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Safety + Get AlertsWhen job site safety, and the unfortunate outcomes that can come from overlooking safety protocols, are covered in Municipal Sewer & Water, it oftentimes has to do with trench collapses or the dangerous toxic gas environments found in sewers.
But an incident in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, last week shows an example of the above-ground dangers that workers have to be mindful of as well. While working on a sewer project Thursday, two employees of Insight Pipe Contracting were injured and a third one died when a machine made contact with overhead power lines, carrying 23,000 volts of electricity to where the employees were working.
According to a report in the Tribune-Democrat, Christopher Diaz, 30, was standing on the ground leaning against a telescopic forklift being used on a pipe lining job. He died from electrocution when the machine made contact with high-tension lines overhead. The two other workers were shocked when they attempted to pull Diaz away from the machine.
An OSHA investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Sources: WJAC-TV; Tribune-Democrat