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 #704809

BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRIC ARC,ELECTRICAL,ELECTRIC SWITCH,E GI VII,PANELBOARD,ELECTRICAL FAULT

Event
BURN,CLOTHING,ELECTRIC ARC,ELECTRICAL,ELECTRIC SWITCH,E GI VII,PANELBOARD,ELECTRICAL FAULT
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
704809
Report ID
352440

Event description

BURN - ELECTRICAL FAULT IN PANELBOARD

Investigation abstract

A MAINTENANCE WORKER WAS ASSIGNED TO CHECK A 240-VOLT ELECTRIC SWITCH THAT WAS N S THAT LOOSENED THE CONNECTOR.) THE MAINTENANCE WORKER RECEIVED FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE BURNS ON HIS RIGHT SHOULDER, RIGHT ARM, AND FACE, AND HE RECEIVED THIRD DEGREE BURNS ON HIS RIGHT HAND. THE EMPLOYEE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR HIS INJURIES. OT MAKING PROPER CONTACT. THE SWITCH WAS MOUNTED IN A FEDERAL PACIFIC PANELBOARD (SERIAL NUMBER AJ-316403, 1200 AMPERES; BOTTOM SECTION: SERIAL NUMBER QMQB 1032 ). THE PANELBOARD WAS 36 INCHES WIDE BY 84 INCHES TALL WITH SIX SWITCHES MOUNTED INSIDE. THE BOTTOM SECTION OF THE PANELBOARD WAS 18 INCHES WIDE BY 6 INCHES TAL L AND WAS 18 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND. THE MAINTENANCE WORKER OPENED THE SWITCH A ND THEN OPENED THE DOOR OF THE PANELBOARD. AS HE WAS OPENING THE DOOR, ONE OF TH E PHASE CONNECTORS FELL AND CONTACTED ANOTHER PHASE, RESULTING IN AN ELECTRICAL EXPLOSION. (IT IS BELIEVED THAT CONTINUED SHAKING OF THE SWITCH CAUSED VIBRATION

Victim

  1. #1 Hospitalized Age 28 M

    Nature of injury
    5
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    1
    Source
    15
    Occupation code
    519
    Human factor
    14
    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.