PUD employee shocked

BEVERLY - A Grant County PUD employee, who was not identified, received a shock from 550 volts of electricity used to power a crane at Wanapum Dam on Thursday, Aug. 23.

At last report from the PUD, he was at home and doing well.

The employee was conducting routine work to re-energize a 390-ton crane located on top of the dam so that maintenance crews could begin scheduled work on the crane, according to PUD chief publicist Sarah Morford.

What exactly happened to cause the incident is under investigation, she said. She confirmed the accident on Friday and said the employee was transported to the Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for monitoring and was released Thursday night.

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

- Staff report