PLANTATION, Fla. – A worker was seriously injured Tuesday morning at Westside Regional Medical Center, authorities said.
Plantation Fire Rescue Chief Joe Gordon said the worker, who is employed by Rams Inc., was working on the electrical system that feeds into the hospital when he accidentally cut into a pipe that had power lines inside.
However, a spokesman for Gaylor Electrical, which is also looking into the incident, said there was nothing to suggest at this time that the Rams worker cut into a pipe. Wes Anderson said it appears the worker came into contact with an arc flash, which caused him to suffer severe burns.
Due to the severity of his injuries, the worker was airlifted to Kendall Regional Medical Center's Burn Unit.
Westside Regional is currently running on a modified status with a backup generator, but the emergency department remains open, authorities said.
Florida Power & Light employees were at the hospital working to restore power.
Northwest 84th Avenue was shut down while the worker was being airlifted, but the road has since been reopened.