Inspection Detail

Inspection: 314573924 - Ca Transportation - Maintenance

Inspection Information - Office: Sacramento District Office

Investigation Summary

On September 30, 2011, Employee #1, an electrician with Ca Transportation-Maintenance, was part of a two-person crew assigned to replace wiring between ground boxes that had earlier been stolen from those boxes. Her coworker, an electrician from a different shop, had inspected the site, which ran along South Interstate 5 (I-5) to the West I-80 ramp ("light boxes"). The coworker determined that wiring associated with street lighting had been removed from an area between two small ground boxes and needed to be replaced. After getting supplies, the two electricians pulled new wire and began working in their respective ground boxes (one box per employee). Apparently, disconnect switches for the wiring were located in a service box several hundred feet away from their location. Neither electrician visited the site or disconnected power prior to beginning their work. After pulling the wire, Employee #1 opted to begin splicing the wire coming from another ground box to the new wire in her ground box. Employee #1 was unaware that the 480-volt wire she was handling was "hot", and as she was getting ready to crimp the two wires, she removed her protective gloves. At that time, she received a shock that caused her to roll down the hillside. Employee #1 sustained burns to both hands and assorted injuries related to her rolling down the hillside. Eventually, Employee #1's supervisor arrived and transported her to the UC Davis Medical Center Burn Unit. She was hospitalized and discharged the following day, just short of 24 hours.

Keywords: BURN, PPE, CONSTRUCTION, ELECTRIC SHOCK, FALL, ELECTRICAL BOX, HAND, SLOPE