PG&E employee burned while near transformer

<p>A PG&amp;E worker suffered second-degree burns early Monday while making repairs after a power outage in Santa Rosa.</p><p>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&amp;E spokeswoman Jana Schuering said.</p><p>Santa Rosa firefighters initially reported that the worker had told them he received a jolt of electricity that burned him.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The utility declined to release the injured worker's name. The Fire Department said it didn't have the man's name.</p><p>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.</p><p>The worker was treated and released from a local hospital.</p><p>PG&amp;E is investigating what caused the injury.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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."</p><p>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.</p><p>"Once you get trained at PG&amp;E," Pierce said, "you can pretty much go anywhere and be accepted."</p><p>Staff Writer Randi Rossmann contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Robert Digitale at 521-5285 or robert.digitale</p><p>@pressdemocrat.com.</p>