Man electrocuted after climbing transformer at Hildale substation

What happened

On a Saturday afternoon, at about 2:25 pm on North Box Elder Street in Hildale, Utah, a 19-year-old man scaled the fence of a power substation yard and climbed on top of a large transformer. He made contact with high-voltage wires and was electrocuted instantly. He had been out of his family vehicle for a few minutes while a relative was at a nearby business, and was found inside the fenced yard shortly afterwards.

Police and fire units responded to a report of an electrocution. Rescue crews waited until all lines were de-energised and confirmed grounded before approaching. Electricity was switched off to Hildale and Colorado City residents for about two hours while the investigation took place. The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the Washington County Medical Examiner's Office assisted at the scene.

Contributing factors

The substation yard was fenced, and the man was able to climb the fence. According to the emergency services release, the man had a history of climbing fences, roofs and trees and was not aware of danger. He was unattended for a short period. The source does not report any finding on the condition of the fence or the equipment.

Lessons learned

1. Substation perimeter fencing should be inspected regularly and checked for climbability, particularly near public areas.
2. Transformers and other high-voltage equipment should be designed or guarded so that they cannot be reached from the ground or from a fence line.
3. Operators near residential areas should work with local emergency services and carers on the risks of unsupervised access to energised sites.
4. Rescue crews should wait for confirmed isolation and earthing before approaching live equipment, as happened here.

More lessons on theft, arson and site security, emergency response and public communication, electrical protection and isolation, from every incident on the register.

Source

gephardtdaily.com