OSHA Inspection: FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY

Issued

Sep 8, 1994

Abate by

Oct 11, 1994

Penalty

Initial $5,000 · Current $2,000 Reduced

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  the
employer did not
furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from
recognized hazards
that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to
employees in that
employees were exposed to the hazard of electrical shock and burns:
a)  At the inspection site, employees were exposed to an electrical hazard
by using an
"underground elbow" phasing meter (FPL#561-A-239)and purposely attempting
to
contact bare energized parts(23KV phase to phase & 13.2KV phase to ground)
with a
probe of the meter that was not designed to be used on bare energized
parts, on or
about 04/02/94.
b)  At the inspection site, employees were exposed to an electrical hazard
by being
too close to bare energized parts or conductive objects(phasing meter
FPL#561-A-
239)that were in contact or near contact to bare energized parts(23KV
phase
to phase
& 13.2KV phase to ground)in violation of acceptable approach distances
without
using any type of acceptable insulation, on or about 04/02/94.
One feasible and acceptable abatement method, among others, to correct
this hazard is
to train employees on safe operation of phasing meters and verify employee
comprehension of training on all phasing equipment available for use by the
employees on an ongoing basis at intervals necessary to maintain
familiarity with all
equipment that is available for use. Eliminating similar types of phasing
equipment
with different functions and multiple models of equipment for the same
functions
would reduce the possibility of confusion.  Employees must wear rubber
gloves rated
for the voltages exposed to when safe approach distances are violated or
use some
other equivalent means to provide insulation from the energized parts.