69,000-Volt Jolt Kills 3 at Building Site; 3 More Hurt

A 69,000-volt electrical wire touched a scaffolding being moved at a construction site today, killing three workers and injuring three others, authorities said.

The accident occurred as six workers were rolling the 25-foot scaffolding away from a building under construction at Worthington Industries on the city’s north side, said Doug Reardon, president of Target Construction Co., the general contractor. No one was on the scaffolding.

The workers were putting up aluminum siding on the building, which is to be a distribution center.

Officials at Columbus Southern Power Co. said the cable, which ran about 30 feet from the building, was carrying 69,000 volts of electricity, enough voltage to supply a small town. The electric company was called to cut power to the site.

Reardon said workers generally do not consider wires to be a work hazard unless they are within 10 feet. He said they probably thought they had enough room to safely move the scaffolding, which was on wheels, to another wall of the building.

Roscoe Blackburn, 24, a Target Construction employee, said he was one of several workers installing a roof on the building when the accident occurred shortly after 10 a.m.

“I saw a big spark, and we went to the edge to look over and saw them all lying on the ground,” he said. “We got off of there. . . . We just started yelling for help.”

He said the six victims still appeared to be in contact with the scaffolding, so he and the others did not try to move them.