A BUILDING site worker has survived a potentially deadly electric shock when the boom of a concrete pumping truck touched high-voltage power lines carrying 11,000 volts. The man, who suffered entry and exit burns from the shock, was rushed to hospital but his injuries were not believed to be life threatening. At about 11.30am yesterday he was apparently controlling part of the boom from which the concrete flows when another part of the apparatus touched the power lines. The accident at the Collinsvale site blacked out electricity to about 1300 customers, although it was restored by 2pm. "This very serious incident should serve as a warning for people to look up and look out when doing anything that involves contact with high objects," Aurora energy spokeswoman Sarah Baddeley said. She said there were 36 cases of contact with electrical lines in Tasmania last year, none fatal. Aurora Energy launched a "Look Up Look Out" safety campaign in January. Yesterday's incident will be investigated by an electrical inspector reporting to Workplace Standards. Workplace Standards general manager Roy Ormerod said an amazing number of incidents occurred relating to plant and equipment going under power lines and close enough to produce an electrical arc. Almost half the incidents reported to Workplace Standards this year related to electricity, a hidden danger which could be deadly. Major electricity-related incidents reported to Workplace Standards since the start of January include a tray truck contacting power lines while shouldering a road, an excavator coming in contact with live wires, a council backhoe which was being transported for repairs striking power lines and a truck clipping a power line while spreading aggregate with the hoist fully raised. In each case the operators escaped without serious injury. waterhousec@news.net.au

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/03/01/305121_most-popular-stories.html

Sounds like a lot of lucky people over there..