One person was electrocuted Friday afternoon at a business along Highway 86 in Piedmont, and the Anderson County Coroner's Office responded to the scene. The victim was identified as 65-year-old Perry Earnest Anderson of Easley, who was working on an A/C unit when he was shocked by a live wire. The incident happened at approximately 2:45 p.m., and the cause of death was ruled electrocution, with the manner of death determined to be accidental.
The Anderson County Coroner is responding to the reported electrocution, according to WYFF, which reported the incident Friday. WYFF identified the victim as 65-year-old Perry Earnest Anderson of Easley and reported that he was working on an A/C unit when he was shocked by a live wire. The cause of death was ruled electrocution, and the manner of death was accidental.
Highway 86 runs through a stretch of Piedmont that mixes commercial and industrial development, including sites like Goodyear Auto Service - Easley at 114 Rolling Hills Circle in Easley, according to information from Goodyear. The corridor is also served by nearby emergency medical resources, including the AnMed Emergency Department in Piedmont, located at the intersection of Highway 86 and Old Williamston Road, per AnMed.
Coroner's Office Leads Local Investigation
The Anderson County Office of the Coroner, led by Coroner Greg Shore, is investigating the incident. In this case, the cause of death was ruled electrocution and the manner of death accidental.
If the electrocution is determined to be work-related, state law requires the employer to report the fatality to South Carolina OSHA within eight hours of learning of the event, under South Carolina Code of Regulations Chapter 71-339. Occupational safety and health standards across the state are enforced by SC OSHA, a division of the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation operating under federal state-plan approval granted in 1972.
What A Workplace Investigation Could Uncover
What A Workplace Investigation Could Uncover Should the incident be classified as a workplace fatality, the circumstances could receive additional scrutiny. The incident also highlights the broader importance of tracking workplace fatalities.
Electrocutions remain one of the construction and industrial sectors' most persistent dangers. Workplace electrical deaths can involve overhead power lines and workers from a range of occupations.
A July 19, 2023, Journal retrospective said an electrical shock may have been a contributory cause of the drowning death of an Anderson physician, a case that was also investigated by county officials at the time, according to The Journal.
A man died this week in Indianapolis after police observed signs of electrocution while he appeared to be attempting to take copper wire, but the Marion County Coroner had not yet confirmed the exact cause of death. In the Piedmont case, the cause of death was ruled electrocution and the manner of death accidental. Hoodline will continue to follow the investigation as SC OSHA and the Anderson County Coroner's Office release further findings.
