# Eddie Adams' Arc Flash Fatality Video



## Big John

Saw this recently as part of a training program. It stuck with me, especially listening to David Shaffner (the guy in the orange hat) describe the accident. If you pay attention to the details about Eddie trying to leave the electrical room, it becomes pretty clear that the man was actually on fire for much of the time that he was moving around. That can't help but make an impression.





At the same time I'm struck by how completely the blame is placed on the victim. It is entirely possible that this guy knew that every single thing he was doing was wrong. But in my experience the training in a lot of facilities is often very lacking, especially when it gets above 600V. 

I've heard electricians in places full of medium and high voltage say that they aren't told much of anything about it except "Don't touch it." It's hard for me to stomach that it would be entirely that guys fault when he was let loose in an environment with hazards he evidently knew nothing about. 

I dunno. Rough story all the same.


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## HARRY304E

Big John said:


> Saw this recently as part of a training program. It stuck with me, especially listening to David Shaffner (the guy in the orange hat) describe the accident. If you pay attention to the details about Eddie trying to leave the electrical room, it becomes pretty clear that the man was actually on fire for much of the time that he was moving around. That can't help but make an impression.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At the same time I'm struck by how completely the blame is placed on the victim. It is entirely possible that this guy knew that every single thing he was doing was wrong. But in my experience the training in a lot of facilities is often very lacking, especially when it gets above 600V.
> 
> I've heard electricians in places full of medium and high voltage say that they aren't told much of anything about it except "Don't touch it." It's hard for me to stomach that it would be entirely that guys fault when he was let loose in an environment with hazards he evidently knew nothing about.
> 
> I dunno. Rough story all the same.


It's not entirely his fault,in my opinion he was under the gun too fix the issue and he bypassed common sense testing 2300 volts with a 600 volt meter,also considering the date it may be that stuff was not marked even though they said it was.

Rough story indeed.


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## Big John

HARRY304E said:


> ...Also considering the date it may be that stuff was not marked even though they said it was....


 I wondered that, too. Assuming they're telling the truth, that's why it made me say the guy must've had basically zero training.


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## HARRY304E

Big John said:


> I wondered that, too. Assuming they're telling the truth, that's why it made me say the guy must've had basically zero training.


That could be the case too bad they do not include any information about how long he was in the trade.

Something seems wrong with this story.

Even a first year guy would know that a 600 volt meter will not be safe on 2,300 volts...


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## FastFokker

HARRY304E said:


> Even a first year guy would know that a 600 volt meter will not be safe on 2,300 volts...


I'm not the brightest banana in the bunch, but no way I knew that as a first year, probably not even second year.


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## LARMGUY

Damn! Sorry for his family and friends. I'm learning a lot of good safety awareness stuff on this site. 

About 10 years ago I was told by one electrician at a big industrial site (the gear similar to what he was working on) was very high voltage and to keep clear of it by staying out of the red painted floor which was about 5 to 6 ft. from the gear cabinets. He said if you are within that red area it could get you.  He had my attention. Is this true? Obviously I stayed out of the red painted floor.


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## Edrick

I feel like this video could of been done without throwing him under the bus as much.


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## Next72969

All the finger pointing just seems to be covering up for something. On the other hand nothing like watching a 1990s vhs training video


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## chicken steve

> At the same time I'm struck by how completely the blame is placed on the victim


I really got into it over this with Joe T years ago

Joe predicated his entire safety biz on making examples of electricians who could no longer speak for themselves

~CS~


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## chicken steve

LARMGUY said:


> Damn! Sorry for his family and friends. I'm learning a lot of good safety awareness stuff on this site.
> 
> About 10 years ago I was told by one electrician at a big industrial site (the gear similar to what he was working on) was very high voltage and to keep clear of it by staying out of the red painted floor which was about 5 to 6 ft. from the gear cabinets. He said if you are within that red area it could get you.  He had my attention. Is this true? Obviously I stayed out of the red painted floor.


Well it's a very broad directive, the devil being in the details Larmdude

for instance, i showed up in a 12 cal suit to turn on 4000 amps of 480, Xformer only 50' away, no aic calc done by the poco

it was entirely for show then, as it is now, just my jaded cynical opinion:whistling2:

even a 40cal would not have stopped shrapnel

~CS~


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## 99cents

Stupid question time - What's that 11 1/2 amp fuse in your Fluke meter for?


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## Michigan Master

Big John said:


> At the same time I'm struck by how completely the blame is placed on the victim. It is entirely possible that this guy knew that every single thing he was doing was wrong. But in my experience the training in a lot of facilities is often very lacking, especially when it gets above 600V.
> 
> I've heard electricians in places full of medium and high voltage say that they aren't told much of anything about it except "Don't touch it." It's hard for me to stomach that it would be entirely that guys fault when he was let loose in an environment with hazards he evidently knew nothing about.


Sadly I believe a lot of arc flash incidents are caused by some type of human error and that is an important lesson to take from these stories - don’t take shortcuts, always follow procedures, stay focused on the task, use the proper tools, wear PPE, and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. 

Although it is unfortunate as CS said that he is no longer here to share his side of the story, there are other stories out there of folks who’ve survived like Mark Sandifer and Donnie Johnson. 

Lack of proper training is also often a huge contributing factor. Many times companies assume when they hire someone that since they’re a licensed electrician, they must know everything they need to do the job… However there are a lot of different electrical fields, equipment types and applications; even if the guy had many years of electrical experience, that doesn’t mean he was familiar with this type of installation. 

I’ve seen electricians with 20 years of residential/commercial experience, hired to do industrial electrical maintenance and expected to hit the ground running… it’s a big learning curve.




HARRY304E said:


> Even a first year guy would know that a 600 volt meter will not be safe on 2,300 volts...


I believe he _thought_ he was on a 480V circuit.




chicken steve said:


> even a 40cal would not have stopped shrapnel ~CS~


Arc flash PPE is only designed to protect against thermal hazards. 

The IEEE 1584 Std states that, “_The protection is not intended to prevent all injuries but to mitigate the impact of arc flash upon the individual, should one occur._” It’s a balancing act between providing enough protection to prevent 2nd degree burns and avoiding overprotection which may introduce additional hazards by the PPE such as heat stress, poor visibility, and limited movement/dexterity.


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## chicken steve

Thank you MM

You know the real bad thing here is, most burn victims are alive and quite aware _(as the Amb emt said)_ of their circumstances

This poor dude, walking around the mill with nothing but his shirt collar and belt left probably had a good idea he _wasn't _going to make it.....the emt's probably knew it.....the receiving facility too

What a way to go....

~CS~


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## Zog

I do a lot of work at that plant and in that MCC room, sign is still there, scorch marks are still there. I did the 70E training after this incident occured, safety is a high priority at this place. 

Not sure if the root cause was a lack of training or an attention lapse but I do know with proper PPE Eddie would have been around to tell this story.


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## Fredman

99cents said:


> Stupid question time - What's that 11 1/2 amp fuse in your Fluke meter for?


That would be for protection against dead shorts *below 600 volts*. Sounds like using it in the wrong situation was cause of explosion. The meter was not designed for that job.


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## Rockyd

Zog said:


> I do a lot of work at that plant and in that MCC room, sign is still there, scorch marks are still there. I did the 70E training after this incident occured, safety is a high priority at this place.
> 
> Not sure if the root cause was a lack of training or an attention lapse but I do know with proper PPE Eddie would have been around to tell this story.


Situational awareness is serious business when it comes to fixxing a problem. One false move in the simplest process can take you out. Last year on a project, we lost a guy because he "just went up to get a measurement" and fell to his death.http://articles.ktuu.com/2012-03-07/south-anchorage_31134388 Paul was only about 25 from me.

Keeping the head in the game is so crucial, yet no one ever thinks anything will happen to them. **** happens, and it doesn;t care who you are...play safe, and stay focused. Go home the same way you came in at the start of the day.


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## TOOL_5150

doing mostly resi does have a few positives.... never been to a house supplied with more than 600v


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## BBQ

HARRY304E said:


> Even a first year guy would know that a 600 volt meter will not be safe on 2,300 volts...


Like a 30 year guy should know a tool with a metal handle marked _'not for use on live circuits'_ should not be used on live circuits?

Just pointing out we all have brain farts at times.


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## BuzzKill

What a horrible story. Shouldn't the doors to that switch gear room be the push out type and NOT have knobs? Plus that huge reel of wire or rope or whatever was partially blocking a door!!


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## Big John

Edrick said:


> I feel like this video could of been done without throwing him under the bus as much.


 I think part of what bugs me is that by blaming him, even if it was 100% his fault, it allows an organization to avoid any steps to prevent it from happening again. Because instead of saying "Maybe we should examine our procedures and training" they can just say "It was an unavoidable mistake by one guy doing something really dumb." Though from the sound of what Zog posted, maybe they're a lot smarter than that. I hope.

But, I think there's a real strong argument that if a guy couldn't visually identify (without labels) exactly what each type of switchgear in that room was, then he had no business touching any of it.


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## Big John

BuzzKill said:


> ...Shouldn't the doors to that switch gear room be the push out type and NOT have knobs? Plus that huge reel of wire or rope or whatever was partially blocking a door!!


 That jumped out at me, too. If they knew the room was dangerous enough to require the buddy system, why was an exit door allowed to be blocked? Why was it _still_ blocked at the time of the video?


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## BuzzKill

110.26(c)(2) [2005 nec]...if equipment is 1200 amps or more, the doors need panic hardware.


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## Zog

BuzzKill said:


> 110.26(c)(2) [2005 nec]...if equipment is 1200 amps or more, the doors need panic hardware.


Yes but that can be grandfathered, not that old in the code


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## BuzzKill

I would hope facilities rated over 600 volts, and certainly 2300volts, would have some kind of emergency fire station where the guy on fire can punch a big ass button and get covered in foam, unlike this guy who just runs down an aimless hallway...


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## FastFokker

BBQ said:


> Like a 30 year guy should know a tool with a metal handle marked _'not for use on live circuits'_ should not be used on live circuits?


Not exactly a thread to be laughing in, but that made me laugh. :laughing:

It's true, we all have brain farts.. lucky for all of us, they haven't cost us our lives.. just some embarrassment.


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## Vintage Sounds

This video actually makes me angry. There's a lot of needless victim blaming going on with absolutely no insight into the circumstances that made it happen, and not much informed commentary from most of his coworkers. I grant that none of them appear to be rocket scientists but I especially thought that Bill Blankenship VP dude with the giant forehead came across as a clueless smarmy douche. They didn't discuss how long he'd been with the company or his level of experience and seniority at the plant. The video completely fails to address the fact that there appeared to be no permit system at a corporation as large as Weyerhaeuser and minimal PPE aside from some gloves and a crappy plastic face shield(??????). They also didn't really even analyse what the actual cause of the arc flash was - presumably the vapours from the exploding meter. They described electricity like it was some evil unpredictable force. Maybe that was just the general level of arc flash knowledge in the 90s.

A permit system would have ensured that he made others aware of what he was up to, when the work was being done and that he had the right gear with him as well as having an emergency plan.

Another thing doesn't add up in my mind. That 2.3kV bucket he was testing doesn't just look like a regular 600v class piece of gear. They claimed in the video that he was taking a "last step" before making a decision on replacing the motor. How could he be at the point where he was going to decide whether to replace a motor without even looking at it? I mean logically if he looked at or was otherwise familiar with the machine that he was troubleshooting he would have known it was 2.3kV and not 480v like he told the paramedics he believed it was. How could he have been led to believe it was 480v? There is a lot of missing information and a lot of fearmongering.


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## BBQ

FastFokker said:


> Not exactly a thread to be laughing in, but that made me laugh. :laughing:
> 
> It's true, we all have brain farts.. lucky for all of us, they haven't cost us our lives.. just some embarrassment.


That was my point, I have made mistakes that have hurt me and / or equipment and only by luck did not kill me.

It is easy to get complacent when its just another day at work.


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## chicken steve

Vintage Sounds said:


> This video actually makes me angry. There's a lot of needless victim blaming going on with absolutely no insight into the circumstances that made it happen, and not much informed commentary from most of his coworkers. I grant that none of them appear to be rocket scientists but I especially thought that Bill Blankenship VP dude with the giant forehead came across as a clueless smarmy douche. They didn't discuss how long he'd been with the company or his level of experience and seniority at the plant. The video completely fails to address the fact that there appeared to be no permit system at a corporation as large as Weyerhaeuser and minimal PPE aside from some gloves and a crappy plastic face shield(??????). They also didn't really even analyse what the actual cause of the arc flash was - presumably the vapours from the exploding meter. They described electricity like it was some evil unpredictable force. Maybe that was just the general level of arc flash knowledge in the 90s.
> 
> A permit system would have ensured that he made others aware of what he was up to, when the work was being done and that he had the right gear with him as well as having an emergency plan.
> 
> Another thing doesn't add up in my mind. That 2.3kV bucket he was testing doesn't just look like a regular 600v class piece of gear. They claimed in the video that he was taking a "last step" before making a decision on replacing the motor. How could he be at the point where he was going to decide whether to replace a motor without even looking at it? I mean logically if he looked at or was otherwise familiar with the machine that he was troubleshooting he would have known it was 2.3kV and not 480v like he told the paramedics he believed it was. How could he have been led to believe it was 480v? There is a lot of missing information and a lot of fearmongering.


All these videos that we can post here have one root problem in my opinion

safety training

But we need to ask ourselves as a trade, who's responsibility this is

By law it is the employers responsibility , but we all know how that works

I've asked the safety people why they can't get their foot in the apprenticeship door, i don't think a copy of 70E would break the bank

Some of the sparkies i've met have been in the trade for decades, and have never seen it

~CS~


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## flyboy

From: https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/worker/employer-responsibility.html

Employer Responsibilities

Under the OSH law, employers have a responsibility to provide a safe workplace. This is a short summary of key employer responsibilities:

Provide a workplace free from serious recognized hazards and comply with standards, rules and regulations issued under the OSH Act.

Examine workplace conditions to make sure they conform to applicable OSHA standards.

Make sure employees have and use safe tools and equipment and properly maintain this equipment.

Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards.

Establish or update operating procedures and communicate them so that employees follow safety and health requirements.

Employers must provide safety training in a language and vocabulary workers can understand.

Employers with hazardous chemicals in the workplace must develop and implement a written hazard communication program and train employees on the hazards they are exposed to and proper precautions (and a copy of safety data sheets must be readily available). See the OSHA page on Hazard Communication.

Provide medical examinations and training when required by OSHA standards.

Post, at a prominent location within the workplace, the OSHA poster (or the state-plan equivalent) informing employees of their rights and responsibilities.

Report to the nearest OSHA office within 8 hours any fatal accident or one that results in the hospitalization of three or more employees. Call our toll-free number: 1-800-321-OSHA (6742); TTY 1-877-889-5627

Keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses. (Note: Employers with 10 or fewer employees and employers in certain low-hazard industries are exempt from this requirement.)

Provide employees, former employees and their representatives access to the Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA Form 300). On February 1, and for three months, covered employers must post the summary of the OSHA log of injuries and illnesses (OSHA Form 300A). 

Provide access to employee medical records and exposure records to employees or their authorized representatives.

Provide to the OSHA compliance officer the names of authorized employee representatives who may be asked to accompany the compliance officer during an inspection.

Not discriminate against employees who exercise their rights under the Act. See our "Whistleblower Protection" webpage.

Post OSHA citations at or near the work area involved. Each citation must remain posted until the violation has been corrected, or for three working days, whichever is longer. Post abatement verification documents or tags.

Correct cited violations by the deadline set in the OSHA citation and submit required abatement verification documentation.

OSHA encourages all employers to adopt an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, known by a variety of names, are universal interventions that can substantially reduce the number and severity of workplace injuries and alleviate the associated financial burdens on U.S. workplaces. Many states have requirements or voluntary guidelines for workplace Injury and Illness Prevention Programs. Also, numerous employers in the United States already manage safety using Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, and we believe that all employers can and should do the same. Most successful Injury and Illness Prevention Programs are based on a common set of key elements. These include: management leadership, worker participation, hazard identification, hazard prevention and control, education and training, and program evaluation and improvement. OSHA’s Injury and Illness Prevention Programs topics page contains more information including examples of programs and systems that have reduced workplace injuries and illnesses.

For more information, refer to the following online publications and resources.
All About OSHA*
OSHA Inspections*
Top Ten OSHA Standards Cited

For more information, see OSHA's enforcement page

* Accessibility Assistance: Contact OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 for assistance accessing PDF materials.


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## chicken steve

Thank you Flyboy

the jist of my last post was, safety training should start during apprenticeship SCHOOL, as well as apprenticeship EMPLOYMENT

~CS~


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## BuzzKill

VS has some good points; also, the bitter, suspicious nature in me thinks this video was made so that his wife wouldn't file some gumongous law suit against this company, if she hasn't already.


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## Zog

The key to this is that he bypassed the safety feature with the door interlock, it dosent matter what the company does, if people bypass safety interlocks the whole safety plan goes out the window. 

I have seen the actual starter from this accident, I have a similiar one I am working on today. I believe his intent was to check the control fuse (Bottom right) and instead he put his meter on the CPT fuse(s) on the top which are 2300V.


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## HARRY304E

BBQ said:


> Like a 30 year guy should know a tool with a metal handle marked _'not for use on live circuits'_ should not be used on live circuits?
> 
> Just pointing out we all have brain farts at times.


True that..:whistling2:
I also posted that thread knowing I would be taking the heat for making such a dumb move , but to also to warn others who will buy that tool and do the same thing without thinking.


Someone later in the thread pointed out that he thought he was testing 480 volts so that is the most likely issue here,,this was back in 2001 so that stuff may not have been properly marked at the time.


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## Michigan Master

Vintage Sounds said:


> A permit system would have ensured that he made others aware of what he was up to, when the work was being done and that he had the right gear with him as well as having an emergency plan.


If he was not supposed to work on equipment in that room alone but did anyway, he might not have bothered to use the permit either which is even more of a hassle than grabbing a co-worker to help.



chicken steve said:


> the jist of my last post was, safety training should start during apprenticeship SCHOOL, as well as apprenticeship EMPLOYMENT
> ~CS~


I would agree with you. The NEC changed the definition of Qualified Person in the ’08 code to include safety training and the FPN references 70E.

Having the related technical instruction provider also provide some safety training would reinforce what is taught by the employer, and help fill the gap for when the employer fails to provide this training. If at a community college this may also help cover some of the other trades that seem to get completely left out but still perform some electrical work such as HVAC techs.




BuzzKill said:


> VS has some good points; also, the bitter, suspicious nature in me thinks this video was made so that his wife wouldn't file some gumongous law suit against this company, if she hasn't already.


I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the company received an OSHA citation and significant fine after this incident, probably for things such as failure to provide safety training, proper PPE, etc. Frequently employees or family members then use OSHA findings to file lawsuits against the employer. 

However, that’s obviously not something the company would include this video. This video is not a detailed case study of the incident; I think the intent of the video is simply to show that bad sh!# happens, and it can happen to you - be careful.


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## chicken steve

Michigan Master said:


> I would agree with you. The NEC changed the definition of Qualified Person in the ’08 code to include safety training and the FPN references 70E.
> 
> Having the related technical instruction provider also provide some safety training would reinforce what is taught by the employer, and help fill the gap for when the employer fails to provide this training. If at a community college this may also help cover some of the other trades that seem to get completely left out but still perform some electrical work such as HVAC techs.
> 
> 
> 
> I was brought up badly MM
> 
> so, how is it someone like myself, just starting out, supposed to even be _AWARE_ of safety related training?
> 
> I've spent a world of time debating this btw
> 
> Mostly with sorts who enforce, and as you may guess consider ignorance of the law something that is _not _their fault
> 
> _excuse me?_:blink:
> 
> I've tried to read the federal register, related to OSHA specifics
> 
> It's almost humanly_ impossible_ to do
> 
> What we have here is a failure to  communicate!
> 
> ~CS~
Click to expand...


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## BuzzKill

Zog said:


> I believe his intent was to check the control fuse (Bottom right) and instead he put his meter on the CPT fuse(s) on the top which are 2300V.


So checking the voltage of the A nd c legs with the 600v meter smoked him?


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## circuitman1

i belive a little common sense goes a long ways , & not getting in a hurry helps!cause you may not get a second chance.be safe & go home to your family at night!


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## Big John

Zog said:


> ...I believe his intent was to check the control fuse (Bottom right) and instead he put his meter on the CPT fuse(s) on the top which are 2300V.


 That's actually a really good point. I can definitely see someone in a rush making that mistake, because the transformer fuses aren't that imposing and often look very similar to a regular 600V fuse that has a high interrupt rating.

But at the same time, I still agree with Vintage Sounds that there are a lot of questions about the competency of the guy: It touches on what Michigan Master said about how a lot of companies expect "electrician" to be a catch-all qualification, when in reality any large facility probably has enough specialized gear that their people should have intensive in-house training.


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## Michigan Master

chicken steve said:


> I was brought up badly MM
> 
> so, how is it someone like myself, just starting out, supposed to even be _AWARE_ of safety related training?
> 
> I've spent a world of time debating this btw
> 
> Mostly with sorts who enforce, and as you may guess consider ignorance of the law something that is _not _their fault
> 
> _excuse me?_:blink:
> 
> I've tried to read the federal register, related to OSHA specifics
> 
> It's almost humanly_ impossible_ to do
> 
> What we have here is a failure to  communicate!
> 
> ~CS~
> 
> 
> 
> During my apprenticeship shock protection safety was simply test before touch and lockout out (or do it live and just be careful); there were no rubber insulating gloves, insulated tools or finger safe panels. The extent of my arc flash training was "_when you turn the disconnect ON, stand to side, turn your head, close your eyes, and hold your breath_." :laughing: All still good advice today (except the “just be careful” bit).
> 
> I think the recent attention arc flash has received over the last decade has caused a renewed focus on electrical safety in general. Many of the changes I’ve seen in how we do work have actually always been OSHA requirements that were just never really strictly followed such as the requirements for de-energization, justification for live work, live-dead-live testing, insulated tools and PPE for shock protection.
> 
> I am fortunate that we have a good safety manager at our company. While he knows his job very well, he’s not afraid to admit that electrical stuff is not his strong suit. He assembled an electrical safety team consisting of the safety department, electricians, electrical engineers and maintenance managers and we’ve come a long ways with our safety procedures, PPE and training while still maintaining a common sense approach.
Click to expand...


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## Vintage Sounds

Michigan Master said:


> If he was not supposed to work on equipment in that room alone but did anyway, he might not have bothered to use the permit either which is even more of a hassle than grabbing a co-worker to help.


I agree, he was not without fault, but the video paints this guy as some dude who went rogue and was committed to just "getting it done" rules be damned, and by extraction, that the other guys were all angels who would never have broken any "rules". Problem is the video doesn't say anything about what the rules even were. One of his coworkers even starts off by saying "I'm not saying I never went in there alone...".

I think it's more likely that if Eddie went in that MCC room to work alone, it was far from the first time he'd done it, and he did that on the regular because he knew he could get away with it. In other words, nobody really cared because things got fixed and the plant kept running. If that was the case then the safety culture at the plant would seem to have been weak there at the time. If a properly enforced permit system existed Eddie would likely have known that he was bound to get in a lot of sh*t for opening up a 2300v bucket just randomly without any permit, PPE or LOTO and then re-energising after opening the door. That would have made it not worth doing that work any way except the "legit" way.

Not having any firsthand knowledge of what actually went down there it's hard to say what the environment around him contributed to his unfortunate decision(which he still made all by himself) to work on a 2300kV starter live. I do however strongly disagree with the video's characterisation of the guy as an anomaly who went out of his way to get himself killed rather than what was probably normal behaviour for the group of people he worked with. None of those guys seemed to acknowledge that it could have been them in that situation.


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## Jlarson

Using a fluke on MV seems to be a pretty common oops in heavy industrial and mine/quarry.


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## GEORGE D

I finally watched the video, I had prepared and myself to watch some type of gory film luckily it had no video. That video only shows me how lucky I am that I have yet to encounter anything about 480 volts because I would probably without thinking twice probe something putting all my trust in my fluke meter without realizing the limitations of my instrument. Poor guy, what a disturbing way to die, being aware and conscious after the incident. Remind me to invest more in ppe.


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## Zog

Invest in more PPE George.....:whistling2:


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## KennyW

Zog said:


> The key to this is that he bypassed the safety feature with the door interlock, it dosent matter what the company does, if people bypass safety interlocks the whole safety plan goes out the window.
> 
> I have seen the actual starter from this accident, I have a similiar one I am working on today. I believe his intent was to check the control fuse (Bottom right) and instead he put his meter on the CPT fuse(s) on the top which are 2300V.


I was going to say- he must have known what he was working in because the door would have required a wrench to open, and maybe even a kirk key. You normally can't just "accidentally" open up a live MV starter and start poking at it. 

Typically there's a receptacle for external control power and an "On/Off/Test" switch. 

Open it up, switch it to test, plug the extension cord in, check the control circuits.


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## pudge565

Hopefully people learn from this.


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## gnuuser

pudge565 said:


> Hopefully people learn from this.


its inevitable though
complacency is one of the hardest illness that anyone in the mechanical and electrical field will get.
its almost a blessing to be a bit on the paranoid side when it comes to safety!
we actually follow a checklist procedure during testing.


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