Inspection Detail

Inspection: 3342532 - Virginia Department Of Transportation

Inspection Information - Office: Va-E-Manassas (Regional Office)- Safety 0355114

Investigation Summary

TWO EMPLOYEES (AN ELECTRICIAN AND HIS HELPER) WERE ASSIGNED TO ISOLATE AND REPAIR A ROADWAY LIGHTING SYSTEM FAULT PREVIOUSLY TRACED TO AN ELECTRICAL SERVICE ON AN INTERSTATE EXCHANGE. THE TWO EMPLOYEES INITIATED THE ISOLATION PROCESS AT THE SERVICE SPLICE BOX, A RECESSED CONCRETE JUNCTION BOX ABOUT 18 INCHES BY 42 INCHES AND 36 INCHES DEEP. THE JUNCTION BOX CONTAINED THREE PHASE CONDUCTORS (277 VOLTS PHASE TO GROUND, 480 VOLTS PHASE TO PHASE) AND ONE NEUTRAL CONDUCTOR. THE CONDUCTORS WERE ENERGIZED AT THE TIME REPAIRS WERE BEING MADE. A GROUNDING CONDUCTOR ATTACHED TO A DRIVEN GROUND ROD WAS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE JUNCTION BOX, GROUNDING SOME OF THE CONDUITS ENTERING ONE SIDE OF THE BOX. THE ELECTRICIAN USED CABLE CUTTERS TO CUT THE "A" PHASE IN ONE PLACE AND THE "B" PHASE IN TWO PLACES. HE THEN INSERTED A 50-AMPERE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN EACH CONDUCTOR TO SEE IF THE CIRCUITS WOULD OPEN. NOT FINDING THE FAULT AT THIS LOCATION, THE ELECTRICIAN WENT DOWN THE EXCHANGE TO THE NEXT JUNCTION BOX, TO EMPLOY SIMILAR ISOLATION PROCEDURES. HE LEFT HIS HELPER, WHO HAD NO ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND WHO HAD INSUFFICIENT TRAINING IN STANDARD SAFETY PRACTICES, TO SPLICE THE EXPOSED PHASE CONDUCTORS. THE HELPER APPLIED METAL SLEEVES TO THE "B" PHASE CONDUCTOR AND, WORKING FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THE JUNCTION BOX, CRIMPED ONE OF THE SLEEVES. WORKING FROM A KNEELING OR PRONE POSITION ON SLIGHTLY DAMP GROUND, HE THEN PROCEEDED TO APPLY INSULATING TAPE TO THIS SPLICE. AT THIS TIME, THE HELPER APPARENTLY DROPPED HIS ROLL OF TAPE INTO THE JUNCTION BOX. AS HE REACHED INTO THE BOX WITH HIS LEFT ARM TO RETRIEVE THE TAPE, HIS LEFT ARM CONTACTED THE EXPOSED 277-VOLT "B" PHASE CONDUCTOR WHILE HIS LEFT COLLARBONE WAS IN CONTACT WITH A METAL GUARDRAIL ABOUT 15 INCHES ABOVE THE JUNCTION BOX. THE ELECTRICIAN FOUND THE HELPER SOME MINUTES LATER LAID OUT ACROSS THE BOX WITH HIS HEAD ON THE EDGE OF THE SPLICE BOX AND WITH BOTH ARMS INSIDE THE BOX. THE ELECTRICIAN KNOCKED THE ENERGIZED CONDUCTOR AWAY FROM THE HELPER, CALLED FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ON HIS VEHICLE'S RADIO, AND DEENERGIZED THE CIRCUIT. IT WAS TOO LATE, HOWEVER; THE HELPER HAD BEEN ELECTROCUTED.

Keywords: ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRICAL, ELECTRICIAN, ELECTROCUTED, LOCKOUT, E PTD, ELEC UTILITY WORK, ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR, UNTRAINED