OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14457386
BURN,E GI III,ELECTRICAL,FIRE,PANELBOARD,BUSBAR,ELECTRICAL WORK,GROUND FAULT
Event description
BURNS - GROUND FAULT IN PANELBOARD
Investigation abstract
A REFRIGERATION AND MAINTENANCE MECHANIC FOR AREA STORES WAS CALLED TO CHECK ON TTEMPTED TO INSTALL IT, BUT IT WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE PANEL. THE EMPLOYEE DECIDE D TO OBTAIN A NEW BREAKER THE NEXT DAY AND TRY TO INSTALL IT. THE NEXT DAY, A NE W 70-AMPERE, 3-PHASE BREAKER WAS OBTAINED. THIS BREAKER ALSO WOULD NOT FIT INTO THE PANEL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE PROPER BREAKER. THE EMPLOYEE ATTEMPTED TO REALI GN THE BUSBAR WITH A PIECE OF INSULATED MATERIAL. THE BUSBAR SHORTED TO GROUND, CAUSING A FLASH AND FIRE. THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED BURNS ON HIS HANDS. THE PANELBOA RD WAS A 240-VOLT, 3-PHASE UNIT. THE EMPLOYEE HAD RECEIVED TRADE SCHOOL TRAINING AND ATTENDED PERIODIC SEMINARS. HE NORMALLY WORKED ALONE. AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THE EMPLOYEE FOUND THAT ONE OF THE PHASES OF THE THREE-PH ASE SYSTEM WAS INOPERATIVE, CAUSING THE REFRIGERATION COMPRESSORS TO SHUT DOWN. SINCE THE OTHER TWO PHASES WERE STILL ENERGIZED, THE COMPRESSORS WERE TRYING TO RESTART, RESULTING IN A LARGE AMOUNT OF HEAT BUILD-UP WITHIN THE EQUIPMENT. THE EMPLOYEE TURNED OFF ALL THE BREAKERS AND HAD THE ELECTRIC UTILITY COMPANY COME O UT TO REPAIR THE INOPERATIVE PHASE. ONCE THE PHASE WAS REPAIRED, THE EMPLOYEE TU RNED ON ALL THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO RESTORE POWER TO THE COMPRESSORS. ALL THE BR EAKERS BUT ONE COULD BE RESET. THE EMPLOYEE OBTAINED A REPLACEMENT BREAKER AND A
Victim
-
#1 Non-hospitalized injury Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 5
- Part of body
- 12
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 15
- Occupation code
- 534
- Human factor
- 1
- Environmental factor
- 18
- Task assigned
- 1
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