"A picture is worth a thousand words"; if you have ever stood up in front of a tough crowd during a training session, you know how much an impact a graphic photo can have on your audience. With that in mind, I have posted 20+ photos of electrical accidents and injuries at www.SAFTENG.net. These photos are REAL and VERY GRAPHIC in nature. They show everything from flash burns to exit wounds from high voltage electrocution. These photos are provided for educational purposes and are in NO WAY meant to be a freak show or disrespectful. You can visit SAFTENG.net's Incident Alert Archive and visit the Electrical Accident Page for the links to these photos.

Bryan

Bryan;
Would you agree that the juice should have been shut off in these incidents?

Sparky,

You are 100% correct! If people would live by LOTO (Lockout/Tagout) then many more workers would still be working, living a good life and taking care of their families! Unfortunately, this is not the case. Something as simple as shutting off the energy source(s) and securing that source of energy, you would think that everyone would do it.

If you organization does not have a LOTO process, ask your manager about it...if he/she gives you a blank look, GET HELP from somewhere reputable, like the area OSHA office. You can contact them and ask for help and you do not have to give your name! Just get help!!!!!

LOL!
Bryan ,I don't think i've ever been accused of being 100% correct. As a matter of fact, feel free to correct me.

You see, I don't believe all the PPE in the world will provide the safety of simply shutting off the hazard.

Although this is practiced by means of the employer's claim that power could not be interupted, any contractor stands on this vs. production downtime.

Being said individual in the past,i did not like that choice.
I beleive the intital installation should either have isolating means for maintanence, or a shutdown is in order.

Okay Bryan, you knew this would probably come. What about those systems where the risk of start-up are greater than the risk of working the system live (the infamous cell line)?
Due to the fatality @ Mt Vernon, we now have new procedures for on/near & Master Tag for those breakers that cannot accept a lock. Nobody wanted to tackle the cell line issue.
I think the PPE requirments and the task procedure do manage the risk. Now that you don't suffer the headaches of this system, where do you stand? PPE or shut it down?

Idealy, one does not need the raincoat if he/she waits out the weather, where there is 0 risk....