PG&E employee burned while near transformer

A PG&E worker suffered second-degree burns early Monday while making repairs after a power outage in Santa Rosa.

The utility worker was using a special insulated pole called a "hot stick" as he worked on a transformer on Sonoma Avenue near Sotoyome Street. The transformer sent out a burst of fire that burned the worker, PG&E spokeswoman Jana Schuering said.

Santa Rosa firefighters initially reported that the worker had told them he received a jolt of electricity that burned him.

After briefly talking to the injured man, firefighters said they found a small fire nearby. Battalion Chief Andy Pforsich said the utility workers at the site made no initial mention of a fire and seemed surprised when it was discovered.

Schuering said that medical personnel who treated the utility worker ruled out electric shock because there were no entrance and exit wounds, a telltale sign of such injuries.

The utility declined to release the injured worker's name. The Fire Department said it didn't have the man's name.

Firefighters said the man's worst burn was on one hand. Schuering said the worker suffered burns to his hands and chin and that some of the burns were second-degree.

The worker was treated and released from a local hospital.

PG&E is investigating what caused the injury.

The utility workers were responding to a power outage that began Sunday afternoon. About 730 neighborhood customers lost power, and electricity was restored shortly before 4 p.m, Schuering said.

However, the utility workers remained at the Sonoma Avenue site into the night to make further repairs. The accident occurred about 12:30 a.m.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that electrical power line workers belong to one of the nation's 10 most dangerous occupations, with a death rate below fishermen and loggers but comparable to roofers and farmers.

Larry Pierce, assistant business manager for the union that represents the utility's linemen, said they often face "a very dark, dangerous situation in the middle of the night."

But Pierce, a former lineman now employed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245, praised the utility's training program and a safety record that he said was as good as any in the industry.

"Once you get trained at PG&E," Pierce said, "you can pretty much go anywhere and be accepted."

Staff Writer Randi Rossmann contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale

@pressdemocrat.com.