Selected Electrical Incidents and Occurrences

Second Quarter - April to June, 2005

 

Date &         Program       Location       Accident Description

MIS ID #

 

 

Fatalities:

 

April 9th                  Construction         Mississauga         Certified linesman was removing the temporary grounds from

1071796                                                                                  the overhead conductors.  Worker removed ground connection

                                                                                                while other end was still connected to a phase conductor.

Worker was not wearing rubber gloves, was not using a hot

stick, climbed up onto the support structure to reach

connection point.  Calculations done as part of investigation

showed that about 400 mA was available to flow to ground

through the bonding cable.  At the time of the fatality, the

worker was acting as the supervisor for the crew.

 

May 10th                 Industrial               Toronto                 Electrician was changing the drive motor on a small monorail

1075683                                                                                  crane, made contact with a 600 V conductor, electrocuted.

 

June 2nd                  Industrial               Collingwood         Worker doing troubleshooting of HVAC system, had control

1076832                                                                                  panel open while power was still ON.  Made contact with

                                                                                                600 V, entry burns on fingers of right hand, exit burns on hand

                                                                                                and fingers of left hand.

 

June 28th Construction         Brampton               Two workers taking down a large tent, tent pole contacted

1077319                                                                                  overhead power line.  One worker was critically injured by

                                                                                                the contact, the other worker was killed.  Voltage of single-

                                                                                                phase line was 4800 V.  There were no signs of entry wounds

                                                                                                on either worker, both workers had exit wounds on their feet.

 

 

 

Critical Injuries:

 

April 11th                Industrial               Severn                    Plant Manager was doing work in electrical panel when it

1062243                                                                                  blew up.  Worker received burns to face and right hand, lost

                                                                                                consciousness.

 

April 18th                Industrial               Toronto                 Two apprentice electricians were doing work unsupervised.

1074634                                                                                  Worker was filing piece of equipment in breaker box, touched

                                                                                                a live wire.  Worker received 3rd degree burns to arm.

 

April 28th                Industrial               Milton                    Pump specialist was working in an electrical panel, received

1072909                                                                                  electrical contact burns to hands.  Worker had locked out main

                                                                                                feed to panel, did not know that panel was also fed from a

                                                                                                stand-by generator.  Generator was arranged to start up

                                                                                                automatically on loss of main power to panel.

 

May 9th                   Industrial               Brampton               Worker installing electrical equipment when a flash occurred.

1075693                                                                                  Worker received burns to face and arms, lost consciousness for

                                                                                                a few seconds.

 

May 17th                 Industrial               Etobicoke              Worker doing work from extension ladder, adjusting control

1074937                                                                                  limits for overhead door.  New door installation, live 600 V

                                                                                                exposed conductors present in control box.  Suspect that

                                                                                                worker made inadvertent contact with live conductor, shock

                                                                                                caused worker to fall about 17 feet to concrete floor.  Worker

                                                                                                sustained head injuries, broken back and ribs, and lost

                                                                                                consciousness.

 

May 31st                 Industrial               Guelph                   Maintenance Department worker changing fluorescent light.

1076435                                                                                  Worker used a screwdriver, made contact.  Worker lost

                                                                                                consciousness for a few seconds, taken to hospital.

 

June 6th                   Industrial               Toronto                 Worker received a shock from a 347 V ballast, suffered burns

1077275                                                                                  to both hands and to right elbow.

 

June 13th Industrial               St. Catherines       Fuse exploded while worker was changing it.  Worker suffered

1074469                                                                                  burns to face, neck, hands and eyes.

 

June 13th Industrial               Wellesley              Worker was using tester in 600 V cabinet.  Arc happened,

1077054                                                  Township              worker received burns to right hand and arm.  Please note,

                                                                                                event description mentioned tester, not multimeter.

 

 

Non-Critical Injuries:

 

April 19th                Construction         Kitchener               Worker operating boom truck, boom came close to 8 kV

1072544                                                                                  power line.  Worker suffered burns to leg and both hands.

 

April 22nd               Industrial               Vaughan                                Electrician doing work in power room of shopping complex.

1029327                                                                                  Event happened, power tripped off to entire complex.  Worker

                                                                                                received burns to face and hands, no details given of work

                                                                                                being done at the time.

 

May 19th                 Industrial               Colborne                Worker dismantling a transformer box when it blew up in his

1073661                                                                                  face.  Worker taken to hospital, no other details of event given.

 

May 20th                 Industrial               Wellesley              Worker received a shock while touching two different pieces

1074521                                                  Township              of electrical equipment.  Worker suffered pain and numbness

                                                                                                in hands, did not lose consciousness.

 

May 25th                 Industrial               Sudbury                 Worker unplugging mirror from an outlet, received electrical

1074821                                                                                  shock.  Suffered burns to right hand.

 

May 25th                 Industrial               Richmond Hill       Store manager using ladder to change light bulb, received a

1074932                                                                                  120 V shock.  Received minor burns to hand.

 

June 1st                   Industrial               Orillia                      Electrician, working on electrical equipment, contacted 600 V.

1076698                                                                                  Suffered 2nd degree burns to right hand.  No information given

                                                                                                on what work was being done at the time.

 

June 1st                   Industrial               Orillia                      Worker received an electrical shock from a 120 V extension

1076718                                                                                  cord while plugging another cord into it.

 

June 3rd                  Construction         Mississauga         Electrician made contact with 347 volts, no details given of

1074973                                                                                  injuries suffered or work being done.

 

June 8th                   Industrial               Etobicoke              Worker on aluminum ladder changing light bulb.  Bulb broke,

1077006                                                                                  worker received shock from exposed wires and fell off ladder.

                                                                                                He received burns to hands and abrasions to elbows.

 

June 11th Construction         Ingersoll                                Electrician made electrical contact, went home not to hospital.

1073210                                                                                  No details given of work being done or equipment involved.

 

June 14th Industrial               Hamilton                Worker was using phone with headset.  Thunderstorm outside,

1077175                                                                                  worker received shock.  Suffered numbness in face, swollen

                                                                                                arms and face.

 

June 23rd                Industrial               Gormley                 Worker discharging asphalt through chute in back of dump

1073105                                                                                  truck, raised box contacted overhead lines.  Worker felt

                                                                                                tingling in left arm and shoulder.

 

June 23rd                Construction         Newmarket            Dump truck was backing up, hit power line.  One worker

1076561                                                                                  was touching truck, received a shock, taken to hospital.

 

June 23rd                Industrial               Oakville                  Worker tried to clean up a fish tank that was overflowing.

1077385                                                                                  Received shock from extension cords on floor beneath tank.

                                                                                                Treated at scene by paramedics and released.

 

June 27th Industrial               Peterborough        Technician doing work on switchgear box in substation,

1076536                                                                                  received a shock.  Worker has minor burns to thumb and

                                                                                                forearm.

 

June 29th Construction         St. Catherines       Roofing contractor contacted overhead lines with metal

1078230                                                                                  ladder.  Workers hurt, no information given on injuries

                                                                                                received by workers.

 

 

 

Powerline Contacts – No Injuries:

 

April 2nd                 Construction         Toronto                 Scaffolding fell on trolley and hydro lines. Lines broke, wound

1071081 & 1073889 (same event)                                       up on ground.

 

April 3rd                  Mining                   Meldrum Bay        Boom truck contacted neutral of 4160 V overhead line.

1072204

 

April 4th                  Construction         London                  Forklift contacted power lines, no other details given.

1071959

 

April 8th                  Construction         Georgina                Dump truck contacted power lines, lines wound up draped

1071986                                                                                  over the truck.

 

April 8th                  Construction         Dunnville               Excavator contacted overhead power line.

1072511

 

April 8th                  Construction         London                  Event description said powerline contact, no other details

1073859                                                                                  given.

 

April 13th                Construction         Mississauga         Box of dump truck contacted 44  kV power line.

1072029                                                                                  Truck tires blew up.

 

April 13th                Construction         Wellesley              Boom truck contacted overhead power line.

1074215                                                  Township

 

April 20th                Construction         Stittsville               Contractor dug up a buried line.

1063613 

 

April 21st                Construction         Whitby                  Tower crane contacted overhead power line.

1072714

 

April 25th                Construction         Waterloo               Contractor using Hi-Ho to dig a foundation, contacted buried

1072719                                                                                  power line.

 

April 25th                Industrial               Cambridge             Event listed as electrical occurrence, no other details given.

1072966

 

April 25th                Industrial               Sault Ste Marie     Workers removing a sign, boom was too close to power lines,

1074845                                                                                  and located over the lines.  No actual contact reported.

 

April 26th                Construction         Stoney Creek        Worker beginning to dig, dug up both the gas and hydro lines.

1056000

 

April 27th                Construction         London                  Boom truck hit overhead power line.

1072721

 

April 28th                Industrial               Sudbury                 Worker doing tree-trimming, hit a 7200 V power line.

1073067

 

April 29th                Construction         Port Elgin               Worker digging to repair a water leak, contacted primary

1056004                                                                                  conductors.

 

May 6th                   Construction         Brampton               Raised box of dump truck contacted overhead power lines.

1073697

 

May 9th                   Construction         Hearst                    Box of dump truck touched 14 kV overhead line.

1074121

 

May 9th                   Construction         Southampton        Contractor was doing road construction, dug up 240 V line.

1075259

 

May 9th                   Construction         Goderich                Contractor was moving hydraulic excavating truck into place,

1056204                                                                                  truck contacted overhead power lines.

 

May 10th                 Construction         Rockland               Working too close to power lines.  No details given of work

107 5760                                                                 being done or equipment involved.

 

May 11th                 Construction         Toronto                 Boom truck contacted overhead power lines.

1074204

 

May 11th                 Construction         Harriston               Boom of boom truck contacted overhead lines, tires on truck

1074367                                                                                  blew out.  Voltage of line not given.

 

May 11th                 Construction         Sarnia                     Excavator came too close to 27 kV power line, arc occurred.

1075378

 

May 13th                 Construction         St. Catherines       Worker installing grounds on de-energized conductor, wire

1075284                                                                                  made inadvertent contact with energized conductor.

                                                                                                No injuries reported.

 

May 13th                 Mining                   Kitchener               Dump truck contacted overhead lines.

1075976

 

May 16th                 Construction         Lindsay                  Truck contacted the Bell line, caused power lines to snap.

1073791

 

May 17th                 Construction         Collingwood         Installing watermain, contacted 2400 V overhead line. 

1074053                                                                                  No details given of equipment involved.

 

May 18th                 Construction         Oakville                  Excavator dug up 4 kV buried line.

1075373

 

May 19th                 Construction         Municipality         Contact made with power line during sanitary pipe installation.

1072813                                                  not given               No other details given.

 

May 19th                 Construction         Lanark County      Dump truck dumping asphalt into transfer box, contact made

1066363                                                                                  with overhead power lines.

 

May 19th                 Construction         Peterborough        Contractor excavating for sidewalk, dug up the 15 kV buried

1073792                                                                                  cable with a BOBCAT.

 

May 20th                 Construction         Nepean                  Contractor dug into a buried primary cable, caused a major

1069866                                                                                  outage in the area.

 

May 20th                 Construction         Gloucester             Contractor working within ten feet of hydro line.  No details

1070701                                                                                  given of work being done or equipment involved.

 

May 24th                 Construction         Niagara-on-the-    Driver brought truck close to overhead line, arc jumped to

1076040                                                  Lake                        truck.  Powerline voltage was not given.

 

May 27th                 Construction         Thunder Bay         Installing a basketball post at site of existing post.  Contact

1076683                                                                                  made with buried primary line.

 

May 30th                 Construction         London                  Contact made with buried primary line.  Locates had been,

1076020                                                                                  contact was more than ten feet from marks.

 

May 30th                 Construction         Peterborough        Doing rehab of underground services, contacted a 4 kV line.

1076583                                                                                  No details given of equipment involved.

 

May 30th                 Construction         Whitchurch           Contact made with power line, voltage was less than 750 V.

1074607                                                  Township              No other details given.

 

May 31st                 Construction         Kirkland Lake        Dumptruck hit 44 kV overhead line.

1071321

 

June 2nd                  Construction         Brampton               Contractor hit primary cable.  No other details given.

1074958

 

June 6th                   Construction         Waterloo               Boom truck contacted primary lines.

1073198

 

June 6th                   Construction         London                  Worker drilled into electrical conduit.  X-ray and conduit

1077167                                                                                  tracing had been done.

 

June 8th                   Construction         Burlington             Dump truck backing up, took down a 1600 V power line.

1076872

 

June 9th                   Construction         Sudbury                 Event classified as electrical occurrence, no other details

1070588                                                                                  given.

 

June 14th Construction         Toronto                 Contact made with overhead power line, no other details of

1076220                                                                                  event given.

 

June 14th Construction         Milton                    Dump truck backed into overhead power line.

1077186

 

June 20th Construction         Markham               Backhoe cut into primary cable.

1075992

 

June 21st                 Construction         Brampton               Contractor cut into a 27 kV power line.  No details of

1076546                                                                                  equipment involved.

 

June 21st                 Construction         London                  Excavator dug up a buried primary cable.  Locates had been

1077088                                                                                  done, showed area was clear.

 

June 21st                 Construction         Thunder Bay         Drilling test holes, contacted buried power line.

1078151

 

June 23rd                Construction         Garson                   Electrical wires knocked down, no other details given.

1076265

 

June 23rd                Construction         Waterloo               Dump truck contacted neutral of primary line.

1077468

 

June 23rd                Construction         Sault Ste. Marie    Excavator boom contacted overhead primary line.

1078037

 

June 27th Construction         Thunder Bay         Workers had scaffolding set up over a secondary line, ladder

1071120                                                                                  on scaffolding contacted the line.

 

June 27th Construction         Iroquois Falls        Backhoe contacted overhead power line.

1072390

 

June 27th Construction         Markham               Contractor bored into a primary cable.

1076251

 

June 28th Construction         Tillsonburg           Trolley of tower crane contacted 27 kV power line.

1073589

 

June 28th Construction         London                  Boom of backhoe contacted 8 kV overhead line.  They were

1077861                                                                                  using a spotter at the time.

 

 

 

DATA SUMMARY - Second Quarter

 

                                Fatals:                    Criticals:              Non-criticals:                       Powerline              Electrical

                                                                                                                                                Contacts:               Equipment:

 

2005                            4                                9                                 17                                        60                             0

2004                            3                                4                                 16                                        48                             0

2003                            3                                7                                 25                                        39                             0

2002                            1                                9                                 17                                        28                             1

2001                            1                              13                                12                                        32                             2

               

2000                            2                                5                                 22                                        34                             1

1999                            2                                9                                 22                                        32                             0

1998                            2                                4                                 17                                        30                             0

 

 

And Finally…..

 

May 21st                 Industrial               Red Rock               The event description said, “An employee struck his lighter in

1069871                                                  Township              order to burn a spider”.  The employee, along with another

                                                                                                worker, were in a propane cylinder storage shed at the time.

                                                                                                The inevitable happened, with only the first worker getting any

                                                                                                serious burns.  The company is now locking the shed.

 

 

Information taken from Ministry of Labour MIS database

Report prepared: September 7, 2005

 

Assembled by:     Michael Reiser

                                Engineer

                                PSS – Kitchener District

 

                                Phone:    (519) 883-5682

                                FAX:      (519) 883-5694

                                E-Mail:   mike.reiser@mol.gov.on.ca