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What happened?
A technician was replacing a 480 Volt electrical breaker.
It had been isolated, removed and replaced with a higher rated breaker.
The new breaker had been energised and voltage checked with an adequate meter reader.
While attempting to check phase sequence, an arc flash occurred.
The technician was holding the instrument test leads to the terminals of the breaker at the time of the incident.
He suffered injuries and second-degree burns.
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Why did it happen?
Wrong equipment: The instrument used for testing phase sequence was not intended for use on energised circuits.
Work planning was not adequate for the task.
Insufficient personal protective equipment: the technician wore safety glasses, but no hand protection.
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What did they learn?
Remember there is always a shock hazard when testing on energised circuits.
Address arc flash hazards: has likelihood and severity of arc flash been reduced?
Use approved test devices.
Wear adequate protective equipment and garments.
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Ask yourself or your crew
What other actions could have been taken to prevent this?
How can something like this happen here?
How can we better plan the work so something like this doesn’t happen?
What precautions have we put in place to:
- Reduce the likelihood of arc flash or other events?
- Reduce the severity and consequences of arc flash or other events?
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What happened?
A technician was replacing a 480 Volt electrical breaker.
It had been isolated, removed and replaced with a higher rated breaker.
The new breaker had been energised and voltage checked with an adequate meter reader.
While attempting to check phase sequence, an arc flash occurred.
The technician was holding the instrument test leads to the terminals of the breaker at the time of the incident.
He suffered injuries and second-degree burns.
Why did it happen?
Wrong equipment: The instrument used for testing phase sequence was not intended for use on energised circuits.
Work planning was not adequate for the task.
Insufficient personal protective equipment: the technician wore safety glasses, but no hand protection.
What did they learn?
Remember there is always a shock hazard when testing on energised circuits.
Address arc flash hazards: has likelihood and severity of arc flash been reduced?
Use approved test devices.
Wear adequate protective equipment and garments.
Ask yourself or your crew
What other actions could have been taken to prevent this?
How can something like this happen here?
How can we better plan the work so something like this doesn’t happen?
What precautions have we put in place to:
- Reduce the likelihood of arc flash or other events?
- Reduce the severity and consequences of arc flash or other events?
A worker suffered second-degree burns due to an arc flash incident which occurred while he was testing a newly-replaced electrical breaker. The incident was caused by the use of inadequate equipment.
