Tom Dickey had years of experience in underground directional boring when he made a mistake that changed his life. He was asked to do an additional project at the end of the workday. His safety equipment was on a truck that had already left for the day, but he decided he had the experience to do this quick project. Tom made one small slip and received a high-voltage electric shock. Tom was fortunate to survive, but he spent months recovering and lives in pain to this day.
“You may get by with it a thousand times, but at some point it can happen to you,” says Tom. “I always thought that I was as good at doing what I did as anybody.” He says the most painful part of his experience was, “just watching my family and the suffering that they went through, the anguish that I know they were going through freaking out about losing a dad or losing a husband.”
Electrical accidents are simply too dangerous to risk. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction and farming /ranching are two of the most dangerous jobs in America. Electrical accidents—above and below ground—are a major risk in these fields. It is important to take proper safety precautions to avoid the tragic consequences of electrical accidents and contact with underground pipelines.
These tips from Safe Electricity can help you stay safe in these fields of work:
- Always use proper safety equipment, and get it inspected regularly to make sure it is still in good working order.
- Call 8-1-1 before you dig, and get underground utilities identified. Electricity, gas, and other underground utilities can be deadly if you make contact with them.
- Keep large equipment 10 feet away from power lines in all directions. Use a spotter to help you do this. If you do come in contact with a power line, do not leave your equipment. In doing so, you become the electricity’s path to the ground and could receive a fatal shock. Stay in the equipment until utility workers de-energize the line.
- Test circuits and conductors before working on them.
- Follow lock out/tag out procedures, which require workers to isolate electricity before leaving a job.
Find additional safety information, and see the full story of Tom’s accident and recovery at SafeElectricity.org.
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