Inspection Detail

Inspection: 119896066 - Shasta Electric

Inspection Information - Office: Van Nuys Mining & Tunneling District Office

Investigation Summary

A journeyman electrician, who had worked for his employer (an electrical contractor) for 13 months, was assigned the task of extending a 4160-volt cable for a distance of 305 meters. He had performed this duty 16 times in the past. The electrician was dropped off at a switch. The rest of the crew continued down the tunnel, dropping the cable along the train track as the train progressed. When the train was returning, the electrician assumed that the 4160-volt system was deenergized, so he opened the switch. However, the cable was still energized; and, when he grounded it with a 6/0 copper grounding conductor, he caused an electrical fault. The electrician sustained first, second, and third degree burns on his right hand and right forearm as a result of the ensuing electric arc. (The main service ground-fault protection devices opened the circuit and interrupted the arc.) The employee was treated for his injuries and released. No formal lockout procedure was followed.

Keywords: BURN, ELECTRIC ARC, E GI IV, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRIC CABLE, ELECTRICIAN, ELECTRICAL WORK, LOCKOUT, UNDRGRD INSTALLATION, ELECTRICAL FAULT