Inspection Detail

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Inspection: 125958280 - Southern California Edison

Inspection Information - Office: San Bernardino District Office

 

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Investigation Summary

A test technician for an electric utility was testing voltages on a three-phase, 480-volt bus as part of a future equipment modification. He was using an MP-10 multifunction power meter, but was not wearing rubber insulating gloves. As he connected the meter leads to the bus, an electrical fault occurred. The ensuing electric arc burned the employee, and he was hospitalized for his injuries.

Keywords: BURN, E GI II, ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRIC ARC, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRICIAN, ELECTRICAL WORK, LOCKOUT, TEST EQUIPMENT, ELECTRICAL FAULT

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Inspection: 119541977 - Potomac Electric Power Company

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

 

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Investigation Summary

A journeyman power line worker was installing a 3000-volt Joslyn lightning arrester (Model No. ZQP 815 460003, 2.55 MCOV) on a 7600-volt overhead power line. The employee was wearing leather protector gloves over rubber insulating gloves, eye protection, a hard hat, and a body belt and positioning strap. During the installation, the 3000-volt arrester faulted, and the ensuing electric arc burned the employee on the face. He was hospitalized with second-degree burns.

Keywords: BURN, ELECTRIC ARC, LIGHTNING ARRESTER, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRICAL FAULT, FACE

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Inspection: 112130158 - Southern California Edison

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

 

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Investigation Summary

A repair crew for an electric utility was working the night shift, repairing and switching a faulted 11-kilovolt circuit. A switch, which was located inside an underground vault that had water in it, was to be replaced. A sump pump was used to remove the water, but the crew's supervisor ordered one of the employees into the vault while the water was still 2 feet deep. As the switch was being removed, numerous parts were lost. Additionally, the replacement equipment was not of the same design as the original equipment. Apparently, as the employee was reassembling the switch, it fell into an energized position and failed. The resultant electric arc burned the employee, who was hospitalized for his injuries. (The supervisor stated that the injured employee had been adequately trained and warned of the hazardous conditions.)

Keywords: BURN, ELECTRIC ARC, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRIC SWITCH, POWER LINE WORKER, EQUIPMENT FAILURE, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRICAL FAULT, WATER

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Inspection: 106447691 - Savannah Electric And Power Co.

Inspection Information - Office: Savannah Area Office

 

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Investigation Summary

A contractor had previously set a new utility pole next to an existing pole. Both wood poles were 65 feet in length. However, the contractor had set the replacement pole so that its top was about 28 inches below the old pole. On the day of the accident, three employees (two power line workers and one apprentice) climbed the pole, and two workers remained on the ground. The crew covered the 115-kilovolt overhead power line, transferred the overhead ground wire, installed the pole ground wire, and cut off a portion of the old pole. The crew then installed a temporary crossarm at the top of the new pole to enable them to lift the phase conductors. The crew decided to transfer the bottom conductor first. A new 6-foot-long, metal davit arm was installed on the new pole to support the bottom conductor. After installation, the davit arm was only about 26 inches from the energized conductor. The crew attached lifting blocks to the temporary crossarm and to a 4-foot lifting stick. The lifting stick was attached to the bottom phase conductor near the suspension insulator. The next step in the procedure was to pull the cotter key at the bottom of the insulator string to release the conductor. The apprentice power line worker was using an 8-foot-long A. B. Chance tie stick with a key puller attachment to remove the cotter key from the insulator string. The cotter key was facing away from the pole, and the employee was having difficulty removing it. The other power line worker had a live-line tool to turn the bottom bell. The clearance between the metal end of the lifting stick that was in contact with the energized phase conductor and the metal davit arm, which was at ground potential, was estimated to be about 12 to 14 inches. An arc-over occurred between the conductor and the metal davit arm, and fault current passing through the pole ground melted it and caused further arcing. The two power line workers lost consciousness. The apprentice line worker shook one of his unconscious coworkers, who quickly regained consciousness. The apprentice then patted out the flames of the burning tee-shirt on his other coworker, began pole-top rescue procedures on him, and lowered him to the ground. The apprentice and the other power line worker then descended the pole. A total of five employees were transported to a hospital. Two employees on the ground had rope burns on their hands from lowering the injured employee. The three employees on the pole had second- and third-degree burns and were hospitalized for their injuries.

Keywords: BURN, CLOTHING, ELECTRIC ARC, OVERHEAD POWER LINE, ELECTRICAL, POWER LINE WORKER, LIVE-LINE TOOL, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRICAL FAULT

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Inspection: 119617454 - Pg & E

Inspection Information - Office: San Francisco District Office

 

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Investigation Summary

On the morning of March 17,1995, a substation electrician for an electric utility noticed that a disconnect appeared to have a loose coupling on its vertical operating rod. This defect prevented the disconnects from closing. The electrician adjusted the coupling, but the problem was corrected on only one of three phases. Later that day, two other electricians were assigned to work on the coupling. At 3:00 PM, the electricians requested an aerial lift truck to assist them in their work. The aerial lift was positioned near a deenergized conductor between the bottom of one open disconnect and the bushings on another disconnect. The employees would ground the deenergized conductors, adjust the horizontal inter-phase linkage, lower the aerial lift bucket, remove the grounds, and operate the disconnect to check for proper adjustment. They repeated this procedure several times. The employees then left the disconnect in a closed position to determine what the next adjustment should be. One of the electricians observed the disconnect from the bucket and asked the other electrician to ground just one of the phase conductors. Without checking the position of the disconnect and without checking for voltage on the conductors, the second electrician applied a ground to the energized, 12-kilovolt conductor. This caused an electrical fault, and the ensuing electric arc burned both employees. One of the employees was hospitalized with severe burns to his face, neck, and shoulder. Since no customers would have been affected, the employees could have performed the work with the entire circuit deenergized. However, they chose to work it energized.

Keywords: BURN, CLOTHING, ELECTRIC ARC, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRIC SWITCH, POWER LINE WORKER, E PTD, SUBSTATION, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRICAL FAULT

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