By Simone Jasper The News & Observer and
The company is also accused of not taking proper steps before allowing the 19-year-old apprentices to repair power lines and of not having enough crew members trained to help with first aid when the workers were electrocuted last summer. The labor department said the apprentices were electrocuted when they tried to restore power on a “7,200-volt electric distribution line” in Adger, Alabama. At the time of the August 31 incident, forecasters said remnants from Tropical Cyclone Ida brought strong storms and wind damage to the central part of the state.
“Two young people suffered fatal electrocution because Pike Electric LLC failed to meet their responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful workplace and ensure the proper supervision of new workers,” Ramona Morris, Birmingham director of the labor department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration , said March 8 in a news release.