A technician was injured last week after coming into contact with an electrical distribution wire in Biddeford, Consolidated Communications said Monday.
The employee is being treated and recovering at Maine Medical Center in Portland. The telecommunications company did not identify the technician or provide details about the incident, such as where in Biddeford it occurred.
A crew from Consolidated Communications move lines to new poles to make room for a sidewalk that will be constructed this summer in Monmouth across from Monmouth Academy. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
The accident, which happened Thursday, was reported to local and state agencies, Consolidated said. The company said it is investigating the incident internally and coordinating with investigations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and state agencies.
OSHA received notice of an employee who is hospitalized after possibly coming into contact with a power line, said a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Labor. He provided no details.
Just one of 12 workers in New England survived an incident involving electrical equipment between May 2018 and August 2023, according to OSHA. The others were electrocuted while repairing, installing, welding or otherwise working with electrical equipment and wiring. Many of the deaths resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in penalties for safety violations.
“Exposure to electricity” accounted for 145 worker fatalities nationwide in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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