Electrical code Compliance - Agency cites Boy Scouts

Author

Agency cites Boy Scouts

Fred Goodwin, CMA

2006-02-10, 12:21 pm

Agency cites Boy Scouts

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servle...d=1137833997956
http://tinyurl.com/e3rfs

OSHA says organization responsible for campsites at jamboree where 4
died

BY KIRAN KRISHNAMURTHY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Friday, February 10, 2006

2005 Boy Scouts Jamboree

FREDERICKSBURG -- The Boy Scouts of America were "responsible" for
where 2005 National Scout Jamboree participants erected tents,
including where four Scout leaders were electrocuted, a federal agency
stated yesterday.

The leaders died after a tent pole touched an overhead electrical line
on the first day of the quadrennial event at Fort A.P. Hill in Caroline
County.

"The Boy Scouts had a plan and a map of where all these tents went,"
said Charles T. Pope, a spokesman for the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration. "The Boy Scouts were responsible for the
campsites."

Pope would not detail OSHA's specific findings. He said the agency will
release its report next week, now that the tent company hired by the
Alaskan troops, Tents & Events of Fishersville, has settled fines with
OSHA in connection with the accident.

The company was cited by OSHA for "serious" violations last month and
has agreed to pay reduced fines of $3,000.

Gregg Shields, a BSA spokesman, responded yesterday by saying jamboree
troops are assigned campsites and are given a diagram of a typical
troop site, but that individual troops decide where to place tents
within each campsite.

"Specific placement of the equipment is pretty much left up to the
contingent," he said. Troops should factor the terrain into their
decisions, said Shields, who has also said that Scouts are taught not
to erect tents beneath power lines.

Jamboree troops arriving for the event typically found their campsites
staked off with string or rope. A number of troop leaders also told The
Times-Dispatch after the accident that the staking marked the perimeter
of individual campsites and that troops determined where to place tents
within campsites.

While other troops from far-flung places, including other parts of
Alaska, used picnic-style canopies no more than 8 or 10 feet tall, OSHA
reported the center tent pole of the Western Alaskans' canopies
measured 28 feet, 8 inches.

Bill Haines, the Western Alaska Council's executive leader, said
previously that two Tents & Events employees asked the Alaska leaders
for help when the second canopy was ready to be raised.

Haines did not return phone calls seeking comment yesterday.

Michael Harman, a Richmond attorney for Tents & Events, said the
company settled the case with OSHA in part to expedite the public
release of the agency's report on the accident at the 10-day
quadrennial event.

"We thought that it ought to come out for the public and for the
families," he said.

The Times-Dispatch filed a federal Freedom of Information Act request
in November for all documentation relating to OSHA's investigation.

Harman said Tents & Events employees told him that the Western Alaska
Council's campsite was already "marked and laid out" when the
contractors arrived with the Alaskan troops.

Fort A.P. Hill and BSA officials have previously said they consulted on
a master site plan.

Ken Perrotte, an A.P. Hill spokesman, said yesterday that the BSA
determined the layout of the camps. "We provide the jamboree site under
a license [to the BSA.] They draw up their subcamp plans," he said.

The accident on the first day of the jamboree claimed the lives of
Ronald H. Bitzer, 58; Mike Lacroix, 42; and Michael J. Shibe, 49, all
of Anchorage; and Scott Edward Powell, 57, who had moved from Anchorage
to Perrysville, Ohio, in 2004. Shibe's twin sons and Lacroix's son, all
14, each witnessed the death of his father.

OSHA determined that the contractors were not properly trained to
recognize electrical hazards. The agency originally fined Tents &
Events $5,600 last month, but Pope said OSHA reduced the penalties
because the company has closed and has agreed to correct deficiencies
if it reopens. The company functioned as a division of RentQuick.com.

Last month, Army officials said their separate criminal investigation
into the electrocution found no evidence of criminal culpability and
that the Army would classify the deaths as accidental.

The next jamboree is scheduled to be held at A.P. Hill in 2010, to
coincide with BSA's 100th anniversary. The event has been held at the
Army base since 1981.

Brian Elfert

2006-02-10, 2:35 pm

"Fred Goodwin, CMA" <fgoodwin@yahoo.com> writes:

>While other troops from far-flung places, including other parts of
>Alaska, used picnic-style canopies no more than 8 or 10 feet tall, OSHA
>reported the center tent pole of the Western Alaskans' canopies
>measured 28 feet, 8 inches.

The BSA most likely plans campsites around typical camping equipment. A
28 foot tall dining canopy is not typical.

The BSA should only be considered liable for campsite placement if the
Alaska council informed the BSA of the height of their dining canopy well
in advance.

A typical power line would not be an issue for a standard dining fly.

Brian Elfert

Fred Goodwin, CMA

2006-02-10, 4:21 pm

Brian Elfert wrote:
>
> The BSA most likely plans campsites around typical camping equipment. A
> 28 foot tall dining canopy is not typical.

Indeed.

> A typical power line would not be an issue for a standard dining fly.

But would you "typically" pitch your tent under one?

I certainly wouldn't, and I'd question the judgement of any boys or
adults who pitched their tents under one. So I'd not accept a campsite
assignment from BSA or anyone else that required one of my campers to
pitch their tents under a power line.

I'm not laying blame here -- but someone sure lacked some common sense,
and that led to an avoidable tragedy.

Hindsight, 20-20 and all that . . .

Brian Westley

2006-02-11, 12:21 am

"Fred Goodwin, CMA" <fgoodwin@yahoo.com> writes:
>Brian Elfert wrote:
[color=darkred]
>Indeed.

[color=darkred]
>But would you "typically" pitch your tent under one?

>I certainly wouldn't, and I'd question the judgement of any boys or
>adults who pitched their tents under one. So I'd not accept a campsite
>assignment from BSA or anyone else that required one of my campers to
>pitch their tents under a power line.

They didn't pitch it directly under a power line; they lost
control of the pole which tipped over and hit a power line.
I haven't seen any reports describing how far away the power
line was from the base of the pole, but it could easily be
20+ feet.

---
Merlyn LeRoy

Colin Campbell

2006-02-11, 1:21 am

On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 03:58:02 -0000, Brian Westley <westley@visi.com>
wrote:

>"Fred Goodwin, CMA" <fgoodwin@yahoo.com> writes:
>
>
>
>
>
>They didn't pitch it directly under a power line; they lost
>control of the pole which tipped over and hit a power line.
>I haven't seen any reports describing how far away the power
>line was from the base of the pole, but it could easily be
>20+ feet.

I have been taught that any pole or mast must be situated so that it
is farther away from power lines than the height of the pole.

--
There can be no triumph without loss.
No victory without suffering.
No freedom without sacrifice.

phil-news-nospam@ipal.net

2006-02-19, 4:21 am

In sci.engr.electrical.compliance Colin Campbell <activated_95b@earthlink.net (remove underscore)> wrote:
| On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 03:58:02 -0000, Brian Westley <westley@visi.com>
| wrote:
|
|>"Fred Goodwin, CMA" <fgoodwin@yahoo.com> writes:
|>>Brian Elfert wrote:
|>>>
|>>> The BSA most likely plans campsites around typical camping equipment. A
|>>> 28 foot tall dining canopy is not typical.
|>
|>>Indeed.
|>
|>>> A typical power line would not be an issue for a standard dining fly.
|>
|>>But would you "typically" pitch your tent under one?
|>
|>>I certainly wouldn't, and I'd question the judgement of any boys or
|>>adults who pitched their tents under one. So I'd not accept a campsite
|>>assignment from BSA or anyone else that required one of my campers to
|>>pitch their tents under a power line.
|>
|>They didn't pitch it directly under a power line; they lost
|>control of the pole which tipped over and hit a power line.
|>I haven't seen any reports describing how far away the power
|>line was from the base of the pole, but it could easily be
|>20+ feet.
|
| I have been taught that any pole or mast must be situated so that it
| is farther away from power lines than the height of the pole.

It makes me wonder if a 28 foot pole can merely tip and hit the lines.
I, too, would like to know the height of the lines. Since this was on
an Army base, it is possible for hazards to exist that would not normally
comply with other safety standards. But such less safe areas should not
be opened to civilian access. If the power lines are lower than normal,
the area below and near them should be off limits to all but military
personnel.

The absolute minimum would be such that the pole or any part of the tent
(wet canvas can be a conductor, too) must be at least 10 feet away from
the actual wires (assuming 12kv distribution). But this would not be for
just the normally erected position. Any angles during erection would
apply. I'm not sure how best to judge extension caused by wind, but it
is something that should be considered. Even things like flaps and ropes
whipped around by wind when they are wet in a rainstorm should be considered
since if they contact the power lines, or even just come close, you can have
a tragedy.

IMHO, BSA should set a standard for their organization that all tents for
any event or outing should be at least 100 feet from a power line. This
should be taught as part of all material on placing and erecting tents.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Phil Howard KA9WGN | http://linuxhomepage.com/ http://ham.org/ |
| (first name) at ipal.net | http://phil.ipal.org/ http://ka9wgn.ham.org/ |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

LinkBot