WATCH OUT FOR POWER LINES

Even though you have plenty of clearance from your load to all overhead obstructions does not mean you can ignore them. Sometimes your actions can put you at risk of hazards which you do not normally associate with your job. The case described below will make that point very clear. This accident happened to a log truck driver but is applicable to all drivers who must bind their loads using chains, straps or cables.

This trucker was a young man, 26 years old, and had several years of experience in trucking. On this particular day he was hauling 16' sawlogs on a double berth trailer. Once the logs were loaded on his 18-wheeler, he moved a short distance up the gravel road before binding his load so that he would not block the loading area. The road was a public road with high voltage power lines strung on 30' wooden poles, was damp from the previous day's rain and the weather was overcast with a light mist. The driver used 3/8" steel cable to bind the logs for the trip to the sawmill.

In order to get the cables over the load, the driver threw the cables over to the other side so he could attach them. When he threw one of the cables over, he threw it far enough to contact the high voltage power line. The electricity (19,600 volts) traveled down the cable and passed through the trucker's body to get to the ground. As a result of the shock, the driver lost the lower parts of both legs and his left arm a few inches below the shoulder. He spent three months in a medical center 500 miles from home and is now able to walk and drive a car with the help of artificial limbs. It is not known if or when he may be able to return to work.

Would you have noticed the power lines? Have you ever thrown chains and/or cables over your load without thinking about the hazards overhead or on the other side?

To prevent this type of accident, always look for overhead hazards before throwing the binders over the load. If necessary, move the truck farther away from this type of hazard before continuing. You should maintain at least 20' of clearance from power lines for all operations. Using this clearance as well as recognizing the hazard could prevent you from suffering the same fate (or worse) as the trucker above. Whenever you break from your normal routine - in this case, binding the load away from the loading area - be particularly careful to look for unusual hazards....and expect the unexpected.