STATISTICS RE: ELECTRICAL INCIDENTS IN ALBERTA to

Transcription

1 Safety Services 16 th floor, Commerce Place Tel 1-866/ nd Street Fax 780/ Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5J 4L4 STATISTICS RE: ELECTRICAL INCIDENTS IN ALBERTA to Regulations under the Safety Codes Act require that all electrical accidents and power line contacts be reported to the Technical Administrator. Alberta Municipal Affairs and Housing has compiled a summary report of incidents reported between January 1, and December 31,. Organizations in the electrical industry may use this information for promoting public awareness of electrical safety risks. A total of 427 incidents were reported: involving overhead power lines involving underground power lines involving other types of electrical installations or equipment Of these incidents, fatalities of humans and livestock were recorded. This report presents the information in a series of tables, text, and charts: (1) Injury Incidents Pages 2 to 5 summarize fatal and non-fatal injury incidents. The table on page 2 outlines the persons, voltages and equipment involved in the incidents. A brief description of injury incidents, in chronological order, is provided on page 3 to 5. (2) Power Line Contacts Pages 6 to 8 summarize the power line contacts. The table on page 6 shows different types of power line contacts and the number of fatal and non-fatal injuries incurred for each type of contact. The table s and charts, on pages 7 and 8, compare historical information regarding power line contacts with current statistics. Since not all incident occurrences are reported, this report is not an accurate accounting of all the incidents that occurred in Alberta. It does however serve as an approximation and sampling of the various types of incidents.

2 1. PERSONS INVOLVED INJURY INCIDENTS REPORTED to FATAL (F) NON-FATAL (N) A. Performing electrical B. Not performing electrical work F N work F N 1. Qualified electrical worker 1 1. Adult Qualified power electrician/lineman 1 2. Child 1 3. Non-qualified person 2. VOLTAGES INVOLVED A. Systems or equipment (not power line contacts) B. Contact with power lines F N (not included in A) F N volts or less volts or less 2. Over 750 volts Over 750 volts SYSTEMS OR EQUIPMENT INVOLVE D A. Interior wiring systems B. Line construction or F N maintenance F N 1. Service/distribution equipment 1 1. Overhead systems (poles, lines, etc.) 1 2. Motor control equipment 2. Substations and transformers 3. Switches, fixtures, etc Underground systems 4. Test equipment 1 4. Other 5. General wiring/conductors 2 6. Other equipment C. Utilization equipment F N D. Non-electrical equipment F N 1. Household appliances 1 1. Cranes/booms/pickers 1 2. Commercial/industrial equipment Ladders/scaffolds 2 3. Portable power tools 2 3. Drilling rig equipment 4. Extension cords 1 4. Farm equipment 5. Welding machines/motors 5. Moving buildings 6. Mobile homes and trailers 6. Objects (pipe, antennae, 1 etc.) 1 7. Signs 2 7. Excavating equipment 1 8. Vehicles (high loads, truck 8. Other boxes, etc.) 9. Other 1 Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 2 of 8

3 SUMMARY OF INJURY INCIDENTS Information provided in this report is information provided by Industry. Any changes in wording from the reports received, is done for clarification of the incident. Fatal Injuries (1) The owner of a neon sign company was electrocuted while working in his shop. He accidentally contacted an energized terminal of a piece of neon glass purifying equipment. (2) A worker was electrocuted while setting up an air monitor tower for a drilling rig site when the tower contacted an overhead 25,000 volt power line. Non-Fatal Injuries (1) An Electrician working on an energized electrical panel suffered an electrical shock and flash. The electrician failed to lock-out the electrical panel he was working on. (2) A worker was lifting a light pole into place when the pole contacted a 14,400 volt overhead power line. The worker received an electrical shock and burns to both his hands and right foot. (3) Workers were updating signage. One worker was on a boom truck platform, and as he extended the boom, the boom contacted a 25,000 volt overhead power line. The power line was grounded through the other worker who was standing beside the truck. This worker received burns and an electrical shock. (4) A sign worker was swinging a ladder around to the other side of a fluorescent sign when the ladder contacted a 25,000 volt overhead power line. The ladder was part of a ladder truck and the second worker was attempting to climb onto the truck when the ladder contacted the overhead power line. The second worker received an electrical shock and burns to both his feet and left arm. Two of the truck tires were blown. ( 5) Two men were attempting to install a radio antenna on top of a residential roof. The men lost control of the antenna. When the antenna fell, it momentarily contacted an 8,000 volt overhead power line. One of the men received burns to his hands. (6) A crane worker received an electrical shock when he was hooking up steel chokers to the hook of a crane unit. The investigating accident team concluded that the electrical potential was caused by a static charge that was induced via lightning clouds that were in the area at the time of the incident. (7) An employee of an oil corporation received an electrical shock while he was plugging a lamp into an explosion-proof receptacle. The receptacle device was found to be faulty and was replaced. Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 3 of 8

4 (7) A homeowner had erected a scaffold to the side of a residence. The scaffold was located directly under an overhead power line with a few meters clearance between the scaffold and the power line conductors. Two people were working on the scaffold. One of these workers contacted the 14,400 volt line with a piece of metal j-channel. The female worker sustained burns to her hand and an exit wound to her upper leg. The male worker was thrown from the scaffold to the ground but was able to call 911 for assistance. (8) A fifteen year old boy was trying to get a cat down from a three phase cross arm which was located on a power pole. He placed an aluminum ladder against the pole and proceeded up the ladder to get the cat. He reportedly grabbed the cat and the cat contacted the center phase of the 25,000 volt power line. This high voltage contact killed the cat and severely shocked the boy. The cat fell to the ground but the boy was able to hang onto the ladder. The boy was helped down the ladder by rescue workers. (9) A worker may have received an electrical shock while he was digging with a shovel to expose a secondary street light cable. He cut through an energized cable and suffered a back strain as a result of the underground cable contact and possibly an electric shock. (10) A female worker was washing the walls of a trailer with a wet mop. She ran the mop over an electrical I2O volt receptacle outlet and received a shock to her right arm. (11) A work received an electrical shock while operating a 120 volt crane station. pendent (12) A worker felt an electrical shock when he was helping to unload weights from the side of a truck. The truck was parked parallel to a 14,400 volt overhead power line. There was a sign at the incident location, warning of the presence of an overhead power line and to keep a safe distance when moving equipment under the power line. (13) A worker received an electrical shock while using a sand blasting machine. The machine and power supply were inspected by the companies electrical team. The equipment was found to be electrically safe. (14) A worker received an electrical shock from a 347 volt light fixture while he was working on a scaffold. The companies electrical team found that electrical conduits had corroded causing a poor return to ground. (15) A forty eight year old electrician received burns to both hands when a meter he was using blew up. He was wearing protective glove s which were destroyed while he was checking voltage on a splice for the main feeder to the mine site with a 600 volt rated meter. The splice he was testing was energized at 3,300 volts. (16) A worker received an electrical shock while wiping up a juice spill in a cooler. The wet cloth she was using contacted a damaged fluorescent tube holder which caused her to receive an electrical shock. (17) A worker received an electrical shock while working on a plasma cutting machine. The machine was fed by an extension cord (600 volt) that had the female end wired incorrectly. The male end of the plasma machine had also been wired incorrectly which resulted in the case of the machine being energized. Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 4 of 8

5 (18) A worker received an electrical shock when he plugged in a grinding machine to a 120 volt receptacle outlet while wearing wet gloves. The receptacle outlet and branch circuit wiring was tested and found to be satisfactory. (19) An employee received an electric shock while moving a floor buffer. An investigation done by the company found the 120 volt machine to be defective. (20) An employee received an electrical shock while moving a rod oven. An investigation was done by the company which found the 120 volt oven to be defective. (21) A technician received a 120 volt electrical shock when he grabbed a coiled up group of #14 wires that was hanging out of a 1 inch conduit. The ends of the wire were taped up and the technician needed to separate these wires so he could test for power. After receiving the electrical shock to the palm of his hand, the technician inspected the conductor insulation and discovered the weather had broken down the insulation quality (cracking of the insulation), probably through UV rays. The conductors had apparently been exposed to the weather for some time. (22) A communications system employee received an electrical burn while he was lifting a communication cables to allow a 23 foot 7 inch high load to pass under the cable. He was working from a bucket and lifted the communication cable until he contacted a three phase 8,000 volt overhead power line. (23) An employee received a120 volt electrical shock when she unplugged a cord and contacted the cord end prongs with her hand while the cord plug prongs were still energized. (24) A man, while stealing copper wire from an empty warehouse, was severely burned when he contacted an energized electrical panel component while attempting to remove copper parts. (25) Two members of the public received burns as a result of contacting an electrical power line. The 8,000 volt overhead power line conductor fell onto an LRT messenger cable as the two people were at a Light Rail Transit Crossing. Both of the accident victims were transported to hospital. The downed overhead power line had fallen as a result of a pole top fire. Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 5 of 8

6 REPORTED ELECTRICAL POWER LINE CONTACTS to TYPE OF CONTACT OR DAMAGE # OF LINE CONTACTS Overhead Utility Systems Vehicle-mounted equipment (booms, hoists, cranes, etc.) 34 Trucks with raised boxes and vehicles transporting high loads 80 Excavating or earth moving vehicles 48 Farm implements 44 Relocating structures (grain bins) 1 Vehicles out of control 108 NON- FATAL INJURIES 3 FATAL INJURIES Aircraft, parachutes, kites, etc. 2 Falling, brushing or trimming trees a) Utility tree trimmers/workers 1 b) Others 24 Drilling and seismic equipment 9 1 Other inadvertent contacts 2 5 Total Underground Utility Systems Excavating equipment 35 Vehicles hitting transformers, pedestals, etc. 23 Others 5 1 Total 63 1 Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 6 of 8

7 POWER LINES CONTACT S HISTORICAL SUMMARY Overhead (O/H) contacts Underground (U/G) contacts Total R Contacts eported Fatalities (O/H contacts) Fatalities (U/G contacts) Total Reported Fatalities Injuries (O/H contacts) Injuries (U/G contacts) Total Reported Non-Fatal Injuries Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 7 of 8

8 Power Line Contacts Historical Summary Total Reported Contacts Overhead Contacts Underground Contacts Power Line Contacts Injuries History Fatal Injuries Non-fatal Injuries (O/H) Non-fatal Injuries (U/G) Electrical Incidents Statistics Report Page 8 of 8