Inspection Detail

Inspection: 126066877 - Southern California Edison

Inspection Information - Office: Long Beach District Office

Investigation Summary

A four-employee electric utility crew was restoring power for a large residential area. The employees were working on a bank of 16.3-kilovolt transformers, replacing a bad cable. Two of the employees (Employees #1 and #2) were working on one of the transformers, which had its energized primary terminals exposed. While they were tightening some bolts on the transformer, an electrical fault occurred. The ensuing electric arc burned the employees and ignited their clothing. Another crewmember (Employee #3), who was working on another transformer, heard the arcing and ran to the injured employees. When he found their clothing burning, he began to put out the fire with his bare hands. An emergency medical services team transported the injured employees to a hospital, where they were treated for extensive second- and third-degree burns. Employee #1 was burned over more than 50 percent of his body. Employee #2 was burned over 35 percent of his body. Employee #3, who had also been burned, was treated and released. Employee #1 died in the hospital burn unit 15 days after the accident. A visual inspection of the transformer after the accident indicated that a phase-to-phase fault had occurred at the transformer's primary-side terminals.

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