Inspection Detail

Inspection: 15179336 - Joe Hill Company Incorporated

Inspection Information - Office: Tennessee Osha Knoxville Office - Safety

Investigation Summary

THREE EMPLOYEES WERE LIFTING AN ELECTRIC WELDER WITH A CHAIN HOIST ON A MONORAIL SYSTEM. THE EMPLOYEES INTENDED TO LIFT THE WELDER HIGH ENOUGH TO CLEAR A 5-FOOT-HIGH STAIRCASE SO THAT THEY COULD MOVE THE WELDER HORIZONTALLY. EMPLOYEE #1 HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO UNPLUG THE WELDER, WHICH HAD AN ATTACHED FLEXIBLE CABLE ABOUT 60 FEET LONG. WHEN HE RETURNED, ONE EMPLOYEE STARTED TO LIFT THE CHAIN HOIST, ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WAS PULLING HORIZONTALLY, AND EMPLOYEE #1 WAS PUSHING. THE LIFTING, PULLING, PUSHING FORCES ON THE WELDING MACHINE CAUSED THE STILL-CONNECTED 440-VOLT FLEXIBLE CABLE TO PULL OUT OF THE CABLE CONNECTOR AT THE MACHINE AND SHORT AGAINST THE FRAME OF THE MACHINE. EMPLOYEE #1 RECEIVED A SEVERE ELECTRIC SHOCK, CAUSING HIM TO JERK VIOLENTY, WHICH ALLEDGEDLY KNOCKED HIS HARD HAT OFF. HE THEN FELL BACKWARDS FROM A HEIGHT OF ABOUT 27 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR (HE WAS ON THE THIRD STEP OF THE STAIRCASE), FRACTURING HIS SKULL IN TWO PLACES. AFTER AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED, THE CORONER STATED THAT CAUSE OF DEATH WAS ELECTROCUTION.

Keywords: ELECTRICAL, ELECTRIC CABLE, ELECTROCUTED, WELDER, E C, CORD CONNECTOR, FALL