PUD employee shocked

BEVERLY - A Grant County PUD employee was shocked from 550 volts of electricity used to power a crane at Wanapum Dam Thursday.

The employee was conducting routine work to reenergize a 390-ton crane located on top of the dam so that maintenance crews could begin scheduled work on the crane, according to Sarah Morford, a district spokesperson. What exactly happened to cause the incident is under investigation.

She confirmed the accident on Friday, and added that the employee was transported to the Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for monitoring and released Thursday night.

However, as of press time, PUD did not release the name of the employee.

"Electrical safety is a top priority for us at Grant PUD," Morford stated. "We are thankful for the quick work of other employees on-site to appropriately respond to the incident at hand and we are glad that the employee involved is at home, safe and recovering."

- Staff report