Case Study
Five technicians were performing preventative maintenance on the electrical system of a railroad maintenance facility. One of the technicians was assigned to clean the lower compartment of an electrical cabinet using cleaning fluid in an aerosol can. But, he began to clean the upper compartment as well. The upper compartment was filled with live circuitry.
When the cleaning spray contacted the live circuitry, a conductive path for the current was created. The current passed through the stream of fluid into the technicians arm, and across his chest. The current created a loud explosion.
Co-workers found the victim with his clothes on fire. One worker put the fire out with an extinguisher, and another pulled the victim away from the compartment with a plastic vacuum cleaner hose. The paramedics responded in 5 minutes. Although the victim survived the shock, he died 24 hours later of burns.
This death could have been prevented if the following precautions had been taken:
- Before doing any electrical work, de-energize all circuits and equipment, perform lock-out/tag-out, and test circuits and equipment to make sure they are de-energized.
- The company should have trained the workers to perform their jobs safely.
- Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) should always be used.
- Never use aerosol spray cans around high-voltage equipment.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-3. While working around high-voltage equipment, you should NEVER _____.
You forgot to answer the question!