A worker electrocuted himself by pushing the scaffold he was working with into overhead power lines. The message should be very clear to everyone working on a scaffolding – always check and double check by having somebody else look for overhead powerlines before moving the scaff.
Once the scaff made contact with the wires, it gripped the worker and kept sending relentless amounts of electric current through his body. Witnesses, for the most part, didn’t know how to properly address a major electrocution incident, and attempted to put the flames consuming the electrocuted worker out by spraying him with a fire extinguisher. They may get A for effort, but whether it did any good, or made matters worse, is up for debate.
It wasn’t until someone with the understanding of electricity stepped in, and used a stick made of material that doesn’t conduct electric current to disconnect the scaff from the power lines. The electrocuted worker was no longer being zapped, so the next leg of his rescue could begin.
Obviously, aside from training workers to be constantly aware of where the power lines are, training in basic understanding of electricity and how to respond to emergencies involving electricity may result in more appropriate response to an emergency, and possible prevention of needless death.