Electrical and Arc Flash Safety » Electric Shock Incidents

Coating & Treatment Co in England Fined for Employee’s Shock

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:54:46 +0000

A Tecvac machine operator in Cambridge was seriously injured last July while checking new cables on a hardening machine. He was shocked, leaving open wounds to his forearm and left palm, and burns on left arm and knee. The company was fined for not having prevented access to the live parts of the cables, not insulating them or ensuring that the stored electrical energy had been discharged.

Click here to read the article dated 4/26/12.

Electrical Workplace Safety & Sudden Cardiac Arrest Article by NFPA

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:54:24 +0000

SCA (Sudden Cardiac Arrest) is not a heart attack (lack of blood), but rather involves the heart’s electrical impulses. CPR and AED (automated external defib) are needed when employees experience SCA in the workplace. 13% of workplace fatalities are due to SCA, with survival rates of only 1-5% if occuring outside of a hospital. If trained employees are not able to procure an AED for use within the 1st 4 minute window, the chance of the victim’s survival decreases substantially. NFPA 70E^®-2012, Section 110.2(C) requires employees whose duties warrant such training to be regularly instructed in methods of first aid and approved methods of resuscitation. Training in approved methods of resuscitation – CPR and AED use – must be certified by the employer on an annual basis. Employees who are trained in CRP and AED use, and who have an AED available for use, can substantially improve the chance of survival of a fibrillation victim, whether the fibrillation is due to an electrical shock hazard or sudden cardiac arrest.

Click here to read the NEC article by Michael Fontaine.

$50k Fine for Lack of Training in Australia

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:22:51 +0000

A sign installation employee in Preston, Victoria, was shocked and seriously burned when the metal rod he was taking off the top of a sign touched an overhead power line, sending 22,000v through his body. A Worksafe investigation found the company failed to ensure employees had sufficient training when working near powerlines at that particular site. The investigation also found the company could have installed “fixed tracking” at the site, which would have prevented the worker from being able to remove the metal rods over his shoulder, striking the power lines.

Click here to read the article dated 4/4/12.

Electrician Listed as 1 of 10 Deadlist Jobs in RI

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 20:19:15 +0000

According to statistics from the Division of Worker’s Compensation of the State Department of Labor and Training, Rhode Island electricians suffered 3 deaths and 2207 injuries during the 10 year period of 2001-2010. Rhode Island’s Committee on Occupational Safety and Health indicates that the most common cause of workplace injuries and fatalities is failure to recognize hazards involved; second most common scenario for serious injuries are workplaces where employees are aware of the hazards, but are effectively powerless to say or do anything about it.

Click here to read the article dated 3/23/12.

Maintenance Worker Electrocuted in Jakarta

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:42:02 +0000

An employee from the South Jakarta Sanitation Agency was electrocuted when he touched the railing of a pedestrian bridge. He had been taking a break from cleaning ditches and was lying on his back on the bridge; a frayed power cable from a nearby utilty pole adhered to the bridge, transmitting the current to the man’s hand when he touched the railing. Electrical systems built according to codes and properly maintained do not cause these types of incidents. There are many standards in IEC on proper power line design. In the US the proper standard is NESC. Maintenance is critical for public safety.

Click here to read the article dated 4/11/12.

Electric Shock during Utility Pole Installation in Ottawa

Hugh Hoagland — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:44:57 +0000

Three contract employees of Ottawa Hydo suffered electrical shock when the boom on a machine used to install utility poles came into contact with overhead lines. One man was seriously injured & required CPR, while the other two received electrical shock in attempting to rescue their co-worker.

Click here to read the article dated 3/22/12.

Utility Contractor Electrocuted in AR

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:51:33 +0000

Employees of Highlines, Inc., a private contractor from LA, were replacing utility poles for an electric company in Jefferson County, AR. One of the workers on the ground guided a pole which touched an overhead power line, fatally shocking him. The other worker was treated and released.

Click here to read the article dated 3/29/12.

Jail Employee in TX Suffers Electrical Burns

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:36:16 +0000

A worker from Comal County Jail of New Braunfels, TX, apparently dropped a wrench on an electric bus bar, causing an electrical arc that shocked (?) and burned him.

Click here to read the article dated 3/28/12.

OSHA Weekly Fatality/Catastrophe Report for w/e 2-25-12

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:26:43 +0000

Included in the weekly fatality report is mention of a construction worker being electrocuted when replacing lightning arresters on electrical lines.

Click here to read the OSHA report.

Coal Mine Fatality in AL due to Energized Conductor

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:14:13 +0000

The first fatality of 2012 in the coal mining industry occurred at Shoal Creek Mine in Jefferson, AL. An electrician was performing electrical work on the cable reel of a shuttle car when he received a fatal electrical shock. The electrician came in contact with the exposed 995 volt energized cable leads in the cable reel compartment. The disconnecting device was not locked and tagged out while this work was being performed.

Click here to read the news release from MSHA dated 3/23/12.

Click here to read the preliminary accident report.