WDM Electrocution Hospitalization: Every Second Counts When Electricity is Involved

To our dedicated petition signers,

The fight for the Two-Person Safety Rule just received a chilling update from our own backyard. On Monday, October 20, 2025, a person was hospitalized following an electrocution incident in West Des Moines near 1475 Maffitt Lake Road—an area close to the large-scale data center construction sites.

While local officials confirm that one person was transported to an area hospital and their condition remains unknown, this incident is a vivid, local example of the immediate life-and-death stakes in our skilled trades.

The Critical Link to Our Safety Campaign
 

We continue to lack official confirmation on the individual's employer or whether this incident occurred on a Microsoft construction site. However, the known address places it within a high-activity construction zone where electrical, piping, and mechanical work are being performed at industrial scale.

This emergency is exactly why the Two-Person Safety Rule is a necessity, not a luxury:

The Inevitable Delay: In a shock situation, an incapacitated lone worker cannot call for help. On a vast site, minutes can pass before a supervisor or another worker discovers the emergency.
The Power of Immediate Action: A safety partner is trained to safely and immediately de-energize the power source and begin first aid/CPR. For an electrocution victim, this immediate response is often the sole factor determining survival.
Electrical Work Is High-Hazard: Federal OSHA regulations recognize the extreme risk of electrical work by requiring a second person for many tasks involving exposed live parts. This incident is a local call to action for Iowa to mandate this essential practice universally for all high-hazard work.
 

Don't Let This Be a Forgotten Statistic
 

We are fighting to ensure every person transported from a job site has had the benefit of an immediate safety response. The rise in Iowa fatalities—including the previous electrocution tragedy—shows that relying on luck or voluntary safety is a failed policy.

Please use this recent, local emergency as leverage. Share this update and encourage your network to contact their legislators, demanding they support legislation that mandates a safety partner for all high-hazard work. We need the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds to prioritize worker safety over construction schedules.

Sincerely,

Nathan Schumacher

Master Plumber & Safety Advocate

 
To see the local news coverage of this emergency, watch the report: One person hospitalized after electrocution incident reported in West Des Moines.