Juan Moore, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) linesman, who escaped electrocution last Friday while working on a utility pole on Regent Street, is recovering at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital.
When Stabroek News visited the man at midday yesterday he was surrounded by several relatives and friends. His thighs and lower right leg which were burnt during the incident were heavily bandaged.
Speaking to this newspaper, Moore said that he was feeling much better but he declined to recount the incident.
The man barely escaped death when the support he was standing on gave way and wires began sparking. He was rendered unconscious for a while as he hung limply from his safety belt before regaining consciousness.
He was eventually taken down by one of his colleagues who had been nearby in a vehicle, but not before the power to the area had been shut off.
An eyewitness had said that around 5:30 pm the man went up on the pole and was testing a wire. About five minutes later the beam he was standing on gave way and he was left dangling. The man said that wires then started to spark. The eyewitness had recalled that the GPL men on realizing what was happening removed the ladder and went around the corner to shut off the power to the area. The men then returned to the utility post that their colleague was hanging from and rescued him. Stabroek News had been told by several persons who witnessed the incident that the man was hanging there as the wires sparked for several minutes and from all appearances he was not burnt severely. At the time of the incident the GPL lineman was wearing the necessary protective gear.
Could the SN advise if the private hospital bill is being covered by GPL?- as it should.
Also, what other income replacement methods has GPL activated for this employee who was injured on the job?
We keep hearing that the lineman was ” wearing the necessary protective gear at the time of the incident.” But was he issued with the appropriate tools and equipment for that job” It was reported that the beam he was standing on broke, which I assume was made of wood. In the utility business,”surf boards” made of fibreglass are used to give linemen aloft , a stable platform on which to stand.
Thank God.
I’m so happy for him and his family. Thank God he had properly secured his belt and had been sufficiently clad.
By the way? Were there colleagues with him at the time of the incident, or, was he all alone doing servicing? If alone, poor guyana! When will we arrive?