Office electrical near miss

What happened?

A person picked up a power strip to insert a new plug.
They noticed that the board was damaged and had been taped together.
Their finger was within 2.5cm (1in) of an energised component (220V).
The person requested a new extension board from building services, which was promptly provided.
No injury sustained, but the near miss was a potential life altering event.
Why did it happen?

Power strip had been attached to the side of a desk, then fallen off and broken.
Damage was not reported to building services.
Extension board was taped together with clear tape. If carried out without unplugging the strip, energy isolation requirements were not followed.
What did they learn?

Personnel (office and field) should recognise the risks associated with electrical equipment – know how to use and disconnect properly.
Office staff (including janitorial and catering) should be instructed on identifying and reporting hazards.
Regularly check the offices for electrical hazards. Include in the hazard hunt program.
Ask yourself or your crew

What should the person that initially identified the damage have done instead of taping the power strip together with clear tape?
How would you safely isolate faulty office electrical equipment?
What hazards could there be in your office (electrical, other)?
What is the hazard reporting procedure in our offices / on our site?

Published on 20/01/21 3015 Views

A person picked up the extension board (power strip/bar) to insert a new plug. They noticed that the board had been damaged, and their hand was close to a live component. They isolated the power bar and requested a new power strip.