Selected Electrical Incidents and Occurrences in Canada
Fourth Quarter – October to December, 2007
Date Program Location Incident Description
Fatalities:
October 3rd Construction Toronto Electrical apprentice doing wiring for temporary lights, was
installing cable inside portable power centre when he made
contact with 600 volts. 600 volts was feeding a transformer
that supplied power for lights and 120 volt power tools.
Critical Injuries:
October 23rd Industrial Brampton Worker doing vacuuming, knocked cover off 120 volt adapter.
Worker received a shock, sat down, then lay down before
losing consciousness.
November 10th Construction Toronto Worker was doing work in a junction box, made contact
with 120 volt wiring in box. Worker lost consciousness
from contact.
November 20th Construction Mississauga Worker received 2nd and 3rd degree burns from an electrical
contact, while working in an electrical box. No details given
of work being done at the time, or of system voltage.
Non-Critical Injuries:
October 2nd Construction Carrick Conveyor on top of concrete truck hit overhead line while
Township truck was backing up. Truck driver shaken up, taken to
hospital for observation.
October 3rd Construction Etobicoke Worker installing a driveway, discovered a buried pipe. Tried
to cut pipe with hacksaw, pipe contained a 27.6 kV cable.
Worker received burns to hand and face.
October 4th Mining Matachewan Crew felt an electrical tingle while installing ground support
screening. No details given on source of stray current.
October 6th Industrial Toronto Worker received a shock from touching a microwave oven
while also touching a metal fridge. Worker taken to hospital
for observation, microwave taken out of service.
October 15th Industrial Toronto Licensed electrician tried to use pliers to continue to open the
partially open door of a 400 amp fused disconnect switch.
Explosion happened, main breaker tripped to clear fault.
Worker taken to hospital, no details given of any injuries.
October 19th Industrial Tiverton Worker using a hand-held radiation meter, made contact with
bare wires next to handle. Wires energized at 1500 volts,
worker taken to hospital.
October 27th Industrial Whitby Worker doing diagnostic testing on panel, received 350 volt
electrical shock. Body reaction to shock caused a fracture to
left shoulder.
November 5th Industrial Ottawa Worker using screwdriver while working around battery in
car. Screwdriver hit battery terminal, worker received burns
under his wristwatch.
November 6th Construction Kingston Worker made electrical contact, taken to hospital. No other
details of event given.
November 7th Construction Toronto Worker doing work in ceiling space, made contact with his
hand with 347 volt wiring.
November 8th Industrial Burlington Worker doing commissioning testing of communications board
on power conditioning unit, received shock from 480 volts.
November 8th Construction Rockland Worker received an electrical shock from 347 volts.
Scaffolding was in contact with energized cable.
November 11th Mining Sudbury Worker received burns to arm from electrical contact. Worker
was connecting 600 VDC flexible cable to slag car for
dumping.
November 20th Industrial Burlington Worker was doing power washing, spray hit an electrical
panel. Worker received a shock, taken to hospital for
observation.
November 20th Construction Toronto Picker truck being used to install winter protection panels,
truck contacted 150 kV overhead line. Operator of truck
taken to hospital for observation.
November 22nd Construction Kapuskasing Worker received minor electrical contact burns to his back
when he backed into an exposed wall plug.
November 24th Construction Cambridge Workers using elevating work platform. Extension cord
plugged into receptacle at base of unit, unit was moved, cord
stretched then broke. Energized part of cord touched platform,
worker on platform was touching platform and metal outside
of the platform. Worker received a shock.
November 26th Industrial Oshawa Electrical box blew up in front of worker, worker received
2nd degree burn to right wrist. No details given of work being
done at the time, or of system voltage.
November 30th Industrial London Worker using vacuum cleaner, received a shock as she tried
to remove plug from wall receptacle. Cord in poor condition.
December 13th Construction Niagara Falls Contractor doing trenching, dug up a primary cable. One
worker experienced a tingling sensation, sent to hospital.
December 14th Construction Nanticoke Worker received a shock while plugging a 110 volt grinder
into an extension cord. Worker taken to hospital for
observation.
December 20th Industrial St Marys Building owner doing work on electrical panel, explosion
occurred. Worker’s hands were black, hair was smoking.
Details of work being done at the time, and voltage of panel
were not given, but panel was rated for 600 amps.
December 24th Industrial Toronto Non-worker touched coverplate of wall-mounted switch,
received burns to four fingers of left hand.
Powerline Contacts – No Injuries:
October 1st Construction Hamilton Contact made with overhead 13.8 kV line, equipment details
not given.
October 1st Construction Markham Buried cable cut, no other details of event given.
October 1st Construction Thunder Bay Truck struck overhead secondary lines, lines taken down.
October 2nd Construction Aylmer HiHoe dug up buried 220 volt cable.
October 3rd Construction London Crew stringing overhead lines, anchor holding pole broke.
lines hit another circuit energized at 4 kV.
October 4th Construction Toronto Backhoe hit buried 16 kV cable. Cable had been located and
uncovered about 1 metre to west of contact point. Backhoe
dug too deep.
October 4th Construction Scarborough Excavator hit primary cable, not specified if cable was buried
or an overhead line.
October 5th Construction Smithville Crew installing gas lines, hit 240 volt buried line.
October 5th Construction Oshawa Backhoe contacted buried cable, voltage of cable not given.
October 9th Construction Brampton Excavator hit pole, causing it to fall. Pole had 27.6 kV
circuit on it.
October 10th Construction Hamilton Contact made with 240 volt buried cable, no other details of
event given.
October 11th Industrial Hamilton Contact made with overhead 240 volt cable, no other details
of event given.
October 15th Construction Underwood Boom truck contacted 8 kV overhead line.
October 15th Construction Thunder Bay Utility workers made contact with power lines, no other details
of event given.
October 15th Construction Hamilton Contact made with overhead 240 volt cable, no other details of
event given.
October 15th Construction Moorefield Boom of excavator made contact with overhead line, voltage
of line not given.
October 17th Construction Guelph HIAB crane contacted 8 kV overhead line.
October 18th Construction Barrie Excavating equipment contacted buried 13 kV cable.
October 18th Construction Brampton Contact made with 16 kV buried line, no details given of
equipment involved.
October 22nd Construction Saugeen Shores Backhoe hit buried 240 volt cable. Locates were wrong.
October 22nd Construction St. Catharines Contact made with buried 120 volt cable, no other details
of event given.
October 24th Construction Toronto Workers working around exposed buried cables, one cable
started to spark then exploded. No details given on work
being done around the cables at the time.
October 24th Construction Toronto Excavator cut a buried 600 volt cable,
October 25th Construction Burlington Excavator cut a buried cable, voltage of cable not given.
October 25th Construction Toronto Supervisor climbing ladder to roof holding piece of pipe.
Pipe contacted high voltage overhead lines, no injuries
reported.
October 29th Construction Dundas Contact made with 240 volt overhead line, no other details
given.
October 29th Construction Woolwich Dump truck traveling with raised box, tore down two spans of
Township primary cable.
October 30th Construction Hamilton Contact made with 240 volt buried cable, equipment in use not
specified.
October 30th Construction Sundridge Dump truck raised its box, hit overhead lines, voltage of lines
not specified.
October 31st Construction Bradford Worker drilling screws into hydro pole, contacted a cable,
voltage of cable not given.
November 1st Construction Vaughan Backhoe hit buried power line, voltage of line not given.
November 1st Industrial Barrie Forklift being used to unload rebar, made contact with HV
overhead line.
November 5th Construction Hamilton Contact made with 13 kV buried line, no other details given.
November 6th Industrial Kincardine Tow truck pulling another vehicle out of a ditch, hit hydro
pole. Knocked off power to entire town.
November 8th Construction Kanata Doing excavating, hit buried primary line. No other details
given.
November 9th Construction Oakville Equipment boom hit 120 volt overhead line, lines caused pole
to snap. Pole also held a 27 kV circuit.
November 9th Industrial Welland Worker was using a screwdriver to install a wire in a meter
base. Screwdriver slipped, contacted 120 volt conductor.
November 13th Construction Waterloo Cut through floor, hit 208 volt cable.
November 13th Construction Hamilton Contact made with buried 240 volt cable. Details of
equipment involved not given.
November 14th Construction St. Catharines Event classified as power line contact, event description
mentioned 120 volt street lighting. No other details given.
November 14th Construction Cambridge Excavator made contact with 4800 volt overhead line.
November 14th Construction Barrie Worker doing drilling, hit primary cable.
November 14th Industrial Hamilton Contractor made contact with 240 volt overhead line, no other
details of event given.
November 14th Construction Ottawa Worker using a SAWSALL to cut hole in plywood wall, cut
into 600 volt cable.
November 19th Construction Brampton Excavating equipment dug up a buried 27 kV line.
November 19th Construction Coldwater Dump truck with raised box hit telephone cable, caused pole
to snap.
November 20th Industrial Sault Ste. Marie Clearing trees, tree fell on powerlines. Voltage of lines not
given.
November 21st Construction Thunder Bay Contractor clearing trees for 7200 volt line, tree limb
contacted overhead conductor.
November 23rd Construction Toronto Doing digging to get soil sample, hit electrical conduit.
November 23rd Construction Hamilton Contact made with overhead 240 volt line, no other details
of event given.
November 23rd Construction Toronto Excavator severed a buried line, voltage of line not given.
November 26th Construction Estaire Ground wire of overhead line hit and broken. No details given
of equipment that made the contact.
November 27th Construction Richmond Hill Worker doing shovel digging, contacted secondary line at base
of pole.
November 28th Construction Hamilton Contact made with buried 110 volt cable. No other details of
event given.
December 3rd Construction Hamilton Contact made with overhead 120 volt line, no other details of
event given.
December 5th Construction Hamilton Contact made with overhead 110 volt line, no other details of
event given.
December 5th Construction Toronto Core drill cut into buried 13.8 kV primary line.
December 6th Construction Hamilton Crane contacted 4 kV overhead line.
December 6th Construction Tiverton Cutting old drywall with hacksaw, contacted cable. Voltage
of cable not given.
December 6th Construction Burlington Worker using concrete pumping boom, contacted 24 kV line.
December 7th Construction Toronto Contractor hit 600 VDC trolley line, brought down about
200 feet of line.
December 8th Construction Cambridge Worker turned off 110 volt breaker at panel, went to cable and
cut into cable with side cutters. Wrong cable. Arcing
damage to side cutters, no injuries.
December 12th Construction Barrie Contact made with primary cable, no other details given.
December 12th Construction Port Hope Dump truck contacted fibre-optic line
December 12th Construction Orillia Boom truck contacted 13.8 kV overhead line.
December 16th Construction Oakville Scaffolding hit power line
December 18th Construction St Williams Excavator boom contacted 240 volt overhead line.
December 26th Industrial Cambridge Contractor cut through energized lighting cable.
December 31st Industrial Welland Worker drove into hydro pole, snapped it in half.
Line was energized at 27.6 kV.
Electrical Equipment – No Injuries:
October 23rd Construction Waterloo Worker removing fluorescent light fixture, power was ON.
Pliers made contact with outside of fixture, power went OFF.
No injuries reported from event.
November 9th Industrial Toronto Explosion happened as workers were removing a circuit
breaker from the rack. Voltage of breaker was not given.
No injuries reported from event.
December 20th Mining Sudbury Workers washing down the floor of a working area beside a
conveyor. Receptacle was located on wall just below the floor
area. Light was plugged into receptacle, fire started from
water getting into receptacle. Fire went out when light was
unplugged.
DATA SUMMARY – Fourth Quarter:
Fatals: Criticals: Non-criticals: Powerline Electrical
Contacts: Equipment:
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…..
December 21st Industrial Cambridge School teacher was acting as a reindeer in a school
Christmas play. Hopping around, hyper-extended her left
ankle. Taken to hospital.
Information taken from Ontario Ministry of Labour MIS database
Report prepared: May 30, 2008
Assembled by: Michael Reiser, P.Eng.,
Engineer, PSS – Kitchener District
E-Mail: mike.reiser@ontario.ca
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