Inspection Detail

Inspection: 14853394 - Parks Sausage Company

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

ON THE EVENING OF NOVEMBER 30, 1984, AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED INSIDE THE FRANK-A-MATIC VEEMAG, WHICH IS A MEAT STUFFER. THE NEXT MORNING, THE MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIAN WAS ASSIGNED TO OVERHAUL THE ELECTRICAL PORTION OF THE MACHINE AND THE DISCONNECT WHICH CONTROLS THE MACHINE. THE DISCONNECT HAD BEEN TURNED OFF, BUT THE POWER TO THE DISCONNECT WAS STILL ON. AFTER OVERHAULING THE MACHINE, THE ELECTRICIAN STARTED TO TEST THE WIRING LEADING TO THE DISCONNECT BOX. HE ASKED FOR SOME ASSISTANCE AND WAS ASSIGNED A HELPER, A CLASS-D MAINTENANCE MAN. THE ELECTRICIAN DETERMINED WHICH CONDUCTORS INSIDE THE CONDUIT WERE DEENERGIZED AND WHICH WERE GROUNDED. THE ELECTRICIAN INSTRUCTED THE HELPER TO PULL THE DEENERGIZED WIRING OUT OF THE CONDUIT. THE HELPER WAS STANDING ON A PLATFORM WHICH WAS OVER THE ELECTRICIAN. THE HELPER WAS HAVING A HARD TIME PULLING THE DEENERGIZED CONDUCTORS THROUGH THE CONDUIT. THE ELECTRICIAN SAID HE COULD SEE THE ENERGIZED CONDUCTORS "JIGGLING", BUT BEFORE HE COULD TELL HIS HELPER TO STOP PULLING, A FLASH CAME FROM THE DISCONNECT BOX AND BURNED HIS FACE AND EYES. THE ELECTRICIAN SAID HE DID NOT SEE A NEED TO SHUT THE POWER OFF TO THE DISCONNECT. HOWEVER, MANAGEMENT AND OTHER EMPLOYEES INTERVIEWED STATED THAT THEY HAD ALWAYS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN THE POWER OFF TO THE MACHINE AND THE DISCONNECT BOX BEFORE BEGINNING TO WORK ON THEM. UPON INVESTIGATION BY THE THE COMPANY, IT WAS LEARNED THAT AN EXTRA SET OF ENERGIZED CONDUCTORS HAD BEEN "BUGGED" OFF INSIDE THE CONDUIT AND THAT NO ONE KNEW ABOUT THEM. THIS CONDITION POSSIBLY CAUSED THE DEENERGIZED CONDUCTORS THAT WERE BEING PULLED TO GET CAUGHT; DURING THE PULLING ACTIVITY, ONE OF THE ENERGIZED CONDUCTORS BECAME GROUNDED AND CAUSED THE FLASH TO OCCUR.

Keywords: BURN, MEAT STUFFING MACH, E GI IV, ELECTRICAL, CONDUIT, ELECTRICIAN, ELECTRICAL WORK, LOCKOUT, DISCONNECTING MEANS, FACE