Selected Electrical Incidents and Occurrences

Second Quarter – April to June, 2004

 

Date &           Program          Location          Accident Description

MIS ID #

 

Accidents - Fatal:

 

April 13th                Industrial               Stratford                                Worker made contact with live exposed conductors, system

1053855                                                                                  voltage was 575 volts, worker was electrocuted.  Worker was

                                                                                                switching phases to change direction of motor rotation at the

                                                                                                time of contact.

 

June 2nd                  Construction       Toronto                 Worker was on scaffolding, doing work on overhead lights.

1052180                                                                                  Worker made contact with energized conductor, fell off

scaffolding.  Voltage of lighting system not given.

 

June 2nd                  Construction       Ottawa                   Worker was making changes in an electrical circuit, made

1052214                                                                                  contact with an energized conductor.  Voltage of conductor

                                                                                                not given.

 

 

Accidents - Critical:

 

April 23rd                Industrial                Mississauga         Electrical apprentice was doing work in an electrical room.

1054312                                                                                  Allan key contacted a live wire, causing an arc.  Worker was

                                                                                                burned to face, chest and arm.

 

May 3rd                  Industrial               North York        Worker closed a circuit breaker inside an electrical room.

1051766                                                                                  Panel blew up, worker received 2nd degree burns to face and

                                                                                                right hand.  Operating voltage of panel not given.

 

June 16th                Industrial               Fort Erie                Worker was using a multimeter to measure voltage.  Selector

1056513                                                                                  switch was set to VOLTAGE, but leads were still set up for

                                                                                                measuring resistance.  Overcurrent from meter’s internal arc

                                                                                                causing arcing at the probe tips, resulting in phase-to-phase

                                                                                                arcing on the line side terminals of a 600 V fused disconnect.

                                                                                                Worker severely burned from the heat of the arc.

 

June 29th                Industrial                Burlington           Worker was doing infrared PM scans of electrical connections.

1056024                                                                                  As part of procedures, worker used meter to check voltages.

                                                                                                Meter was rated for 750 volts, equipment was operating at its

                                                                                                designed voltage of 4160 V.  Worker was severely burned on

                                                                                                both forearms from resulting electrical arc.

 

 

Accidents - Non-Critical:

 

April 1st                  Industrial                Burlington                Electrician was doing wiring work, wires were live.  Worker

1052980                                                                                  crossed a connection, caused an arc.  Worker suffered burns to

                                                                                                both arms.  No details given for voltage or type of equipment.

April 11th                Mining                   Sudbury                 Worker sustained an electrical shock while trouble-shooting

1054448                                                                                  the electrical system on an underground vehicle.

 

April 14th                Construction       St. Catherines                Worker contacted 600 V conductor while working inside a

1054431                                                                                  section of a control panel.  Lockout had been done for the

                                                                                                other sections of the panel, but not for the 600 V feed to this

                                                                                                section.  Worker received a mild shock from the contact.

 

April 19th                Industrial               London                  Worker received an electrical shock while stirring soup in a

1054114                                                                                  crockpot.  No details given of what part of the equipment was

                                                                                                defective.

 

April 22nd                Construction                Mississauga         Worker received electrical burns.  No details given of what

1054277                                                                                  work was being done at the time.

 

May 6th                   Construction       Hamilton                Worker contacted 110 volts while re-shingling a roof.

1055239

 

May 12th                 Industrial               Tiverton                 Control Technician was working on generator brush gear,

1054936                                                                                  contacted 170 volts.  Worker was wearing rubber gloves, made

                                                                                                contact at glove base.  Worker taken to hospital and released.

 

May 19th                 Construction       Grimsby                 Two workers contacted 4800 volts, no details given of work

1055303                                                                                  being done at the time.  Although the event description said

that no injuries were suffered in the contact, I placed the event

here, due to the fact that a contact was made by the worker.

 

May 26th                 Industrial               Ottawa                   Worker changing a light when it blew, knocking him off a

1055500                                                                                  ladder.  Worker had sore head and ribs.  No details given on

                                                                                                type of light involved.

 

June 1st                   Construction       Hamilton                Worker contacted a buried 8 kV power cable while installing

1055006                                                                                  anchor pins for a concrete form.  Cable was only about 4 “

                                                                                                deep in this spot, worker received minor burns to his arms.

 

June 10th                Industrial               Toronto                 Worker received a shock from a 240 V heat lamp while trying

1056313                                                                                  to move the beam that the light was mounted on.

 

June 12th                Industrial               Thunder Bay         A non-worker (4 year old child) received a shock from an

1056518                                                                                  energized electrical cord.  The cord was part of a ride at a

                                                                                                children’s public amusement park.

 

June 14th                Construction       Hamilton                Worker cut into an energized conductor while using a quick-

1055605                                                                                  cut saw.  Conductor was energized at 8,000 volts to ground,

                                                                                                worker received burns to right arm, left hand and shoulder.

 

June 22nd                Industrial               Niagara Falls        Worker was vacuuming with the cord draped around her neck.

1056718                                                                                  touched a metal strip on a door and received a shock.  Cord

                                                                                                had cuts where the copper conductor could be seen.

 

June 23rd                Industrial                Municipality        Workers were demolishing office panels to make room for

1013931                                                  not given      more desks.  Both workers received shocks, no information

                                                                                                given as to the source of the electricity.

 

June 23rd                Industrial               Toronto                 Worker received a shock from a 15 A outlet, resulting in a

1056942                                                                                  4 inch gash to his right forearm.  No details given of work

                                                                                                being done at the time.

 

 

Reportable Incidents - Powerline Contacts:

 

April 6th                  Construction       Ottawa                   Work being done under a power line caused the fuse for the

1053465                                                                                  line to blow.  No details given on what may have contacted

                                                                                                the line.

 

April 6th                  Construction       Thunder Bay                Homeowner cut down a tree, tree brought down a 240 V line.

1053468

 

April 8th                  Construction                Brampton              Electrical contact made, primary cable cut.  No details given of

1053839                                                                                  equipment involved.

 

April 13th                Construction       Dundas                  Shovel contacted 240 V secondary buried cable.

1054047

 

April 14th                Construction       Vaughan                                Spider system made contact with an overhead power line.

1054015

 

April 16th                Mining                   Levack                   While pulling muck from a chute, a rockbolt flowing with the

1054095                                                                                  material contacted the trolley line.  Resulting fire caused

                                                                                                damage to the trolley skirting and to air and water lines.

 

April 18th                Mining                   Sudbury                 Dump truck took down all three phases of a power line.

1054104

 

April 22nd                Construction       Kanata                   Contractor chose not to wait until the utility could supervise

1054320                                                                                  the excavation work.  Contractor dug up the primary cable,

                                                                                                cut off power to 110 customers.

 

April 28th                Construction                Caledonia              Event classified as electrical.  No other details given.

1016729

 

April 29th                Construction       Timmins                 Event classified as power line contact.  No other details given.

1052272

 

April 30th                Construction                Waterdown                Excavator contacted a buried 240 V secondary cable.

1018794

 

May 5th                   Construction       Sombra                   Contact made with a 4500 V power line while workers

1054728                                                  Township              were doing work on a bridge.

 

May 6th                   Construction       Toronto                 Event description said power outage with no injuries.

1051777                                                                                  No other details given.

 

May 6th                   Construction                Richmond Hill       Power line contacted, no other details of event given.

1054754

 

May 10th                 Construction                Brampton              Workers doing a trenching operator, cut a 27 kV buried

1054855                                                                                  cable.  No locates had been done.

 

May 11th                 Construction                Cambridge                Excavator knocked down a power line.

1020265

 

May 12th                 Construction                Warkworth           Worker was cutting tree branches, branches contacted the

1054956                                                                                  power line.

 

May 14th                 Construction       Port Dover                Excavator hit and damaged a padmount transformer.

1016750

 

May 16th                 Industrial               Thunder Bay         Worker were using a motorized lift to install a sign.  Hydro

1055163                                                                                  line contacted, line broke and came down.

 

May 19th                 Construction                Townsend           Crane struck an 4800 V overhead power line.

1036409

 

May 27th                 Construction       Sudbury                 Contractor doing blasting, blast caused shifting of a buried

1021192                                                                                  duct.  Duct movement caused the cable to break.

 

May 27th                 Industrial               Timmins                 Contractor was using a boom truck, boom contacted a

1052321                                                                                  2700 V overhead line.

 

May 28th                 Construction       Hamilton                Contractor used hand digging to find the location of a

1054660                                                                                  buried secondary cable.  Then used a backhoe, and he

                                                                                                found it.

 

May 28th                 Construction       Thunder Bay         Contact was made with the overhead secondary service

1055683                                                                                  to a residence.  No information given on equipment

                                                                                                involved in the contact.

 

May 28th                 Construction       Sault Ste. Marie                Building being demolished, contact made with an energized

1055997                                                                                  cable.  No information given on equipment involved.

 

May 31st                 Construction       Orleans                  Worker doing excavating, contacted a buried line.

1052211

 

June 2nd                  Construction                Kingston              Event classified as electrical, no other details given.

1013202

 

June 7th                   Construction                Waterloo              Backhoe hit a 4 kV buried power line.

1053007

 

June 7th                   Construction       Kitley                     Power trencher dug up a 240 V buried line.

1056128                                                  Township              No locates done.

 

June 9th                   Construction       Niagara Falls        Event classified as a power line contact, event description

1056169                                                                                  mentioned machinery moving a bridge.

 

June 10th                Construction                Peterborough       Raised box of a dumptruck hit a 24 kV power line.

1056274

 

June 11th                Construction       Ottawa                   Equipment contacted a power line, no other details given.

1013922 

 

June 11th                Construction       Cayuga                  Dumptruck raised its box, contacted a power line.

1036422

 

June 11th                Construction       Oakville                  Truck contacted overhead hydro line, knocked down a pole.

1056367                                                                                  Line energized at 13 kV.

 

June 12th                Construction                Brampton              Backhoe cut a 27 kV buried cable.

1056393

 

June 15th                Industrial               Thunder Bay         Workers were digging, contacted a buried electrical cable.

1011937

 

June 15th                Construction       Windsor                                Raised box of dumptruck contacted overhead power lines.

1054438

 

June 15th                Construction                Woodbridge         Contact made with a buried hydro cable.  No details given of

1054904                                                                                  equipment involved.

 

June 15th                Construction                Copetown              Auger in back of pickup truck was in the raised position.

1055655                                                                                  Truck moved, auger contacted hydro lines.

 

June 16th                Construction                Cambridge            Driver of dump truck drove away while box was still coming

1020289                                                                                  down.  Box ripped down the neutral of the overhead line.

 

June 17th                Construction       Toronto                 Crane contacted overhead power line.

1055231

 

June 21st                 Construction                Mississauga         600 V feeder cable was damaged by machinery.  No other

1055668                                                                                  details given.

 

June 23rd                Construction                Mississauga         Event classified as power line contact.  No other details given.

1028736

 

June 24th                Construction       Ingersoll                                Event classified as electrical occurrence.  No other details

1036430                                                                                  given.

 

June 24th                Construction       Hamilton                Event classified as power line contact.  No other details given.

1055854

 

June 24th                Industrial               Hamilton                Truck box hooked a sagging wire, knocked off the power.

1056008 & 1056908 (same event)

 

June 29th                Industrial               Thunder Bay         Forklift contacted a secondary hydro line.

1057075

 

June 30th                Industrial                Waterdown           Backhoe dug up a buried cable, no locates had been done.

1056106

 

 

 

And Finally……..

 

April 4th                  Industrial                Kitchener               Worker passed out while walking to his desk.  No information

1056565                                                                                  given on height of paperwork sitting in worker’s IN basket.

                                                                                                Please note, my calendar says that April 4th was a Sunday.

 

 

DATA SUMMARY - Second Quarter

 

                                Fatals:                    Criticals:             Non-criticals:                               Powerline                Electrical

                                                                                                                                                Contacts:                Equipment:

 

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

 

 

Information taken from Ministry of Labour MIS database

Report prepared:                August 4, 2004

 

Assembled by:                Michael Reiser

                                Engineer

                                PSS – Kitchener District

 

                                Phone:                (519) 883-5682

                                FAX:                (519) 883-5694

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