Inspection Detail

Inspection: 309301109 - 7-Up/Rc Company Of So Cal

Inspection Information - Office: Santa Ana District Office

Investigation Summary

On February 9, 2007, an employee, a maintenance mechanic, was instructed by his immediate supervisor to remove electrical conduit and plumbing associated with a filling line that had been demolished and replaced by a new line. Plant operations had been shut down for about a week while the new fill line was being installed, and electrical power had been shut down to that area of the plant so that the work could be conducted safely. Believing all of the power to be shut off to the conduit, the employee was instructed to remove electrical conduit and plumbing. The employee did a cursory check for live lines in the conduit by using a pen-pocket tester. The tester failed to light up, per the employee's expectation, and he began taking out the conduit, which was about eight feet above the floor. He stood on a piece of equipment about three feet above the ground, to access the conduit, and began unscrewing the conduit. When he was almost finished unscrewing the conduit, the bare end of one live 480-volt conductor that was connected to a circuit breaker panel different from the locked-out panel, apparently arced with the edge of the metal conduit. The employee was either knocked off or fell off of the equipment and fell to the concrete floor. He was hospitalized for three days and received medical treatment. A coworker, who heard the employee fall, went to look for him. When he received no response to his call, the coworker called for help. The responding emergency response personnel took the employee to the nearest medical center, where he was admitted and received treatment for a broken right collarbone, head injuries and burns to his left hand.

Keywords: BURN, PLATFORM, HEAD, MAINTENANCE, COLLARBONE, LOCKOUT, FALL, HAND, WORK SURFACE