Virginia Construction Injury Lawyers

 Virginia Painter Was Electrocuted

On April 15, 1987, a utility had contracted an employment service to paint a steel structure in one of their substations. Two representatives of the employment service (a foreman and a crew leader) met with a representative from the utility to discuss which area of the substation was to be painted. During the discussion a tour of the substation was conducted; however, the crew leader, who was to be involved in the actual painting, did not participate. During this tour two structures were identified: 1) a de-energized 34.5 kV structure to be painted and 2) an energized 11 kV structure to be avoided. Instructions were given to avoid the 11 kV circuit structure because the system was energized. It was also decided that inclement weather would prohibit painting that day, but painting would start at a later date, weather permitting.

Two days later a painting crew consisting of five employees (four workers and the crew leader) arrived at the substation. The crew leader was previously instructed "to start painting on the structure to the right as you enter the substation gate." The crew entered the substation by using a key they had obtained earlier. When the crew entered the substation they looked at the structure on the right (the de-energized 34.5 kV circuit) and decided the system was energized. The crew was not familiar with electrical substations and misinterpreted the presence of the ground connections that grounded the circuit to assure no induced voltages would be present. They then proceeded to the 11 kV energized circuit where they saw the disconnects were open and decided this system was de-energized. Again unfamiliarity with the electrical substation caused the crew to misinterpret the condition created by the open disconnects. (The open disconnects only isolated the 11 kV circuit from the other circuits.)

A ladder was positioned on the east side of the 11 kV structure and the four workers ascended to the top of the structure. The first worker (the victim) proceeded to the southwest corner of the structure where he attempted to wrap the insulators with plastic to protect them during painting. The victim was standing on a steel beam approximately 8" in width and reaching to wrap an insulator when he contacted an 11 kV conductor. The victim's body provided a path to ground through the steel structure and he was electrocuted. The victim fell 22' 6" to the ground.

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