Midwest Silo Worker Suffers Electrical Shock, Survives

An employee in the Midwest had just filled a bulk storage silo with cattle feed and was repositioning the metal overhead delivery boom to its storage position on the truck when the boom contacted an overhead 7,200-volt power line. The driver, who operated the boom from controls mounted on the truck, suffered severe electrical shock.

Electric current traveled through the vehicle to the driver’s hand, finally exiting through the driver’s feet. The driver reported his hand becoming ‘locked’ to the control until he lost consciousness and fell over. The driver woke up and walked to a nearby house, where he was able to receive treatment from emergency responders before being transported to a hospital. The driver received serious disabling injuries in the incident.

An investigator reportedly determined that the truck driver had not been adequately trained by the employer on rules that require equipment be kept a minimum of 10 feet from overhead power lines. In addition, the employer had not posted any warning signs on the boom equipment advising the operator to keep the boom at least 10 feet from high-voltage power lines.

Although workers on booms and cranes know the risks, adding to those risks by individual negligence increases the on-the-job danger tremendously. If you or someone you love has been injured due to a workplace accident, The Doan Law Firm, P.C. has extensive experience in worker’s compensation and employee litigation.  Contact a  Houston personal injury attorney from The Doan Law Firm, P.C. today.