OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #767111

CABLE TRAY,DUCT,E GI III,ELECTRICAL,ELECTROCUTED

1988-07-27T00:00:00

Event: CABLE TRAY,DUCT,E GI III,ELECTRICAL,ELECTROCUTED
Linked inspection: No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number: 767111
Report ID: 626300

Event description

ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH LIVE CONDUCTOR THRU DUCT

Investigation abstract

A THREE-WORKER CREW WAS INSTALLING A HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING DUCT SYSTEM IN TO BE SUPPORTED BETWEEN CEILING HANGERS THAT WERE ALSO 16 INCHES WIDE. ONE OF T HE TWO EMPLOYEES REMAINED ON THE SCAFFOLD WHILE HIS COWORKER WALKED ONTO THE CAB LE TRAY. THE TWO EMPLOYEES THEN MANEUVERED THE DUCT TO FIT BETWEEN THE HANGERS. THE DUCT FELL OFF THE PLYWOOD, CUTTING THE INSULATION ON A 120-VOLT CONDUCTOR. T HIS ENERGIZED THE DUCT SECTION, WHICH WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE METAL SIDE OF THE C ABLE TRAY AND A PIECE OF METAL CONDUIT ATTACHED TO THE CONCRETE WALL. THE EMPLOY EE ON THE CABLE TRAY WAS SITTING OR SQUATTING ON THE SIDE RAIL OF THE TRAY WITH THE DUCT IN HIS LAP, GRASPING THE DUCT ANGLE IRON FLANGE WITH HIS HANDS. THIS EM PLOYEE WAS ELECTROCUTED. THE EMPLOYEE ON THE SCAFFOLD RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK WHEN HE TOUCHED THE DUCT (THOUGH FOR SOME REASON HE WAS NOT LISTED ON THE OSHA A BATTERY CHARGING ROOM. THE DUCT WORK WAS LOCATED ABOUT 6 FEET, 9 INCHES ABOVE 170 FORM AS BEING INJURED). HE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE DUCT AND CLIMB DOWN FROM THE SCAFFOLD. THE PLANT MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIANS MEASURED 120 VOLTS BETWEEN THE DUCT AND GROUND BEFORE RETRIEVING THE DEAD EMPLOYEE. THE FLOOR. THE LEAD WORKER REMAINED AT GROUND LEVEL, WHILE THE OTHER TWO EMPLOY EES WERE WORKING FROM A SCAFFOLD, PERFORMING THE INSTALLATION. THREE DUCT SECTIO NS HAD BEEN INSTALLED, AND THE TWO EMPLOYEES BEGAN INSTALLING THE THIRD, WHICH H AD TO BE POSITIONED ABOVE A CABLE TRAY CONTAINING ENERGIZED, BUT INSULATED, ELEC TRIC CONDUCTORS. A PIECE OF 0.75-INCH-THICK PLYWOOD THAT WAS 16 INCHES WIDE HAD BEEN LAID ACROSS THE 30-INCH WIDE CABLE TRAY TO SUPPORT THE 40-INCH-BY-20.5-INCH -BY-22.5-INCH DUCT SECTION. THE BODY OF THE DUCT WAS 16 INCHES WIDE WHERE IT WAS

Victim

#1 Fatality Age 23 M

Nature of injury
10

Part of body
4

Event type
13

Source
15

Occupation code
999

Human factor
4

Environmental factor
13

Task assigned
1

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