Archive for February, 2010

February 28

March 2000 OSHA fined Ford Hamburg, NY $57,125 for alleged serious & repeat violations. Two injured in arc flash.

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Arc Flash Fines, OSHA Fines for Arc Flash Incident, OSHA Issues | No Comments

This is an older story but a good one to see when OSHA started working to enforce more on electrical safety surrounding arc flash.  Up until 2000, OSHA really only addressed arc flash in electric utilities.  The 1994 law 29 CFR 1910.269 came out then and OSHA really started focusing on arc flash in utilities.  [...]

February 28

ArcWear.com/e-Hazard.com Electric Arc Newsletter February 2010

Posted by admin
Filed under Newsletter Archives | No Comments

Electric Arc & Safety Newsletter
The Most Authoritative Source for Electrical & Arc Flash Safety News

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In This Issue

NEW Online & DVD NFPA 70E Training with a Twist

Arc Test Dates

NFPA 70E TIA Reportedly Fails in Narrow Committee Vote

Florida Electrical Contractor’s Licensing Board Approves e-Hazard.com

IEEE-ESW Keynote Flies Safety Home

Articles Accidents & Videos

CSA Proposes Maintenance Standard [...]

February 25

Probable Arc Flash Boston, MA NStar Workers. Two workers allegedly injured.

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Arc Flash/Shock Safety, Electric Utility Incidents, Underground Network Incidents | No Comments

“Two NStar workers were hospitalized Friday morning after an overnight fire in a manhole at the corner of Summer and Otis Streets. Both men are at Mass General Hospital, but their conditions are not immediately known. NStar said the men were working in the manhole when an equipment failure sparked the fire. Both streets have been reopened.”

February 25

OSHA includes Electrical hazards in citation of NC & GA contractors for fall from water tower in NH

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under NEC Related Wiring Fines, OSHA Fines for Electrical Safety | No Comments

“OSHA identified additional safety and health hazards for Bullins employees, including improper anchorage points for the lifelines, an uninspected suspended scaffold, respirator protection deficiencies, overexposure to respirable dust, fumes and solvents, improper transfer of flammable liquids, smoking while mixing flammable liquids, electrical hazards and failing to appropriately monitor the inside of the water tank for oxygen-deficient atmospheres before workers entered it. Both employers also were cited for recordkeeping violations.”

February 22

Navy seaman dies from electrocution. NFPA 70E Training not legally for ships but can guide.

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Electric Shock Incidents | No Comments

“SAN DIEGO—The Navy says a 36-year-old sailor from San Diego was killed in an electrical accident aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

In a statement released Saturday, the Navy says Electrician’s Mate Chief John G. Conyers suffered severe electrical shock while conducting routine work as the ship underwent repairs at North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego Bay.

Conyers was taken by ambulance to Sharp Coronado Hospital, where he was pronounced dead Friday afternoon.

The statement says Conyers was an 11-year Navy veteran and is survived by a wife and daughter.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation. “

February 22

OSHA cites Cranesville Block Co. for chemical & electrical hazards at Kingston, NY, plant. Fines $45K.

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under NEC Related Wiring Fines, OSHA Fines for Electrical Safety, OSHA Issues | No Comments

Employee complaints prompted an OSHA inspection of this plant. Some were repeat citations. Two other facilities had been cited in 2009.
Employee relations can affect safety and compliance and vice versa. Safety should be a team effort. Most companies we do electrical safety training in are wanting to do the right [...]

February 18

Poletop Electrocution in Nigeria Totally Avoidable

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Electric Utility Incidents, International Arc Flash Standards, Overhead line incidents, Public Electrical Safety | No Comments

Sad another fatality which used to be common in the US. Grounding has almost totally eliminated these. The US OSHA 1910.269 legally required grounding in most medium voltage to high voltage applications or the worker must consider the conductors energized. Additionally arc rated clothing has been shown to save some shock victims. [...]

February 17

Probable arc flash incident ConEd in Brooklyn. Two reportedly injured

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Arc Flash/Shock Safety, Electric Utility Incidents, Underground Network Incidents | No Comments

ConEd has an exceptional arc flash PPE program. Two injured. One critical according to one report but not critical according to a ConEd report. Most like a manhole arc flash. Standers-by might think the person in the hole was worse off than reality. Arc flashes have substantial smoke which looks [...]

February 15

Electrocutions Still Lead Deaths At Work Article in British Medical Journal

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Arc Flash/Shock Safety, Electric Shock Incidents, Electric Utility Incidents, OSHA Issues, Public Electrical Safety | No Comments

This 2003 article is free with registration to the British Medical Journal. Thought the Brits don’t recognize NFPA 70E they have pretty impeccable results with their methods for electrical safety including “safety by design”. They have required “touch safe” designs installed since 1991 for many applications which makes the average worker much safer [...]

February 15

Electrical Fatalities in Bulgarian Study of the Smolyan District

Posted by Hugh Hoagland
Filed under Arc Flash/Shock Safety, Electric Shock Incidents, Public Electrical Safety | No Comments

Good to see studies in Bulgaria of electrical fatalities.
Not just of workers but most were workers and male.
Click to see the study in an Internet Journal of Forensic urnal