Author -
Submitted By -Watch Your Safety
12-16-00, On Monday of this week, we were hanging some 1/0 triplex from a transformer location to a secondary pole. Simple job right, done it a 1000 times. I was on the transformer pole, we had our 4th. step apprentice on the secondary pole. He had a couple year journeyman as his groundman. We get the wire up and he dead-ends his, I start taking my end up. As I'm cranking I'm watching him on the next pole. All of a sudden I see him come off the pole backwards. Falls 24' to the ground, lands flat on his back! It appears he belted off above the top bolt and his safety slipped over the top of the pole. Why the guy on the ground never noticed where the apprentice was belted off I don't know. The kid has 5 fractured vertebrae, one broken rib and a kidney problem. But he can still walk! This is dangerous work and things happen fast. Guys keep an eye on your brothers!