This article was posted 12/11/2006 and is most likely outdated.

Utility Electrician Suffers Arc Flash Burns
 

 
Topic - Safety
Subject
- Utility Electrician Suffers Arc Flash Burns

December 11, 2006  

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Utility Electrician Suffers Arc Flash Burns

Image A Utility electrician suffered second and third degree arc flash burns to the arms, face, and torso. The incident occurred at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, Omaha Public Power District, in Omaha, Nebraska.

The arc flash occurred when the electrician used a high voltage detection device (hot stick) in a spare 480 V breaker cubicle, which caused a phase-to-phase short resulting in the arc. Entry into the 480 V cubicle was not part of the pre-planned job and approved work scope and was not discussed during the pre-job briefing. The electrician took this action without consulting with his crew leader, the other electrician assigned to this task, or anyone else. It is surmised that the electrician decided to enter the 480 volt breaker cubicle to determine if the hot stick was functioning properly.

Click here or on the image above to read the entire report outlining the events that took place, along with recommendations for how to avoid this or handle a situation like this should it arise at your workplace.

 

 

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Comments
  • I went on to read the Ontario Power preliminary report and was impressed with the number of checks and balances they apparently have available to prevent accidents. Some of it was acronym-based, and I am uncertain if that method has any real impact, but much of it was an emphasis on humility (checking with peers and supervisors in various positions/levels). I was especially struck with the phrase "Don't answer your own question". That has a lot of truth to it, and I was impressed with the deeper thinking behind that idea, and generally so with thier program, as presented. Now if only we could program out the human tendency to take shortcuts! I am in the military, and we have multiple programs designed to remind our personnel of dangers inherit in alcohol abuse, but no matter how seriously delivered, the message never reaches some people until after they have suffered consequences. I hope the worker in question makes a full recovery, and is forever wiser for his lapse of judgement.

    Greg Batz

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