105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14492706

ELECTRICAL,CONFINED SPACE,ELECTROCUTED,E C,GROUND FAULT,EQUIPMENT GROUNDING,SYSTEM GROUNDING,ELEC PORT TOOL--MISC

Event
ELECTRICAL,CONFINED SPACE,ELECTROCUTED,E C,GROUND FAULT,EQUIPMENT GROUNDING,SYSTEM GROUNDING,ELEC PORT TOOL--MISC
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14492706
Report ID
627400

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK - GROUND FAULT IN ELECTRIC GRINDER

Investigation abstract

A JOB SUPERINTENDENT WAS INSTALLING INSULATION ON A STEEL TANK AT AN OIL REFINER Y CONSTRUCTION SITE. HE WAS USING A 120-VOLT ELECTRIC PENCIL GRINDER TO GRIND RU ST OFF THE TANK SO THAT PINE COULD BE TACKED TO THE TANK TO HOLD THE INSULATION. WHEN THE STEP-DOWN TRANSFORMER WAS CONNECTED TO THE 480-VOLT, THREE-PHASE-DELTA POWER SUPPLY, THE EQUIPMENT GROUNDING CONDUCTOR BECAME ENERGIZED AT 480 VOLTS. (THE REPORT DID NOT STATE WHEN THIS CONNECTION WAS MADE.) WHEN THE EMPLOYEE'S RI GHT ARM TOUCHED THE METAL TANK WITH THE GRINDER IN HIS LEFT HAND, HE WAS ELECTRO CUTED.

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 34 M

    Nature of injury
    10
    Part of body
    2
    Event type
    12
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    558
    Human factor
    17
    Environmental factor
    18
    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.