Dec 12, 2016 By Mike Jones 1 min read

A construction worker performing renovations on Mt. Lebanon High School suffered severe burns to his hands and face Dec. 11 when he came into contact with a main electrical line feeding power to the building.

Mt. Lebanon Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Maehling said crews were called to the high school about 9:40 a.m. and found the worker with serious injuries from the electrical arc while he was removing old power lines as part of the repaving of Horsman Drive during the high school renovations.

“The flash was like a welding arc,” Maehling said. “That caused the arc burns to his hands and facial area.”

The flash came from a line carrying 26,000 volts of electricity, Maehling said. He said investigators are waiting for Duquesne Light workers to determine how the accident happen.

The worker, who Maehling would not identify, was taken to the burn unit at UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh with “serious injuries.” He did not know the man’s condition a day after the accident or which contractor he was working for when it occurred.

The incident caused a total loss of power to the high school campus, forcing district officials to cancel classes Dec. 12.