OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #742684
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
WOODLAWN, MD·
Event description
ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH ENERGIZED PARTS
Investigation abstract
A SERVICE OPERATOR TRAINER FOR AN ELECTRIC UTILITY WAS WATCHING A SERVICE OPERAT ERGIZED LOAD BUSTER. THE TRAINER RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK, AND THE POINTS OF C URRENT ENTRY AND EXIT WERE HIS HANDS AND FEET. DESPITE RESCUE EFFORTS BY COWORKE RS, PARAMEDICS, AND HOSPITAL STAFF, THE TRAINER DIED OF ELECTROCUTION. OR TRAINEE USE A LOAD BUSTER AND HOT STICK TO DISENGAGE AN ENERGIZED 7620-VOLT S WITCH ON A PAD-MOUNTED 13-KILOVOLT SWITCHGEAR. THE TRAINER WAS NOT WEARING ELECT RICAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, BUT THE TRAINEE WAS WEARING RUBBER INSULATING GLOVES AND SLEEVES. AFTER THE SWITCH WAS DISENGAGED BUT STILL ENERGIZED, THE TRAINEE T RIED TO REMOVE THE LOAD BUSTER TOOL FROM THE SWITCH BY TURNING THE HOT STICK. FO R SOME REASON, THE LOAD BUSTER BUTTON WAS NOT LOCKED IN THE HOT STICK HOLE, AND THE STICK TURNED WITHOUT MOVING THE LOAD BUSTER. THE TRAINER PUT HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE STICK TO REATTACH THE STICK TO THE LOAD BUSTER. HIS HAND CONTACTED THE EN
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 39 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
- INSUF/LACK/PROTCV WRK CLTHG/EQUIP (20)
- 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.