(News Release) BURLTINGTON JUNCTION, Mo. – The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Kansas City Area Office has opened an investigation into a report that two employees of PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., headquartered in Kansas City, were injured while replacing an electrical power pole near State Hwy PP and 215th Street west of Burlington Junction, Missouri, on June 23.

Preliminary information provided by the Nodaway Country Sheriff’s Office stated the electrical workers were injured at approximately 11:30 a.m. when the pole they were working on contacted overhead power lines. The two workers were transported by helicopter to different hospitals, one in Kansas City, Kansas, the other in Omaha, Nebraska. Both employees remain hospitalized for treatment.

“Electrical power distribution work poses deadly hazards to employees and our investigation will determine if any violations of OSHA standards contributed to this incident,” said Todd Sieleman, OSHA’s Acting Area Director in Kansas City. “These types of preventable events occur too often. This is the second incident this week our office is investigating of workers being injured by power lines.”

It’s the second investigation OSHA has opened this week in northwest Missouri after employees were injured while working on power lines.  As we previously reported, an investigation was opened was workers were injured in Union Star earlier this week.