Contractor Electrocuted at AK Steel Ashland Works Dies
06/26/2015 - According to a report by the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, officials believe electrocution caused the death of a contractor performing tests on substations at AK Steel Ashland Works on 23 June.
Boyd County Coroner Mark Hammond said a preliminary autopsy on Dwane Walters, 47, of Hico, West Virginia, seems to support that conclusion, though it will likely be more than a month before an official death certificate is issued.
Walters, a contractor with Siemens, was performing specialized electrical tests at the plant when he reportedly came in contact with a wire that was charged, Hammond said.
"He yelled to the people with him to shut the wire off, and they did that," Hammond said. "He was conscious momentarily, then went unconscious."
The coroner said Walters went into cardiac arrest, and was treated with a defibrillator at the scene.
He was transported to King's Daughters Medical Center, and was pronounced dead about an hour after his arrival, Hammond said.
His body was sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort.
Hammond said the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident.
A spokesperson with AK Steel did not return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday.
Siemens released a statement confirming Walters' death.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Dwane and his family," the statement read. "We are in the process of working with officials to determine the cause and are offering support to the family."
Source: The Herald-Dispatch
Walters, a contractor with Siemens, was performing specialized electrical tests at the plant when he reportedly came in contact with a wire that was charged, Hammond said.
"He yelled to the people with him to shut the wire off, and they did that," Hammond said. "He was conscious momentarily, then went unconscious."
The coroner said Walters went into cardiac arrest, and was treated with a defibrillator at the scene.
He was transported to King's Daughters Medical Center, and was pronounced dead about an hour after his arrival, Hammond said.
His body was sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort.
Hammond said the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is investigating the incident.
A spokesperson with AK Steel did not return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday.
Siemens released a statement confirming Walters' death.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Dwane and his family," the statement read. "We are in the process of working with officials to determine the cause and are offering support to the family."
Source: The Herald-Dispatch
