OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14414411

BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRIC ARC,E GI IV,ELECTRICAL,BUSBAR,ELECTRICAL WORK,LOCKOUT,ELECTRICAL FAULT,HAND

1986-10-14T00:00:00

Event: BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRIC ARC,E GI IV,ELECTRICAL,BUSBAR,ELECTRICAL WORK,LOCKOUT,ELECTRICAL FAULT,HAND
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 14414411
Report ID: 728900

Event description

BURN - ELECTRICAL FAULT ON BUSBAR

Investigation abstract

TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ASSIGNED TO MEGGER THE GROUND POTENTIAL ON A PUMP MOTOR. THEY E THAT THEY WERE DEENERGIZED. THE WATER UTILITY EMPLOYEE SAID THAT HE WAS CERTAI N. UNFORTUNATELY, HE WAS WRONG. THE BOTTOM BUSBAR WAS ENERGIZED; AND, WHEN THE E LECTRICIAN CONTACTED THE STUDS WITH THE MEGGER LEADS, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL EX PLOSION FROM THE RESULTING FAULT. BOTH EMPLOYEES WERE SET ON FIRE--THE ELECTRICI AN DIED OF HIS INJURIES, AND THE OTHER EMPLOYEE WAS HOSPITALIZED. TWO OTHER WATE R UTILITY WORKERS RECEIVED BURNS ON THEIR HANDS AS THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES ON THE BURNING EMPLOYEES. WERE WORKING IN AN OUTDOOR CABINET HOUSING THE CONTROLS FOR EQUIPMENT OWNED AND OPERATED BY A CITY WATER DEPARTMENT. ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES WAS AN ELECTRICIAN FO R AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR; AND THE OTHER EMPLOYEE, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE OPE RATION, WORKED FOR THE WATER UTILITY. THERE WERE TWO SETS OF BUSBAR STUDS IN THE LOCATION IN WHICH THE TWO EMPLOYEES WERE WORKING. THE WATER UTILITY EMPLOYEE AS SURED THE ELECTRICIAN THAT THE TOP SET OF STUDS WAS ENERGIZED AND THAT THE BOTTO M STUDS WERE THE ONES TO BE CHECKED AND WERE DEENERGIZED. BEFORE THE ELECTRICIAN PLACED THE LEADS ON THE BOTTOM STUDS, HE ASKED THE OTHER EMPLOYEE IF HE WAS SUR

Victims (4)

#1 Fatality Age 60 M

Nature of injury
5

Part of body
4

Event type
1

Source
15

Occupation code
575

Human factor
18

Environmental factor
10

Task assigned
1
#2 Hospitalized Age 55 M

Nature of injury
5

Part of body
4

Event type
1

Source
15

Occupation code
999

Human factor
18

Environmental factor
10

Task assigned
1
#3 Non-hospitalized injury Age 60 M

Nature of injury
5

Part of body
12

Event type
6

Source
15

Occupation code
999

Human factor
1

Environmental factor
11

Task assigned
2
#4 Non-hospitalized injury Age 44 M

Nature of injury
5

Part of body
12

Event type
6

Source
15

Occupation code
999

Human factor
1

Environmental factor
11

Task assigned
2

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.