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Selected Electrical Incidents and Occurrences - Fourth Quarter - October to December, 2008
 

 

Topic - Safety
Subject - Selected Electrical Incidents and Occurrences - Fourth Quarter - October to December, 2008

April 16, 2009
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Selected Electrical Incidents and Occurrences in Canada

Fourth Quarter - October to December, 2008

 

Date             Program      Location      Incident Description

 

 

Fatalities:

 

 

There were no fatalities of an electrical nature reported to the Ministry of Labour for the fourth quarter of 2008.

 

 

Critical Injuries:

 

October 31st           Industrial               Kingston               Worker was making an electrical connection when he received

                                                                                                a shock and lost consciousness.  Wiring that he was working

                                                                                                on was 600 volt AC.  The worker was a maintenance worker,

                                                                                                employed full-time at the industrial establishment.

 

November 4th         Construction         Mississauga         Worker fixing electrical panel, received flash burns to right

                                                                                                arm, up to the elbow.  Voltage of panel not given.

 

Non-Critical Injuries:

 

October 2nd            Construction         Ottawa                   Electrician received a 120 volt shock, no detail given of work

                                                                                                being done at the time.

 

October 3rd            Construction         Welland                 Worker touched energized 240 volt conductor, received shock

                                                                                                to right arm.

 

October 13th           Industrial               Mississauga         Worker received an electrical shock and burn to part of his

                                                                                                arm.  No other details of event given.

 

October 15th           Construction         Brooklin                 Pedestrian walking by construction project, made contact with

                                                                                                energized electrical wire.  Person taken to hospital.

 

October 17th           Construction         Johnstown            Worker received a shock from bus bars, no other details of

                                                                                                event given.

 

October 30th           Industrial               Toronto                 Electrical contractor working on panel, suffered arcing burns

                                                                                                face, neck and left arm.  Details of panel voltage and work

                                                                                                being done not given.

 

November 7th         Construction         Richmond Hill       Electrical burns to hands, no other details of event given.

 

November 12th       Construction         Wolfe Island         Worker was making temporary connections at a wind turbine,

                                                                                                received a 670 volt shock.  Taken to hospital for observation

                                                                                                then released.

 

November 20th       Industrial               Ottawa                   Worker removing LAN cable from cable tray, noticed some

                                                                                                50 VDC cables that had been cut.  Thought cables were

                                                                                                de-energized, continued to work.  Jostled one of the cables,

                                                                                                cable end touched the cable tray causing a small arc.  Worker

                                                                                                was startled by arc, struck head and arm on an overhead light

                                                                                                fixture in the area.

 

November 20th       Construction         Mississauga         Worker fastening insulation onto ductwork using a pinner

                                                                                                tool, received a shock.

 

November 24th       Construction         Toronto                 Supervisor handling trouble light, received a 110 volt shock.

                                                                                                Injury was to left arm.

 

December 8th         Industrial               Brampton               Two technicians received electrical shocks, one worker was

                                                                                                kept in hospital.  No details given of work being done at the

                                                                                                time, or of the equipment involved.

 

December 12th       Industrial               Brampton               Student inserted the end of a paper clip into a receptacle in the

                                                                                                washroom.  Student has a linear burn mark on his left hand.

                                                                                                GFCI measures current imbalance, if he had stuck one end

                                                                                                in the neutral slot and the other in the hot slot, the GFCI

                                                                                                may not have seen an imbalance, allowing current to flow

                                                                                                and heat up the paper clip.

 

December 18th       Industrial               Toronto                 Worker received a shock while plugging in the cord of a

                                                                                                floor cleaning machine.

 

December 19th       Industrial               Kitchener               Worker received an electrical shock while using a baler to

                                                                                                bale clothing.  A section of the baling wire went between the

                                                                                                extension cord plug and a trolley plug while the worker was

                                                                                                holding onto it.

 

December 21st        Mining                   Kapuskasing         Worker received a shock when he touched a steel table and a

                                                                                                welding machine at the same time.  Welding machine was not

                                                                                                working at the time.  Worker stayed overnight in hospital for

                                                                                                observation before being released.

 

December 30th       Industrial               Township of         Electrical contractor doing repair work on a heater, made

                                                                Algonquin             contact with an energized conductor.  Taken to hospital for

                                                                Highlands              observation then released.

 

Powerline Contacts – No Injuries:

 

October 2nd            Industrial               Hagersville            Dumptruck hit powerline, voltage of line not given.

 

October 3rd            Construction         Brampton               Backhoe hit buried 27 kV cable.

 

October 3rd            Construction         Ottawa                   Concrete boom truck broke two overhead lines.

 

October 7th             Construction         Mississauga         Hand-held pliers hit 13 kV powerline.  No details given

                                                                                                on why pliers were anywhere close to 13 kV line.

                                                                                                No injuries reported.

 

October 9th             Construction         Kingston               Backhoe hit buried conduit and conductor.  Voltage not given.

 

October 9th             Industrial               Ajax                        Dumptruck hit overhead cables, voltage of line not given.

 

October 9th             Industrial               Waterloo               Flusher truck ripped down a secondary line and broke the pole.

 

October 9th             Construction         Stoney Creek        Contact made with 27.6 kV buried cable, no other details of

                                                                                                event given.

 

October 10th           Construction         Ottawa                   Digging, made electrical contact.  No other details given.

 

October 10th           Construction         Southampton        Workers digging without locates, hit buried 240 volt cable.

 

October 10th           Construction         Hamilton                Roofing worker made contact with 240 volt overhead cable.

 

October 10th           Construction         Port Elgin               Contractor digging without locates, hit buried primary cable.

 

October 10th           Construction         Vaughan                Excavator hit buried 16 kV cable.  No locates.

 

October 10th           Construction         Markham               Contractor using heavy equipment to dig down and isolate a

                                                                                                cable, hit a buried 27.6 kV cable.

 

October 12th           Construction         Vaughan               Worker using auger to dig fence post holes, hit 16 kV cable.

 

October 14th           Construction         Gravenhurst          Crane contacted power line, line voltage not given.

 

October 15th           Construction         Toronto                 Worker removing door frame, reciprocating saw hit 120 volt

                                                                                                cable.

 

October 16th           Industrial               St. Catharines       Worker contacted 240 volt overhead line, no details given of

                                                                                                work being done at the time.

 

October 17th           Construction         Matheson              Dump truck, raised box, powerline hit.  Voltage of line not

                                                                                                given.

 

October 18th           Construction         Ajax                        Worker doing digging, hit 13 kV buried cable.  Locates had

                                                                                                been done.

 

October 21st           Construction         Wellesley              Dump truck, raised box, powerline hit.  Voltage of line not

                                                                Township              given.

 

October 21st           Construction         London                  Excavator clipped overhead line, voltage of line not given.

 

October 22nd          Construction         Kingston               Electrical contact made, no other details of event given.

 

October 27th           Construction         Barrie                      Excavator removing pipe section from truck, hit 44 kV

                                                                                                overhead line.

 

October 28th           Construction         Ottawa                   Contact made with primary cable, no other details given.

 

October 28th           Construction         Cochrane               Excavator backfilling a truck, contacted 2500 volt overhead

                                                                                                line.

 

October 29th           Construction         Toronto                 Worker using Quick-Cut saw, cut into electrical conduit. 

                                                                                                Voltage of conductors not given.

 

November 3rd        Construction         London                  Dump truck, raised box, 16 kV overhead line brought down.

 

November 3rd        Construction         Southampton        Workers cutting down a tree, dropped it onto a 4160 V line.

 

November 5th         Construction         Hamilton                Ladder found in contact with secondary wire at rear of

                                                                                                residence.  No one would admit to owning the ladder.

 

November 5th         Construction         Sudbury                 7200 volt overhead line contacted, no other details given.

 

November 5th         Construction         Cayuga                  Dump truck, raised box, 4800 volt line downed this time.

 

November 9th         Industrial               Tavistock              Worker cutting down a tree, knocked down both primary and

                                                                                                secondary lines.

 

November 10th       Industrial               Aylmer                   Dump truck dumping a load, contacted 600 volt overhead line.

 

November 11th       Construction         Hamilton                Contact made with overhead 240 volt line, no other details

                                                                                                of event given.

 

November 12th       Construction         Vaughan               Worker using auger to dig fence post holes, hit 16 kV buried

                                                                                                line.

 

November 13th       Construction         Waterloo               Boom of boom truck hit 2700 volt line.

 

November 19th       Construction         Worthington         Digging with mini-excavator, hit a buried 13.8 kV line.

 

November 19th       Construction         Hamilton                Contact made with 13.8 kV overhead line, no other details of

                                                                                                event given.

 

November 20th       Construction         Tottenham             HiHoe excavator doing digging, contacted the neutral of a

                                                                                                4800 volt overhead line.

 

November 21st       Construction         Hagey Township Worker using excavator, hit pole and knocked off the top of

                                                                                                the pole.  Voltage of overhead lines not given.

 

November 24th       Construction         St. Catharines       Contact made with overhead 8 kV line.  No other details of

                                                                                                event given.

 

November 24th       Construction         Toronto                 Workers doing core drilling, hit 120 volt cable.

 

November 27th       Construction         Toronto                 Three inch spike went through 600 volt cable feeding the

                                                                                                crane.  No details given on what work was being done at the

                                                                                                time.

 

November 28th       Construction         Gloucester             Workers doing excavation work, hit buried cable.  No other

                                                                                                details of event given.

 

December 1st          Construction         Oakville                  Worker doing directional boring, drilled into 4100 volt buried

                                                                                                cable.

 

December 2nd         Construction         Hamilton                Dump truck, raised box, 240 volt overhead line.

 

December 2nd         Mining                   Sudbury                 Scoop was backing up with bucket raised, hit 1000 volt trolley

                                                                                                line.

 

December 4th         Construction         Blenheim                Part of power line was embedded in a concrete footing. 

                                                                                                During excavation work, the footing was moved, severing the

                                                                                                cable.

 

December 4th         Construction         Newmarket            Worker chipping concrete, hit 600 volt cable.

 

December 4th         Construction         Tiverton                 Worker installing beam clamp, did not check beam first. 

                                                                                                Clamp pinched a 347 volt lighting cable, causing a short.

 

December 8th         Construction         Belleville                Dump truck, raised box, 240 volt line.

 

December 8th         Construction         Woodhouse          Installing new pole, pole tongs touched 120 volt line.

 

December 8th         Construction         Vaughan                 Sewer construction, backhoe contacted 27 kV buried cable.

 

December 11th       Construction         Toronto                 Worker breaking out a concrete encased duct.  Jackhammer

                                                                                                tip contacted 13.8 kV cable.

 

December 15th       Construction         Stoney Creek        Crew working, made contact with buried 240 volt cable.

                                                                                                No details given of work being done at the time.

 

December 17th       Construction         Collingwood         Excavator made contact with overhead lines.  Voltage of

                                                                                                lines not given.

 

December 17th       Construction         Wingham               Doing directional boring, contacted 2400 volt buried cable.

                                                                                                Locates had been done, had expired by about two weeks.

 

December 23rd       Industrial               Brockville              Dump truck dumping snow, raised box hit street light

 

December 23rd       Construction         Lindsay                  Installing street lights, truck contacted 2400 volt wires.  No

                                                                                                details given of what part of the truck made the contact.

DATA SUMMARY - Fourth Quarter

 

                                Fatals:                    Criticals:              Non-criticals:                       Powerline              Electrical

                                                                                                                                                Contacts:               Equipment:

2008                            0                                2                                17                                        60                              0

2007                            1                                3                                23                                        69                              3

2006                            2                                1                                24                                        69                              0

 

2005                            1                                2                                26                                        44                              2

2004                            0                                6                                19                                        28                              0

2003                            0                                7                                19                                        37                              0

2002                            0                                4                                15                                        37                              1

2001                            5                                9                                28                                        33                              1

 

2000                            2                                8                                15                                        30                              1

1999                            2                                7                                21                                        30                              1

1998                            1                                8                                15                                        29                              2

 

 

And Finally…..

 

November 20th       Industrial               Niagara Falls         Students playing outside, one decided to kick the ground and

                                                                                                missed.  Student fell backwards, hit head on ground and lost

                                                                                                consciousness for a couple of minutes.  No, the student’s name

                                                                                                was not Charlie Brown.

 

 

Information taken from Ontario Ministry of Labour MIS database

Report prepared: April 9, 2009

 

Assembled by:     Mike Reiser, P. Eng.,

                                Engineer,

                                PSS-Kitchener District

                               E-Mail:   mike.reiser@ontario.ca

 

 

 

 

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