OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14342513
QUALITY ELECTRIC CONTRACTING INC.
DANIA, FL·
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH UNDERGROUND LINE
Investigation abstract
ON THE AFTERNOON OF GOOD FRIDAY, AN EMPLOYEE WORKING ALONE WAS BUTT-SPLICING SIX BREAKS IN A 480-VOLT UNDERGROUND POWER LINE THAT HAD BEEN EXCAVATED. THE CIRCUI T BREAKER BOX THAT SUPPLIED POWER TO THIS LINE WAS NOT CAPABLE OF BEING LOCKED O UT AND WAS LOCATED ON A PUBLIC STREET ABOUT 200 FEET AWAY FROM THE EMPLOYEE. THE EMPLOYEE WAS SPICING THE SIXTH BREAK, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE THE FURTHERMOST FROM THE BREAKER BOX. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN TURNED ON, AND THE LINE BECAME RE ENERGIZED. THE EMPLOYEE WAS ELECTROCUTED WHEN HE PERFORMED THE SPLICE. NO ONE DE TERMINED WHO REENERGIZED THE LINE.
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 36 Male
- Nature of injury
- Electric Shock (10)
- Part of body
- BODYSYSTEM (4)
- Accident type
- SHOCK (13)
- Source of injury
- ELEC APPARAT/WIRING (15)
- Occupation
- Electrical power installers and repairers (577)
- Human factor
- DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT IN USE (12)
- Environmental factor
- OTHER (18)
- Hazardous substance
- 8870
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.