WorkSafeBC has launched a formal investigation of a serious electrical incident in Aldergrove involving a BC Hydro employee who was taken to hospital.

Emergency crews were called to the area of 18th Avenue and 252nd Street on June 2 for a medical call involving electricity, where a man was discovered conscious and breathing with electrical burns to his hands, forearms and face, Andy Hewitson, assistant fire chief with the Township of Langley, described the day after the event.

RELATED: BC Hydro worker taken to hospital after ‘electrical contact’ in Aldergrove

The incident resulted in the Crown corporation de-energizing the line, which disconnected power to thousands of customers in the area.

BC Hydro confirmed the man was completing planned work in the area at the time of the injury.

Now, WorkSafeBC is in the midst of completing an investigation.

An inspection report provided to the Langley Advance Times by WorkSafeBC describes the details of the event:

“A worker (power line technician) was performing regular duties that involved replacing a power pole on a rural street to accommodate a new power line run from an adjacent private property. After the new power pole was placed and the primary was re-energized, the worker was attempting to ‘dead-end’ the de-energized primary from the new run, and came into contact with the live primary line on the existing run.”

WorkSafeBC is required to examine serious workplace incidents and at the conclusion of an investigation identify a cause and contributing factors.

Findings of an investigation may also result in enforcement action where violations of the Workers Compensation Act or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation have occurred.

A media relations spokesperson with WorkSafeBC said an update can be expected in September.

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