OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14253041
BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRIC ARC,E GI IV,ELECTRICAL,SWITCHBOARD,ELECTRICIAN,ELECTRICAL WORK,LOCKOUT,ELECTRICAL FAULT
Event description
BURN - ELECTRICAL FAULT IN SWITCHBOARD
Investigation abstract
AN ELECTRICIAN WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF A FLOOR-MOUNTED, OPEN-FRONT SWITCHBOARD, T WITH THE GROUNDED METAL ENCLOSURE OF THE PANELBOARD. THE RESULTING ARC TRAVELL ED TO OTHER TERMINALS IN THE SWITCHBOARD AND AN ELECTRICAL EXPLOSION ENSUED. THE ELECTRICIAN RECEIVED SECOND DEGREE BURNS OVER 35.5 PERCENT OF HIS BODY AND THIR D DEGREE BURNS OVER 37 PERCENT OF HIS BODY. HE DIED IN THE HOSPITAL ABOUT 18 HOU RS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE APPRENTICE ELECTRICIAN AND THE ELECTRICIAN'S SUPERVIS OR WERE ALSO INJURED, BUT WERE NOT HOSPITALIZED. (THE SECOND PAGE OF THE ORIGINA L OSHA 170 REPORT, WHICH PRESUMABLY DESCRIBED THEIR INJURIES, WAS MISSING.) CONNECTING AWG #3/0 INSULATED COPPER CONDUCTORS TO 480/277-VOLT, 3-PHASE, 3-POL E CIRCUIT BREAKERS. AN APPRENTICE WAS SQUATTING OR KNEELING AT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SWITCHBOARD, REACHING THROUGH ITS FRAME AND HOLDING THE CONDUCTORS. THESE CO NDUCTORS ENTERED THE SWITCHBOARD THROUGH THE FLOOR. AS THE ELECTRICIAN WAS BENDI NG OR SHAPING A CONDUCTOR, THE BARE END OF THE CONDUCTOR CONTACTED THE ENERGIZED 277-VOLT, LINE-SIDE TERMINAL OF ANOTHER BREAKER INSTALLED IN THE SAME SWITCHBOA RD. THE OTHER END OF THE CONDUCTOR WAS COILED INSIDE A PANELBOARD ENCLOSURE IN A DIFFERENT ROOM, AND THE BARE PORTION OF THIS END OF THE CONDUCTOR WAS IN CONTAC
Victims (3)
-
#1 Fatality Age 37 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Non-hospitalized injury Age 25 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 43 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 19
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 575
- Human factor
- 18
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.