UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

AT 12:01 AM, A TRANSFORMER EXPLODED AND BURNED AT AN ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION PLANT. AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED, A CREW REMOVED A CIRCUIT BREAKER FROM A WESTINGHOUSE DHP SWITCHGEAR TO ISOLATE THE TRANSFORMER. A JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN WAS LEFT ALONE IN THE AREA TO CLEAN A GROUNDING BREAKER FOR INSTALLATION. THE ELECTRICIAN HAD 4 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN POWER PLANT MAINTENANCE AND HAD A DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. ABOUT 2:00 AM, OTHER WORKERS HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND RUSHED BACK TO FIND THE ELECTRICIAN NEAR THE OPEN CABINET. THE CABINET WAS BURNED, AND THE REMAINS OF A VOLTAGE TESTER WERE ON THE FLOOR. AN INSULATED SHUTTER HAD BEEN OPENED, EXPOSING ENERGIZED PARTS. IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE ELECTRICIAN OPENED THE SHUTTER AND APPLIED THE TESTER TO THE CONTACTS. EMPLOYEES WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT APPLIED FIRST AID, AND AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE CREW ARRIVED LATER. THE EMPLOYEE, WHO HAD BEEN BURNED OVER 80 PERCENT OF HIS BODY, WAS FLOWN TO A BURN CENTER, WHERE HE DIED OF CARDIAC ARREST 31 DAYS LATER. FATIGUE AND THE CONFUSION THAT OCCURRED FOLLOWING THE TRANSFORMER FIRE POSSIBLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.