On June 11, 2014, a 37-year-old factory manager and married
father of three was called to check on a 5 blade multiple trim saw.
Two employees reported that the saw was not working
properly.
The victim walked to the electrical panel box and failed to
de-energize the saw by properly shutting down any hazardous energy. He did not lockout, tag-out, and verify
hazardous energy shut down before servicing the saw.
The victim reached into the energized electrical panel box
to reset a relay and came into contact with 480 volts of electricity.
This shock was powerful enough to send him into cardiac
arrest. The employees who were working on the saw immediately turned around and
discovered the victim lying unconscious on the ground.
One employee called 911 at 11:45 am, while the other
employee performed CPR.
EMS arrived at 11:56 am and the victim was transported to
the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the
following recommendations have been made:
Recommendation No. 1: Employers should ensure that all
employees servicing or maintaining electrical equipment practice proper
lockout/tag-out (LOTO) procedures.
Recommendation No. 2: Employers should ensure that
management is leading by example by following all safety policies.