SPECIAL REPORT: When A Company Almost Has An Incident

Is NFPA 70E the Law?

By Brandi Fuller, Chief Editor for The Current Monitor

After making safety advancements to the electrical system, the maintenance crew at Pittsburgh Corning in Sedalia, Missouri began powering upthe plant after a company-wide shutdown. While doing so, they were surprised to see power restored to both the line and load side of a disconnect even though the panel was locked and tagged out.

"Seeing the LEDs [of the voltage indicators] flashing on both sides of the disconnect...caused immediate concern," says MJ Anderson, a maintenance repairman with Pittsburgh Corning. The team took the necessary precautions and began investigating why power was restored.

After confirming the voltage indicators were wired correctly, they opened the cabinet door and discovered the handle to the disconnect had broken away from the knives, which had been welded in place over time.

"...all we could think about, really, was if somebody had turned that on, it might have been ugly," shutters Terry Logan, a maintenance repairman with Pittsburgh Corning.

CLICK HERE to watch the Pittsburgh Corning team recount this incident in the Current Monitor Special Report.

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