New Jersey landscaper in critical condition after tangling with power line ... twice
6 Apr, 2006 LM Week in ReviewRIVERDALE, NJ — Joseph C. Schwarz, 67, owner of a landscaping company in Ringwood, NJ, was in critical condition on March 30 after accidentally touching a high voltage line twice.
Schwarz standing in a bucket and pruning oak branches near an elementary school when his head touched the line, sending 7,200 volts through his body. His two employees on the ground immediately called for help. But they couldn't stop their dazed employer from standing up and hitting his head against the line a second time.
Police, EMS and firefighters quickly arrived, but no one could reach him until the power had been cut. Schwarz was conscious when he reached the ambulance which took him to a waiting helicopter for a flight to the intensive care unit at St. Barnabas Medical Center, in Livingston, NJ.
Inspectors from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have launched an investigation.
More: "Shock from power line hospitalizers landscaper," Marin County (NJ) Daily Record, March 30, 2006.
Resource: "Preventing Electrocution," a 40-page pocket guide from the Tree Care Industry Association covers the identification of, and proper work procedures to avoid hazards associated with overhead electrical conductors. It's available in English and Spanish and can be purchased onlinen for $4.00, along with a number of other safety pocket guides for tree care professionals.
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