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NIOSH Publication No. 2007-155:Preventing Worker Deaths and Injuries from Contacting Overhead Power Lines with Metal Ladders |
September 2007 |
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SummaryWorkers risk electrocution when using metal ladders around energized, overhead power lines. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed recommendations to prevent injuries and deaths while working with metal ladders. Description of ExposureA NIOSH review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) data from 1992–2005 identified at least 154 electrocution deaths that resulted from contacting overhead power lines with portable metal ladders (excluding truck-mounted and aerial ladders) [NIOSH 2007a]. Of these 154 deaths, 36 involved a person of Hispanic origin (CFOI data for all years exclude New York City; the data for 2005 are preliminary). Although Hispanic workers accounted for 23% of these electrocution deaths due to ladders contacting power lines, it is estimated that they made up only 11% of the workforce during this period [NIOSH 2007b]. The NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program is designed to identify, study, and prevent fatal occupational injuries [www.cdc.gov/ niosh/face]. A review of NIOSH FACE cases between 1987 and 2007 identified 11 investigations involving the deaths of 12 workers that occurred while working around overhead power lines and using metal ladders. Ladder contacts with power lines usually occurred during erection, lowering, or relocation of the ladder. The surveillance data indicate a disproportionate rate of deaths among Hispanic workers involved in incidents related to metal ladders making contact with overhead power lines. Recent investigations of Hispanic worker deaths have also highlighted the need for worksite surveys and hazard controls and identified additional safety measures for workers whose primary language is not English. Two cases are described below. FACE Case Study 1A 32-year-old Hispanic painter was electrocuted when the metal ladder he was carrying contacted an overhead power line. His first language was Spanish, though he reportedly spoke some English. Before the incident, the victim and his coworkers had been painting a private residence. As the workers were beginning to clean up at the end of the workday, the victim picked up his 40-foot metal ladder and retracted it to approximately 20 feet. While carrying the ladder upright to the work van, the foreman and a coworker verbally warned the victim about the power line, reportedly in English and Spanish. Several seconds later, the victim’s ladder contacted the 13,200-volt overhead power line located approximately 21 feet above the ground. The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room [NIOSH 2004a]. FACE Case Study 2A 24-year-old Hispanic, Spanish-speaking painter was electrocuted when the metal ladder he was repositioning contacted a 24,000-volt overhead power line 21 feet above the ground. The victim and his coworkers were painting several two-story townhouses. While the worker was repositioning his 28-foot metal extension ladder (which was extended to 26 feet), the ladder contacted the overhead power line located approximately 16 feet from the painting operation (see Figure 1). Several seconds later, the foreman heard a buzzing sound and saw the victim gripping his ladder before falling to the ground. The victim was pronounced dead in the hospital emergency room [NIOSH 2004b].
ControlsEmployers, workers, general contractors, and ladder manufacturers should take the steps outlined in the following sections to protect workers while working around overhead power lines. Many of these steps are required or suggested by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. For workers in the construction industry, 29 CFR* 1926 includes requirements for worker training [29 CFR 1926.1060 and 1926.21(b)(2)], safe use of ladders [29 CFR 1926.1053], working near an electric circuit [29 CFR 1926.416(a)], and providing prompt medical attention in the event of serious injury [29 CFR 1926.50]. For workers in other industries, 29 CFR 1910.333 specifies minimum distances between workers using conductive equipment and power lines. Both sets of regulations provide good guidance for protecting workers from contact with overhead power lines, regardless of whether the regulations are required by the industry employing the workers. Employers—Site Setup
Employers—Worksite
Workers
General Contractors
Ladder Manufacturers
AcknowledgmentsThe principal contributor to this publication was Nancy T. Romano, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, NIOSH Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV. Statistical analysis was provided by Suzanne Marsh, Division of Safety Research. ReferencesCFR. Code of Federal Regulations. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register. NIOSH [2004a]. Hispanic painter electrocuted when the ladder he was carrying contacted a 13,200-volt overhead power line— North Carolina. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. FACE 2003–08. NIOSH [2004b]. Hispanic painter electrocuted when the metal ladder he was repositioning contacted an overhead power line— North Carolina. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. FACE 2003–10. NIOSH [2007a]. Unpublished analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: special research file provided to NIOSH. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. NIOSH [2007b]. Unpublished analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. For More InformationThe information in this document is based on data, FACE reports, and expert review. More information about the NIOSH FACE program is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/face. The NIOSH safety and health topic page on electrical safety is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/electrical/. This page includes further guidance on preventing electrocutions of workers using metal ladders and guidance on electrocution hazards associated with scaffolds, tree trimming, and cranes, among others. To receive more information about occupational safety and health topics, contact NIOSH at Telephone: 1–800–CDC–INFO (1–800–232–4636) or visit the NIOSH Web site at www.cdc.gov/niosh. For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to NIOSH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
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