NIOSH officials say the Scranton Fire Department’s lack of guidelines for working around power lines contributed to the electrocution of a city firefighter last year. Fifty-year-old Capt. James Robeson died on Jan. 6, 2008 while fighting a house fire that killed two residents. He was in the bucket lift of a fire truck that came too close to a live power line.
A federal report on Robeson’s death says the department should have had standard operating procedures for working around power lines. It recommends that firefighters working on aerial devices stay at least 10 feet away from power lines. The report also suggests the use of warning devices that detect electrical current nearby.
The report was prepared by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health:
http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/FIRE/reports/face200801.html
