DOWNED POWER LINES

What would you have done? How would you react? The following is an actual account of an accident which could have had disastrous results for the driver. Although this incident involved a trucker and his truck, the same type situation could happen to you while operating a car or a piece of heavy equipment. As you read the incident, think about what you would have done differently from this person.

In this case the driver was departing a yard in his flatbed truck which was equipped with a crane for self-loading and unloading. During this particular delivery, the driver raised his crane to clear the load so that the customer could unload the delivery with their own equipment. When his truck was unloaded he started to leave the yard and failed to lower his crane boom back to the truck bed. The boom caught and snapped a 440-volt power line which was over the exit to the yard. The downed line fell across the bed of the truck and the driver stopped, realizing his mistake.

The driver got out of his truck and grabbed the line to pull it off of his truck. Fortunately for this driver, his actions did not cost him his life or even a serious injury. However, I'm sure that you can see that only luck saved him. Don't rely on luck to stay alive. What did this driver do wrong? Rather, how many things did he do wrong? What is the right thing to do after the first mistake brought the power line down onto the truck?

First, before driving the truck away after unloading, the driver should walk around the vehicle to ensure that all binding equipment is properly stowed and the boom is in the correct position to travel. Second, once the power line is down on the vehicle, STAY PUT (unless the vehicle is on fire) until you get a signal that the power has been shut off. If egress is necessary, the driver should jump clear-not step down-from the cab. And lastly, once clear of the truck don't touch the power line until the proper authorities verify that it is not a live wire.

This incident is not one that occurs often but high voltage power lines frequently get blown down in storms. Do you know what to do if one lands on your vehicle?