Inspection Detail

Inspection: 103390779 - Boston Edison Company

Inspection Information - Office: Boston South Area Office

Inspection Nr: 103390779

Report ID: 0111400

Date Opened: 08/18/1987

Site Address:
Boston Edison Company
81 Arlington Street-Vault474
Boston, MA 02116

Mailing Address:
800 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199

Union Status: Union

SIC:4911

NAICS: 0

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 09/28/1987

Emphasis:

Case Closed: 12/22/1987

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	360665830

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	1					1
Current Violations	1					1
Initial Penalty	$800	$0	$0	$0	$0	$800
Current Penalty	$800	$0	$0	$0	$0	$800
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citaton Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Contest	Latest Event	Note
1.	01001	Serious	19100132 C	10/28/1987	11/09/1987	$800	$800	$0		-

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 660118

Event: 08/18/1987

ELECTRIC SHOCK - DIRECT CONTACT WITH ENERGIZED CONDUCTOR

FOUR CABLE SPLICERS AND TWO HELPERS WORKING FOR AN ELECTRIC UTILITY WERE RECONNECTING 36 CABLES TO THE SECONDARY OF A TRANSFORMER WITHIN A CONCRETE VAULT. THE CABLE HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED SO THAT AN ELECTRICIAN FOR AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT COULD REPLACE ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT. THE ELECTRICIAN COMPLETED HIS WORK, AND THE CABLE HAD TO BE RECONNECTED. THE TRANSFORMER ITSELF WAS NOT DEENERGIZED BECAUSE IT CONTINUED TO SUPPLY ANOTHER CUSTOMER. THE WEATHER WAS VERY HOT WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S THROUGH THE DAY, AND THE TRANSFORMER CONTRIBUTED TO THE HEAT IN THE VAULT. FOR OVER 20 HOURS THE SPLICERS WORKED IN PAIRS, WITH AN EMPLOYEE OF ONE PAIR ON EACH SIDE OF THE TRANSFORMER WHILE THE OTHER PAIR OF WORKERS TOOK A BREAK FROM THE HEAT. THE CONDUCTORS BEING HANDLED BY THE SPLICERS WERE ENERGIZED AT 120 VOLTS TO GROUND, AND ONLY ONE CONDUCTOR WAS HANDLED AT A TIME. THE CONNECTION POINTS ON THE TRANSFORMER WERE ALSO ENERGIZED AT 120 VOLTS TO GROUND, WITH THREADED FITTINGS WHICH PROTRUDED FROM A RUBBER MOLD ON THE CONNECTION TREE (POST) FOR EACH PHASE. THE SPLICERS WERE HANDLING THE LIVE INSULATED ENDS OF THE CONDUCTORS WHILE WEARING ONLY LEATHER WORK GLOVES ON THEIR HANDS. THROUGHOUT THE DAY THE MEN CHANGED SHIRTS AND GLOVES AS THEY BECAME DAMP FROM SWEAT. ONE EMPLOYEE WAS HOLDING THE END OF ONE PHASE CONDUCTOR WITH HIS LEFT GLOVED HAND AS HE GRASPED THE PROTRUDING CONNECTOR ATTACHED TO THE SECONDARY POST FOR THAT PHASE OF THE TRANSFORMER WITH HIS RIGHT GLOVED HAND. THE EMPLOYEES HAD USED A VOLTAGE TESTER AND DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS THE CORRECT SECONDARY POST FOR THIS CONDUCTOR. THE EMPLOYEE WAS STANDING ON A WOODEN PLANK AND WAS NEXT TO, AND EVIDENTLY IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUNDED TRANSFORMER CASE. THE EMPLOYEE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND THEN COLLAPSED. CPR WAS ADMINISTERED BUT TO NO AVAIL. HE HAD BEEN ELECTROCUTED THROUGH HIS LEATHER GLOVES.

Keywords: ELEC PROTECT EQUIP, ELECTRICAL, ELECTROCUTED, E PTD, TRANSFORMER VAULT, ELEC UTILITY WORK, TRANSFORMER

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	103390779			Fatality	Electric Shock	Electrical power installers and repairers

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