Utility worker dies of injuries

[CPOPE]

http://www.omaha.com/article/2012061...01/120619881/0
HAZARD, Neb. (AP) — A utility worker has died after being injured in a fall while working on a power line northeast of Hazard in central Nebraska.

Sherman County Attorney Mark Eurek said Tuesday that Kurt Keaschall died at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

Keaschall, of Pleasanton, was taken to the hospital June 6.

Dawson Public Power District general manager Robert Heinz reported last week that Keaschall was working in a utility truck bucket when it broke away from its boom. Keaschall fell an estimated 25 feet.

The 46-year-old Keaschall had worked 26 years for the district.

An investigation was continuing. Eurek said there would not be an autopsy.

[duckhunter]

It will be interesting to hear what the heck happened here. Wondering what make and model, and where the lanyard tied to the boom?

Certainly tragic.

[bren guzzi]

Except for the Grace of God.... Could have been any of us.

As DH says would like to know make model of truck. "And also how old it was.......

Thoughts to his loved ones.....

[rob8210]

My condolences and those of my fellow workers go out to his friend and family.

[thrasher]

Condolences to his family, friends and co-workers. A shame to hear of this.

[old lineman]

So sorry for him and his family.
I trust that we're talking about a bucket that parted from the boom. We all know that wearing fall protection is a must and is the law, so what happened?
His attachment point must have parted too. The attachment point has to be independant from the bucket and attached directly to the boom via metallic means.
Wierd.
Obviously we need more info.
The Old Lineman.

[gumbo]

Some buckets, Altecs that swivel come to mind, the lanyard attachment is actually on the bucket-not the boom. Does no good to argue with the safety men.....it's the design, who cares if it is a bad one.

[Bighorn Ape]

all of our new buckets are altec with rotating buckets and they all attach to the bucket. makes no sense..

[Divemaster]

At our safety meeting last week, our Safety Director informed us on the accident since the Omaha World Herald didn't say diddley. Apparently, he was in the process of wrecking out old lines. He came down, unloaded his bucket and went to go back up. As he was rising, he was also in the process of latching his lanyard back in when the bucket broke from the boom and he fell approximately 25'. He didn't say what brand of unit it was, only that it had been tested recently by an independent testing company.

My condolences to his family, both at home and at work!

[BigClive]

The thing is, these machines invariably have a steel pin that holds the bucket to the boom while allowing levelling. Does the testing company remove that pin and test it for internal integrity? Do they ever change those pins in the lifetime of those machines? Or do they perhaps just look for any signs of obvious rust and write up their report.

You never know the history of a machine apart from obvious dents/cracks in the handrails or bucket. Someone could have been using your machine as a crane on a previous job.

That last access unit I had from Hewden Cranes in the UK was so decrepit and riddled with rust that it actually made me feel insecure going up in it. What can you do when your employer uses the crane company because they got a "deal" on the crane and picker as a package.