Worker injured after ladder fall and electrical shock at Cuyahoga Falls substation

A subcontractor performing annual maintenance and painting work at an electric substation in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, fell about 15 feet from a ladder and, according to the city fire department, grabbed an electrical service line and was shocked. The substation is at the northeast corner of State Road and Sacket Avenue and is operated by Cuyahoga Falls Electric System and American Municipal Power. The accident caused a power outage affecting businesses and residences along State Road and stretching more than a mile toward Front Street, including a supermarket and an elementary school. The worker was talking with emergency personnel before being taken by city emergency medical services to a hospital in Akron; his condition afterwards was not reported. The outage lasted less than half an hour, with some customers restored within minutes and all customers back on supply by 11:45 a.m.

The worker was on a ladder painting at the substation when he fell and, per the fire marshal's initial account, grabbed an electrical service line, causing an electric shock in addition to the fall. No formal investigation findings were reported.

1. Ensure ladder safety and fall protection measures are strictly applied for maintenance tasks carried out near energised equipment.
2. Confirm clearance distances and de-energisation or insulation arrangements before non-electrical work such as painting takes place close to live conductors.
3. Treat contractor and subcontractor work packages at substations with the same permit and supervision controls as direct staff work.
4. Maintain clear emergency response arrangements with local fire and ambulance services for incidents involving electrical contact.

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