A construction worker in North Avondale was left in critical condition Wednesday after he came into contact with a live electrical line while on scaffolding beside a home, then fell roughly 30 feet to the ground. Emergency crews took the man to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he remained in critical condition.
Assistant Fire Chief Matthew Flagler said the incident happened in the 3900 block of Abington Avenue and involved a line carrying about 7,200 volts. According to WCPO, the shock knocked the worker off the scaffolding and first responders quickly moved him to UC Medical Center for treatment.
As WLWT reported, Flagler said the worker was part of a crew doing chimney work when he was "shocked and fell from the top of that scaffolding." WLWT added that crews at the scene coordinated with Duke Energy and the city building department, and that roughly 90 Duke customers in the area around Abington Avenue lost power.
Power Outage And Emergency Response
WCPO noted that Duke Energy's outage map showed more than 50 customers without electricity in the immediate neighborhood, with utility crews working on site to restore service. Officials did not say when power would be fully restored for affected homes.
Worksite Safety Rules And Likely OSHA Review
Federal safety rules tightly limit how close scaffolding and other conductive materials can get to energized lines. OSHA guidance generally requires at least a 10-foot clearance for lines up to 50 kilovolts and lays out additional procedures when work has to happen inside that buffer. Employers who need to operate within those distances must have the utility de-energize and visibly ground the line or follow the protections listed in 29 CFR 1926, according to OSHA.
Falls and electrocutions remain two of the most lethal hazards in construction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that construction and extraction occupations accounted for more than 1,000 worker fatalities in 2024, and federal safety agencies note that contact with overhead power lines is a leading cause of electrocution among non-electrical workers (BLS, NIOSH). Safety experts say numbers like that are exactly why coordination among contractors, building departments and utilities is critical when something goes wrong.
Investigators from the fire department, the city building department and Duke Energy remained on Abington Avenue as crews worked to secure the site, and officials have not released the worker's name or the name of his employer, WLWT reported. The incident is still under investigation, and local crews have asked residents to avoid the block while emergency and utility work continues.
