puts out the minimum standards for safety. It is apparent that those guidelines aren't being followed either. Does OSHA need to babysit too?

There are basic rules in this industry. You follow them and you go home every night.

Trust only yourself, nobody else

If it is not properly grounded using Equipotential Procedures, DO NOT CONTACT IT! Not without gloves, sleeves and rubber coverup or liveline tools.

NO SHORTCUTS. EVER!!!!!!!!

Know what you are dealing with. If you don't DO NOT DO IT!

Quite doing things that will kill you for money or fear of losing your job. Man up and take a stance to protect your own life. Stop blaming everyone else.

I do admit there is an amount of accidents caused by negligance of others, but if you follow the rules it is very limited.

This is not a complete synopsis of the rules. Please don't jump on me for ommitting a vast amount of information. this isn't the linemans and cablemans handbook.

duckhunter
04-10-2007, 07:25 AM
Bulldog is right that it is always the company's responsibility. That is not the same as it being the company's fault. The fault is the person who made the wrong choice, but OSHA will always hold the company liable. The exception is when a company can prove that they hold their employees responsible. This means you train and document, supervise and document, discipline (if appropriate) and document.

woody
04-16-2007, 10:11 PM
More Load...MORE SAFETY...ALWAYS...work it hot or kill it... that's always interesting also. Yeah agree with most points made...except pselineman. He doesn't do the actual work on the property...so kmlma...you guys do the switching and also determine if a crew is nessecary or not. Everybody is in a situation bad thing to happen. Always love it when it comes from somebody that allows linecrews to do THEIR SWITCHING for THEM. KMASWFS...woody

77liner
04-21-2007, 12:55 PM
Whats your point Woody? Sounds to me that you want a job like pse has.

PSE Lineman
04-22-2007, 10:47 AM
Yeah Woody , what is your point? This was about a man being killed. Now you make it about you? So what if I don't do the same work you do. I used to do it. Still can. About the switching. We do switching when we are directed. You do switching when directed. Am I missing something? And the stuttering , kma? Why don't you spell it out? Why do you want to bad mouth? Is that all you know how to do? Can't we all just get along here?

Genoin NW
04-23-2007, 11:39 AM
My prayers to the family....

Now for the ass chewing.... I too have read too many accidents and deaths on this site. Something has to change! I have 30 years in this trade with 10 of them as a foreman. I have worked for three large utilities and spent two years on construction. I have worked for great supervisors and some real assholes. NOT ONCE have they asked me to take short cuts on the job site for the sake of production. Each company has given me the best of protection devices and plenty of it with the proper number of workers to do the job. It is up to all of us to work safe, to make sure we and our brothers go home each night in one piece. Safety is us... not the office! We decide what we do... not them!
Get rid of the macho shit and get safe! We all go through extensive training in our apprenticeships with safety, work proceedures, and ethics. Where is that training going? Where are your rubber gloves? your rubber blankets? hard cover? In the truck bin? It does no good in there guys!!! If you're in the air... call for it even if it is for two seconds of protection! These deaths are not accidents anymore, it is death by stupidy. Only we can change it.

Be safe guys