Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 002B Hazard: ELECTRIC

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to the hazard of arc flash and arc blast: In the cellar switchroom in 90 Washington St., New York, N.Y., employees were upgrading the main Federal Pacific QMQB VL-9036 switchgear that involved the installation of copper adapters to aluminum cables where they attached to the switch lugs for each phase as required by the Electrical Code of the City of New York Chapter 27-3025, on April 25, 2003. This procedure required the employees to approach approximately 30 inches from bus energized to 480 Volts phase to phase. The employer proceeded with work on live parts not placed in electrically safe work conditions, without performing a Flash Hazard Analysis and without using safety related work practices based on the determined hazard such as the use of PPE appropriate for protection from an arc flash. Among other methods, a feasible means of abatement for work on equipment not placed in a safe condition, would be to perform a Flash Hazard Analysis to determine the approach distance within which protective equipment should be used, and if work is required within that boundary, to provide employees with that equipment such as fire rated long sleeve shirt and pants or coveralls, a switching hood, and leather gloves or voltage rated gloves, to protect against flash hazards such as shockwave and burns, in accordance with Part II of National Fire Protection Association Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces 2000 Edition, Chapters 2-1.3.2 and 2-1.3.3. Note: The employer is required to submit abatement certification for this item in accordance with 29 CFR 1903.19.