Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119514453 - Consolidated Equipment Erectors, Inc.

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

Investigation Summary

A WORKER OF A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR AND AN EMPLOYEE OF A SOFT DRINK BOTTLING COMPANY WERE WORKING TOGETHER. THE CONTRACTOR HAD BEEN HIRED TO REMOVE EQUIPMENT, AND THE TWO EMPLOYEES WERE CLEANING UP AND REMOVING CONDUCTORS FROM CONDUITS LOCATED IN THE BUILDING'S CONCRETE FLOOR. THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER WAS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY REMOVING A CONDUCTOR FROM A WATER TREATMENT ROOM. HE TOLD HIS COWORKER THAT HE WAS GOING TO CHECK THE ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY ROOM TO SEE WHY THE CONDUCTOR WAS STUCK. THE COWORKER TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER WENT INTO THE ELECTRICAL ROOM ANYWAY. THE TWO EMPLOYEES, WHO WERE NOT ELECTRICIANS, HAD NOT RECEIVED TRAINING IN ELECTRICAL HAZARDS. THE DOOR TO THE ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY ROOM WAS MARKED, "DANGER, HAZARD OF ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN, TURN OFF POWER SUPPLYING THIS EQUIPMENT BEFORE WORKING ON OR INSIDE". THIS ROOM SUPPLIED ELECTRIC POWER TO THE ENTIRE SITE. ONCE INSIDE, THE CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYEE WENT OVER TO A SWITCHBOARD. THE SWITCHBOARD, WHICH CONTAINED THE SAME WARNING AS THE DOOR TO THE ROOM, WAS A SQUARE D SERIES 3 POWER STYLE SWITCHBOARD RATED AT 1600 AMPERES, 480/277 VOLTS, THREE PHASE, FOUR WIRE. CIRCUIT BREAKERS NUMBERED 2 THROUGH 5 WERE IN THE OFF POSITION; THE REMAINING BREAKER (NUMBER 1) WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION. THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER OPENED THE DOOR ON THE SWITCHBOARD AND CONTACTED AN ENERGIZED BUSBAR. HIS COWORKER FOLLOWED HIM IN AND SAW HIM IN DISTRESS. THE COWORKER PULLED HIM AWAY BY HIS WAIST BAND. PARAMEDICS ARRIVED WITHIN 3 MINUTES AND TRANSPORTED THE INJURED EMPLOYEE TO THE HOSPITAL. HOWEVER, THE CONSTRUCTION WORKER DIED OF ELECTROCUTION.

Keywords: E GI III, ELECTRICAL, SWITCHBOARD, ELECTROCUTED, LOCKOUT, UNTRAINED