Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300692456 - East Coast Electric, Inc.

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

Investigation Summary

A third-year apprentice electrician with extensive electrical training was assigned to install the front cover on a panelboard supplying electric lighting. The panelboard was energized and in service. A dead-front cover was already in place, and the employee was to lift the front cover in place and secure it by installing six bolts. When the front cover did not line up correctly, the employee noticed that the 13-millimeter-wide lip on the lower right corner of the dead-front cover was dented, preventing a proper fit for the front cover. The apprentice tried to straighten the dented area by striking it in a downward direction with a 450-gram electrician's hammer. When he struck the dead-front cover with the hammer, an electrical fault occurred. The ensuing electric arc burned the employee's right arm, hand, and face. He was hospitalized for his injuries.

Keywords: BURN, ELECTRIC ARC, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRICIAN, PANELBOARD, ELECTRICAL WORK, LOCKOUT, E C, ELECTRICAL FAULT