Inspection Detail

Inspection: 104454798 - Delmarva Power & Light Company

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

A FOUR-PERSON CREW WAS WORKING IN A SUBSTATION, REPAIRING A PAD-MOUNTED CIRCUIT BREAKER (#510). THE SYSTEM OPERATOR HAD GRANTED CLEARANCE TO REMOVE POWER TO BREAKER #510, AND CIRCUITS #509 AND #511 WERE OPENED AS WELL. TAGS WERE DISPLAYED, AND THE CIRCUITS WERE DEENERGIZED AND VISIBLY GROUNDED. THE BUSHINGS ATOP THE BREAKER WERE DISCONNECTED FROM THEIR LEADS BY ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES. THE BREAKER WAS REPAIRED, AND THE FOUR EMPLOYEES WENT TO THE SUBSTATION CONTROL HOUSE TO CONTACT THE SYSTEM OPERATOR BY TELEPHONE. THE SYSTEM OPERATOR GRANTED APPROVAL TO PLACE THE REPAIRED BREAKER BACK IN SERVICE. BEFORE DEPARTING THE CONTROL HOUSE, THE EMPLOYEES DISCUSSED WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO COMPLETE THE TASK. WHEN THEY LEFT THE CONTROL HOUSE, IT WAS COMPLETELY DARK OUTSIDE. THE EMPLOYEE WHO HAD DISCONNECTED THE BUSHINGS EXITED FIRST AND WENT TO THE WORK AREA. THE OTHER EMPLOYEES WENT TO THEIR TRUCKS TO GET TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT AND TO REFOCUS THE TRUCK-MOUNTED SPOTLIGHTS ON THE WORK AREA. THE EMPLOYEE WHO WENT TO THE BREAKER HAD UNKNOWINGLY GONE TO BREAKER #500 RATHER THAN TO #510. BREAKER #500, WHICH REMAINED ENERGIZED, WAS ABOUT 10 FEET AWAY FROM BREAKER #510, AND IT WAS ALMOST IDENTICAL IN APPEARANCE. ASSUMING THAT HE WAS AT BREAKER #510, THE EMPLOYEE CLIMBED THE BREAKER TO RECONNECT THE CABLE LEADS. HE REACHED FOR A BUSHING TO PULL HIMSELF UP AND RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM THE ENERGIZED PORTION OF THE 7200-VOLT BUSHING. THE EMPLOYEE WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR HIS INJURY.

Keywords: ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, LOCKOUT, E PTD, SUBSTATION, CIRCUIT BREAKER, LIGHTING, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRIC SHOCK