Worker Electrocuted Outside Centerville Bank

[Erik Sine]

Worker Electrocuted Outside Centerville Bank

Master electrician dies working on sign

Published : Wednesday, 12 Oct 2011, 12:54 PM CDT

CENTERVILLE, Minn. - A man who was doing maintenance work on a bank sign in Centerville, Minn, was electrocuted Wednesday.

He was a 47-year-old master electrician from White Bear Lake, Minn., who worked at L & D Sign, which is located in Stillwater.

Paramedics, police and firefighters all responded to Central Bank, located at at 7111 21st Avenue, around noon.

Anoka County dispatchers confirmed the worker was dead despite his coworker's efforts to save him. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.

Centennial Fire District Chief Jerry Streich told the Star Tribune the upper part of the sign displaying the bank's name was not lighting. Streich said the worker was looking at a control box when the electrocution happened.

Firefighters cut a hole in the sign to get the unresponsive worker out and lowered him to the ground. Medical personne alsol tried to revive him.

Police say weather was not a factor in the accident, as it was raining.

The accident will be investigated by OSHA and the exact cause of the death will be determined by the Anoka County Medical Examiner’s Office.

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[Signsfast]

holy crap, I wonder what happened?

[u17pilot302fi]

think the fire chief is mistaken? No fun workin on signs while there hot in the rain.

[Lane Booth]

"Police say weather was not a factor in the accident, as it was raining."

I call Bull Shit.

This was a senseless death that could have and should have been avoided.

No sign company should ever send their employees out to a job site if it's raining. If there is even a possibility of rain in the forecast I will call the customer and simply explain that we don't work in the rain, period. I've never had a customer complain about that. Not even when it set back a deadline install that absolutely has to be up on the wall TODAY! Rain changes everything. I've driven hundreds of miles to a job site, many times, only to get there and cancel the job due to rain. Even a slight drizzle is grounds for packing up the tools and heading back to the shop. I've lost hundreds of dollars in gas and employee wages, many times, due to rain cancellations. And I would gladly lose hundreds more rather than risk injury to myself, my wife, or an employee.

Rain = Reschedule.

My condolences to the sign guy's family and friends.

[imanut]

Damn good thing that's Arizona. If we waited for no "sign" of rain out here - let alone rain, snow, sleet, etc - we'd never get a job up.

gn

[Erik Sine]

Installed in the rain before, used that cheap coro/pvc sheets for a pattern, just didn't work with any live electrical wet and tried to keep damp/dry areas dry as possible. It probably rains as much here as Arizona, it just depends on the job.