REPORT#: 23KY005 REPORT DATE: 12/12/23

Roofer in Boom Lift Electrocuted by

Overhead Electrical Line — Kentucky 

SUMMARY

Two roofers were using a telescoping boom lift to descend from a roof 

when they contacted overhead electrical lines. The head of the lift 

operator, a 27-year-old roofing worker, contacted one of the electrical 

lines and was fatally electrocuted. The other roofer in the lift, a 21-year-old 

male, suffered 2nd degree electrical burns to his left elbow, wrist, and 

hand.

... READ THE FULL REPORT> (p.3)

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Key contributing factors identified in this investigation include:

• Overhead electrical hazards in work area

• Windy conditions

• Exposure to energized lines

• Lack of appropriate personal protective equipment

• Need for electrical hazards training

...LEARN MORE> (p.9)

RECOMMENDATIONS

Kentucky investigators concluded that, to help prevent similar 

occurrences, employers should: 

• Implement a job hazard analysis) process to determine appropriate

measures to safeguard employees from the hazards associated with

overhead electrical lines. Follow applicable OSHA regulations and use

safe work practices to ensure that employees and equipment are

located at a safe distance from overhead power lines. ...LEARN MORE>

(p.9)

Kentucky FACE Program

E6INCIDENT HIGHLIGHTS

DATE: 

January 17, 2023

TIME:

12:11 p.m.

VICTIM:

27-year-old roofing worker

INDUSTRY/NAICS CODE:

Roofing 

contractors/238160

EMPLOYER: 

Roofing contractor

SAFETY & TRAINING:

Unknown

SCENE: 

Commercial office building 

LOCATION:

Kentucky

EVENT TYPE:

Electrocution
Page 2

Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program

This case report was developed to draw the attention of employers and employees to a serious safety hazard and is based on 

preliminary data only. This publication does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident, cause of the injury, 

or fault of employer, employee, or any party involved. 

This case report was developed by the Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program. Kentucky FACE is a NIOSHfunded occupational fatality surveillance program with the goal of preventing fatal work injuries by studying the worker, the work 

environment, and the role of management, engineering, and behavioral changes in preventing future injuries. The FACE program is

located in the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC). KIPRC is a bona fide agent for the Kentucky Department for 

Public Health. 

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REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 3

INTRODUCTION

A roofing contractor was replacing sheet metal roofing components on a commercial office building in the center of a 

small, rural city. As part of the job, employees were using a telescoping boom lift to access certain areas of the roof. Two

roofing employees were using the lift to come down from the roof when they contacted an energized overhead 

electrical line located adjacent to the roof. A 27-year-old roofing worker was operating the lift at the time. His head 

contacted the electrical line, and he was fatally electrocuted. The other employee in the lift, a 21-year-old male, suffered 

2nd degree electrical burns to his left elbow, wrist, and hand.

EMPLOYER

The employer was a local roofing contractor with four employees and had been in business for approximately 11 years. 

WRITTEN SAFETY PROGRAMS and TRAINING

Because it was not possible to conduct interviews with the owner or other employees, the nature of the employer’s 

written safety programs and training is unknown.

WORKER INFORMATION

The deceased worker was a 27-year-old male roofer. The worker’s experience and length of employment with the 

company are unknown. His coworker who was working in the lift with him was a 21-year-old male. Neither of the 

workers in the lift were using personal protective equipment. Two other workers, ages unknown, were working on the 

roof at the time. One of them was the owner of the company.

EQUIPMENT

The telescoping boom lift used by the roofing workers to access the roof was a T350 model manufactured by JLG. This 

type of lift is transported using a tow hitch and then positioned by hand. Four outriggers are deployed to stabilize the 

lift. It is capable of raising the work platform to 34 ft. 5 in. in height (JLG.com, 2023). It is unknown if the equipment was 

owned by the employer or rented. Images 1 and 2 show the type of lift involved in the fatal incident. 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 4

Images 1 and 2. T350 Telescoping Boom Lift (JLG.com, 2023)

 

INCIDENT SCENE

The incident occurred in the downtown area of a small, rural city. The roofing work was being conducted on a 

commercial office building that fronted the town’s main thoroughfare. The building housed a private business and was 

located within a few blocks of the city hall, police department, fire station, and other governmental agencies and 

businesses. Overhead electrical distribution lines were run atop poles installed in the sidewalk that ran parallel to the 

north side of the building. Also, on the north side of the building, electrical service lines for the building were connected 

to the overhead distribution lines. 

The scene is shown in images 3, 4, and 5. Image 3 indicates the roof being renovated, with a red “x” showing the 

location of the lift and a yellow line showing the overhead power lines. Note: this photo was not taken on the same date 

as images 4 and 5. The red “x” in image 4 shows the location of the lift, and the yellow circle shows the overhead 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 5

electrical powerlines involved in this fatal incident. The yellow circle in image 5 indicates the overhead electrical 

powerlines involved in this fatal incident. 

Image 3: Incident scene; aerial view. The yellow line represents overhead power lines. The red “x” shows the 

approximate location of the boom lift. (Google Earth Pro, 2023.)
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 6

Image 4: Incident scene with overhead wires; facing south. The yellow circle shows the approximate location where the 

roofer contacted the overhead power lines. The red “x” indicates the approximate location of the boom lift. (Property KY 

FACE.) 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 7

Image 5: Incident scene with overhead wires; sidewalk facing west. The yellow circle shows where the overhead power 

line contacted the worker during the incident. (Property KY FACE.) 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 8

WEATHER

The weather at the time of the incident was approximately 65.1 degrees Fahrenheit, no precipitation, wind at 8.1 mpg, 

gusts at 11.4 mph from the southwest, and 0.05 inches of precipitation [Weather Underground, 2023]. The wind 

conditions were noted by emergency responders as being substantial; thus, they are considered to be a contributing 

factor. 

INVESTIGATION

Roof removal work had begun approximately one week prior to the fatal incident. At the time of the incident, the 

roofing company owner and another worker were working on the roof. The two workers involved in the incident were 

coming down from the roof in the lift, with the now-deceased roofing worker operating the lift. The lift had been 

positioned on the northern side of the building on a sidewalk adjacent to the building. A very narrow area of clearance, 

estimated at only 8 feet, was available between the office building and the overhead wires to raise and lower the lift. 

At approximately 12:11 p.m., the two employees were at a distance estimated to be 20 feet from the ground when they 

began to ride the lift down. Neither worker was wearing personal protective equipment (e.g., Class E hard hats or other 

insulative equipment). During the descent, the lift moved toward the power lines such that one worker’s head contacted

one of the power lines. Upon contact, the worker was exposed to approximately 70,000 volts of electrical current. As a 

result, he experienced muscular paralysis and could not move himself away from the electrical line. His coworker 

attempted to remove the deceased employee from the electrical path but experienced shocks each time he touched 

him. His coworker was eventually able to remove the worker from the electrical path by kicking his feet out from under 

him. 

Emergency services were contacted by the owner of the company, who was working on the roof and witnessed the 

incident. Local police arrived at the scene to find both workers in the elevated boom basket. The electrocuted employee, 

who was no longer energized, was slumped on the railing of the lift basket and nonresponsive. Police advised the 

younger worker to remain still while the electrical utility provider was contacted to de-energize the lines. Power was 

shut off shortly thereafter and the lift brought down by emergency responders using the lift’s ground-level controls. 

Image 6 shows the location of the lift and the deceased employee at the time of the incident. The deceased employee 

suffered 4th degree burns and a fatal shock. According to the EMS report, medical responders did not attempt 

resuscitation as he was clearly deceased. The other employee in the boom basket suffered second degree electrical 

burns to his left elbow, wrist, and hand. 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 9

Image 6: Boom lift position; sidewalk facing west (Property KY FACE) 

CAUSE OF DEATH 

According to the coroner, the cause of death was electrocution.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS 

Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of one or more contributing factors or key events in a larger 

sequence of events that ultimately result in the injury or fatality. Kentucky FACE has identified the following 

unrecognized hazards as key contributing factors in this incident:

• Overhead electrical hazards in work area

• Windy conditions

• Exposure to energized lines

• Lack of appropriate personal protective equipment

• Need for electrical hazards training. 

RECOMMENDATIONS/DISCUSSION

Recommendation #1: Employers should implement a job hazard analysis (JHA) process to determine appropriate 

measures to safeguard employees from the hazards associated with overhead electrical lines. 

Discussion: 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 10

Employers should conduct JHAs to identify hazards and develop specific prevention measures. A JHA focuses on the 

relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment so that the hazards associated with 

each component and each step of the task can be identified before they cause an issue. It is critical that a JHA is 

conducted on new jobs, complex jobs, jobs with high injury or illness rates, jobs with the potential to cause severe or 

disabling injuries or illness, or jobs in which one simple human error could lead to a severe accident or injury. Based on 

the hazards identified through a JHA, the employer can then develop and implement appropriate control and prevention 

measures and standard safe work procedures for workers to follow. 

The JHA focuses on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment [OSHA, 2002]. 

Essential questions used to discover hazards during the JHA include:

• What can go wrong? 

• What are the consequences? 

• How could it occur? 

• What contributing factors might exist? 

The JHA is considered a process because once the JHA is completed, employers should provide worker training in hazard 

recognition, avoidance of unsafe and hazardous conditions, and adherence to standard safe working procedures. 

Employee training should emphasize that under no circumstances should a worker bypass the protection afforded by 

safety apparatus, such as guards or lockout devices, and that a worker should never risk physical harm to accomplish 

tasks. Also, the JHA should be reviewed periodically and revised as needed to ensure that hazards are controlled 

adequately. 

In this incident, a JHA could have helped the employer identify the hazards of working near energized overhead power 

lines and in turn found a safer place for the lift to be placed (away from lines) and provided employees with the 

knowledge of the hazard.

Recommendation #2: Employers should follow applicable OSHA regulations and use safe work practices to ensure that 

employees and equipment are located at a safe distance from overhead power lines. 

Discussion: The location of the boom lift involved in this fatal incident provided insufficient clearance from the energized 

overhead power lines. Employers whose employees use lifts around live overhead electrical wires that are not protected 

by protective covers should, at a minimum, comply with OSHA’s [n.d.] standard 29 CR 1926.451, which sets forth a 

requirement to maintain a minimum distance of 10 feet from lines carrying less than 50 kilovolts. In this case, the 

parking lot to the rear of the building may have provided adequate clearance from the overhead power lines. The 

orange star in image 7 indicates the rear parking lot area where the boom lift could have been located. 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 11

Image 7: Incident scene; aerial view. The orange star indicates the rear parking lot. (Google Earth Pro, 2023.)

Recommendation #3: Employers should contact electric utility companies to install insulative covers on power lines 

when safe distances for employees and appropriate equipment cannot be provided. 

Discussion: Employers should have insulative covers installed when employees and equipment cannot maintain safe 

working distances from power lines to prevent accidental contact. NIOSH [2022] has noted that employers should check 

with the local electric utility company before the start of work to request the installation of insulative covers on 

powerlines if workers are unable to maintain safe distances from power lines. Examples of insulating covers are shown 

in images 8 and 9. 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 12

Image 8. Salisbury Insulating Blanket. (Zoro, 2023.) 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 13

Image 9. Cover-up Equipment (Chance, 2020.) 

Recommendation #4: Employers should ensure that employees are provided and use personal protective equipment 

(PPE) appropriate for electrical hazards they may face while at work. 

Discussion: In this fatal incident, the now-deceased employee contacted the overhead line with his head. Employees 

who have the potential for exposure to electricity should use Class E head protection, which conforms to the most 

current American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) standards 

outlined under ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 [2023]. Other forms of insulative PPE may be appropriate, depending on the nature of 

the work and risk of exposure to electricity, and may include PPE for the face, hands, arms, and other types. Employees 

should be provided with training on the PPE, such as how to don, doff, use it as well as the limitations and care and 

maintenance of the PPE. 

Recommendation #5: Employers should ensure that employees are provided with a comprehensive safety training 

program that addresses the electrical hazards they might face while at work. 

Discussion: 

Employers should develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive written safety program for all workers. The safety 

program should include training for all workers in items such as overhead power line electrocution hazard recognition 

and safe work procedures. Training should also include lift operator power line hazard recognition, visual limitations, 

and perception issues as well as emergency procedures should power line contact occur. 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 14

It is unknown if training was provided to the employees involved in this fatal incident. However, the incident might have 

been avoided if adequate training had been provided. Training should include the recognition of hazards and the use of 

appropriate methods to control exposure to electricity. Training should be provided in the language(s) and at literacy 

level(s) that workers will understand. Employers can utilize resources such as NIOSH’s Worker Safety Matters When 

Working Near Power Lines (2022) and OSHA’s Construction eTool: Electrical Incidents (n.d.) to supplement training for 

their employees. 

In developing training programs, employers should follow best practices, such as those provided by OSHA in Resource 

for Development and Delivery of Training to Workers [2021]. This publication carries guidance tailored to occupational 

safety training programs such as:

• Characteristics of sound training programs

• Best practices for training adults 

• Principles of adult education

• Program design, delivery, and evaluation elements

Employers should follow a continuous improvement approach and periodically review their safety programs to identify 

programmatic shortcomings and implement corrective measures. 

DISCLAIMER

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by Kentucky FACE and NIOSH. In addition, 

citations to websites external to Kentucky FACE and NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of the sponsoring 

organizations or their programs or products. Furthermore, Kentucky FACE and NIOSH are not responsible for the content 

of these websites. All web addresses referenced in this document were accessible as of the publication date.

REFERENCES

ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 [2023]. American National Standard For Industrial Head Protection. American National Standards 

Institute. 

Chance. [2020]. Cover-up Equipment. 

Genie. [2017]. Genie Safety Minute: Overhead Contact with Powerlines. Genie. 

Google Earth Pro. [2023]. (Location withheld).

JLG.com. [2023]. t350-towable-boom-lift. 

NIOSH [2022]. FACE IT: Worker Safety Matters When Working Near Power Lines. National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health. 

OSHA [2022]. Job Hazard Analysis Guide. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA [2021]. Resource for Development and Delivery of Training to Workers OSHA 3824. Occupational Safety and 

Health Administration.

OSHA. (n.d.) Construction eTool: Electrical Incidents. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

OSHA. (n.d.). 29 CR 1926.451 Scaffolds. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

Weather Underground. [2023]. KKYRUSSE20. Atlanta, GA: The Weather Channel Interactive, Inc.

Zoro. [2023]. Salisbury Insulating Blanket. 
REPORT#: 23KY005 Page 15

INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION

This investigation was conducted and report prepared by Dr. David Stumbo, OHST, CSP. 

PROGRAM FUNDING

The Kentucky Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation program is funded by grant 5U6O0H008483-18

from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.