On May 8, 2024, a miner was electrocuted while unloading a roll of belt from a trailer. The miner was performing rigging duties when the crane boom contacted an overhead high-voltage powerline.
Best Practices
- Ensure that booms or masts of equipment are not operated within 10 feet of any energized overhead powerline.
- Designate one person on the ground, located in a safe location, to give signals to the crane operator and watch placement and proximity of the boom.
- Use non-conducting tag lines to steady loads when operating cranes where overhead power lines are present.
- Post warning signs at all approaches to overhead powerlines; install barricades where necessary.
Additional Information
This is the fifth fatality reported in 2024, and the first classified as “Electrical.”
Click here for: Preliminary Report (pdf)