Case Study
An 18-year-old male worker had just completed mopping the floor 10 minutes earlier and was plugging a toaster into a floor outlet when he received a shock.
The restaurant manager and another employee heard the victim scream and investigated. The victim was found with one hand on the plug and the other hand grasping the metal receptacle box. His face was pressed against the top of the outlet.
By the time the circuit was turned off, the victim had been exposed to the current for 3 to 8 minutes. The manager and the employee left the victim to unlock the front door and call for help. Another employee found that the victim no longer had a pulse. The employee began administering CPR, which was continued by the rescue squad for 90 minutes, but unfortunately the victim was dead on arrival at a local hospital.
The investigation showed that the victim's hand slipped forward when he was plugging in the toaster. His index finger made contact with an energized prong in the plug. His other hand was on the metal receptacle box, which was grounded. Current entered his body through his index finger, flowed across his chest, and exited through the other hand, which was in contact with the grounded receptacle.
- If the circuit had been equipped with a GFCI, the current would have been shut off before injury occurred.
- The recent mopping increased the risk of electrocution. Never work in damp or wet areas!
- Know the location of circuit breakers for your work area.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
6-2. What would prevent an electrocution should a worker be exposed to electrical current while working in a damp location?
You forgot to answer the question!