Text For Citation: 02 Item/Group: 001 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: a) THE HAZARD OF CONTACT WITH EXPOSED LIVE PARTS OPERATING AT 13,800 VOLTS AC AND 2,400 VOLTS AC AND THE RESULTANT EXPLOSION. ON APRIL 17, 1990, AT THE PAD MOUNTED TRANSFORMER LOCATED BETWEEN THE POWER HOUSE AND THE WASHBURN BUILDING ON THE CAMPUS OF WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE, WORKERS WERE INVOLVED WITH DISONNECTING THE PAD MOUNTED TRANSFORMER, CHANGING THE OIL IN THE TRANSFORMER, RECONNECTING AND TESTING THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE OF THE TRANSFORMER, WITHOUT DETERMINING THE ACTUAL VOLTAGE PRESENT, PRIOR TO STARTING WORK. AMONG OTHER METHODS, ONE FEASIBLE AND ACCEPTABLE METHOD TO CORRECT THIS HAZARD IS TO DETERMINE THE EXISTING CONDITIONS PRIOR TO STARTING THE WORK, USING APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT. SUCH CONDITIONS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE VOLTAGE OF ENERGIZED LINES AND EQUIPMENT, THE LOCATION OF CIRCUITS AND EQUIPMENT INCLUDING POWER AND COMMUNICATION LINES, CATV AND FIRE ALARM CRICUITS.