Electrical and Arc Flash Safety » Underground Network Incidents

Three California men injured in electrical explosion

Hugh Hoagland — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:38:24 +0000

Three men were injured after a transformer exploded while they were replacing an above ground power vault. One of the injured is an employee of Anaheim Public Utilities and the other two were under contract with the City of Anaheim. All three were hospitalized. Police report that their clothing caught fire in the explosion. Oct. 26, 2011

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Jamestown NY Lineman Critically Injured in Arc Flash Explosion

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:18:23 +0000

A Jamestown, NY Utility worker was critically injured while working in an underground vault to restore a power outage. He was badly burned during an arc flash, receiving burns to his hands, face and upper chest. He was transported to the hospital and listed in critical condition.

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Two New Zealand Workers Injured in Arc Flash

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 14:18:23 +0000

The two men, who were working for a geotechnical drilling company, where using a penetrometer to test soil density when the penetrometer came into contact with a 6600-volt cable what was buried about 60cm below the surface. One employee suffered burns to his legs and up his front and the more seriously injured man received burns to ~10% of his body. The Department of Labour is investigating.

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Mine Explosion in Romania Kills 5

Hugh Hoagland — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:13:39 +0000

Four electricians and an engineer were working on an electrical installation in an underground mine when an explosion resulted in their death. The cause of death is still under investigation, but may have been related to methane.

From my experience this is VERY likely to have been an arc flash but could have ignited methane.

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Baltimore manhole explosion injures two construction workers

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 02:40:50 +0000

Two Baltimore construction workers were burned in an underground explosion and electrical fire while working in a manhole. They both sustained first and second degree burns. One was taken to a trauma center and the other to a burn center. The cause of the arc flash is under investigation.

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Arc Flash Explosion of 11Kv Cable Leaves Two Workers Hospitalized in NZ

Hugh Hoagland — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:32:01 +0000

Two West Auckland workers were hospitalized with burns sustained when the 11Kv underground cable they were working on exploded. Fortunately, although the workers were both hospitalized for treatment of burns, the injuries are not considered life-threatening. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

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Oregon State University Temporarily Closed Following Arc Flash Incident

Hugh Hoagland — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 14:41:22 +0000

According to the report, an arc flash, that occurred in a steam tunnel on the OSU campus, delivered a 1,000 degree heat burst that sparked a fire in the tunnels which resulted in melting of cables and fiber optics systems within the tunnel. At least 26 buildings experienced problems with electrical power, phone service and/or computer connections. Full restoration is expected to take until the end of the fall term.

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Fatal Electrocution in Port Orange, FL Under OSHA Investigation

Hugh Hoagland — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:50:37 +0000

An employee of an electrical contracting company was fatally electrocuted while working on buried electrical piping. on the north side of the business complex, Surmaczewicz said. The man was taken to Halifax Hospital in Port Orange, where he died at 5:51 p.m., he said.

The victim was working with another worker when he touched a bare wire. Both workers thought the power to the wire had been turned off, she said. The accident is under OSHA investigation. OSHA electrical safety requirements have some specific steps to create what NFPA 70E calls an “electrical safe work condition”. Many companies train their employees to do these types of procedures. It is critical companies follow up with electrical safe work audits.

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PG&E Fined $176K by CalOSHA for Electrical Fatality

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:21:47 +0000

Not mincing words, CalOSHA fined PG&E $176K in a recent transformer incident leading to the fatality to a 26 year old electrical worker in a vault.

Read the news article citing the press release.

Read San Jose Mercury News Article.

Read SF Chronicle Article.

PG&E Fined $176,000 over Utility Worker’s Fatal Electrocution

Hugh Hoagland — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:49:02 +0000

The California Department of Industrial Relations has levied a $176,000 fine on Pacific Gas & Electric following a review of a Cal-OSHA report that alleged lax enforcement of safety rules to protect employees following the electrocution death of a PG&E utility worker. The worker was upgrading a transformer in a vault that contained 12,000-volt power lines. The worker was unable to be revived and died at the scene of the accident.

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