Inspection Detail

Inspection: 303822183 - Lowry Electric Company

Inspection Information - Office: Fairview Heights Area Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 1:35 p.m. on August 2, 2005, Employee #1, a journeyman electrician, had been working alone for about an hour on a time and material job in the garage/shop area of an office facility. He was changing bulbs and ballasts on a branch circuit of nine 8 ft long fluorescent luminaries energized at 277 volts. He was changing a Universal Lighting Technologies ballast, model 937KTCP, when he contacted an energized 16-gauge line conductor and was electrocuted. At approximately 1:40 p.m., a mechanic discovered Employee #1 slumped over in the elevated scissor lift. He ran across the garage/shop, turned off the single pole switch, and sought assistance. Several people who were either working nearby or happened upon the scene during the 2:00 p.m. shift change, helped coordinate the emergency response, retrieve Employee #1 from the lift, and render first aid/CPR. He had electrical burns on both hands and the front of his chest. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The line conductor that shocked him was fitted with a 5-amp in-line fuse that had not been removed or disconnected. Both the breaker at a Westinghouse NHIB-3P/4W panel board and a single pole switch were activated. Employee #1 was not wearing gloves rated for the voltage involved. In addition, he was working from an uninsulated, manually propelled 115-volt Pac Craft electric scissor lift, model 125 EM, plugged into a GFCI receptacle, which provided the potential difference, path to ground.

Keywords: LIGHTING CIRCUIT, WORK RULES, AERIAL LIFT, ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRICIAN, ELECTROCUTED, CONSTRUCTION, ELECTRICAL WORK, ELEC CIRC PART--MISC