Inspection Detail

Inspection: 310742630 - Dallas Electrical Contractors, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Charlotte

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on February 9, 2007, Employee #1, the lead man, and a coworker who was working with him on the project that day, were removing overhead lighting fixtires in a classroom. Employee #1 instructed the coworker to remove the light fixtures and he would disconnect the electrical whips. He identified the electrical junction box entering the classroom, and planned to remove the wire nuts and disconnect the wires running through the ceiling that energized the light fixtures. Once the lighting system was no longer energized, the lighting and overhead wiring could be removed safely. Employee #1 identified there was no switch or disconnect, only the main feed for that classroom. Since school classes were in session, he did not want to shut down the main electrical feed into the lighting system but, instead, to physically disconnect the wires at the junction box. Employee #1 was standing on a fiberglass stepladder, removed the junction box cover, and then began to remove the wire nuts with his bare hands. As he was working, he contacted an energized electrical conductor and he fell off the ladder onto the concrete floor. He sustained three bruised ribs and required 12 stitches to close a head laceration. The employer provided rubber insulated gloves and sleeves for employees to wear when working on or near energized electrical conductor, but Employee #1 was not using either of these.

Keywords: ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, HEAD, LIGHTING CIRCUIT, ELECTRICAL, LADDER, CONSTRUCTION, ELECTRICAL WORK, ELEC CIRC PART--MISC, ELECTRIC SHOCK, FALL