Incident date: 2020-09-22
NAICS industry code: 541711

A truck driver was attempting to drain waste milk from a tanker into a designated disposal area. The liquid in the tanker would not drain and the driver contacted the injured employee for assistance. The injured employee drove to the disposal site to investigate. The disposal site (owned & operated by a separate employer) provided a PVC pipe with a scoop at the end of it for the injured employee to take a sample of the liquid in the tanker to determine why the liquid would not drain. The injured employee climbed to the top of the tanker. During the maneuvering of the PVC pipe into the liquid, the handle of the pipe contacted an overhead electrical line and the injured employee received an electric shock. The employee then fell approximately 15 feet to the ground. The employee suffered a broken back resulting in paralysis and hospitalization.

Hazard classification:
code_event: title: Other fall to lower level 11 to 15 feet
code_source: title: Semi, tractor-trailer, tanker truck
code_nature: title: Fractures
code_body: title: Back, including spine, spinal cord, unspecified
severity: moderate