Sobering 911 call Martin County worker cutting trees shocked burned in Port Salerno

[derwoodii]

Martin County worker cutting trees shocked, burned in Port Salerno
http://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/lo...erno-worker-shocked-burned-hospital/91846800/

If you train crews for handling emergency's this 911 call should focus their minds.


MARTIN COUNTY — A county Parks and Recreation Department employee trimming trees Monday morning was shocked and burned by a power line, according to county, sheriff’s and Fire Rescue officials.

Rescue crews went to the 4400 block of Southeast Field Street in New Monrovia Park in Port Salerno and found a 47-year-old man who had been working on a lift had touched a power line and was burned, said Fire Rescue spokesman Dan Harshburger and sheriff’s spokeswoman Laurie Weber.

 

[RoyalTree]

Makes my skin crawl listening to the guy in the background.

Can't imagine the 100 mile plus helicopter ride to the hospital.

 

[jonny37]

Don't understand not training your groundie how to operate the lift in case of emergency.

 

[Del_]

A groundie not trained in electrical hazards could well become a second victim if they try to operate the lift.

 

[ropensaddle]

Don't understand not training your groundie how to operate the lift in case of emergency.

If the boom is in contact with the line and he touches truck he could become a victim. In that case you need a pruner to operate the lower controls to break contact. The truck should be insulated to 100k volts with less than 5 micro amps leakage. The guy either touched two phases or neutral and phase or the lift was not insulated. Even insulated booms have been known to fail usually from bird nests dirt dobbers building nest inside the boom and creating a path to ground. A insulated pruner is a line clearing trimmers best friend and can be the differance between life or death.

 

[JTM]

The state of Florida comes under federal OSHA, not a state plan, meaning that municipal employees are not covered under OSHA's jurisdiction. Smaller municipalities are often left wanting regarding issues of employee safety because of the lack of revenue and the fact that there is no one there to thump them when they are screwing up. I would be surprised if the worker was working from an insulated boom that had been regularly di-electric tested.