Electrician Reveals Horrific Injuries After Explosion at Scottish Bomb Factory
Published by Mirror -UK
April 19, 2015
An electrician has told how his ears "melted off" in a high-voltage explosion after a giant defense firm ignored safety laws.
Stevie Delargey also suffered horrific burns to his hands and neck and was off work for almost a year as he endured terrifying flashbacks of the accident.
The 51-year-old was hired as a contractor to replace capacitors at Raytheon Systems' bomb factory in Glenrothes - while the building's electrical system was live. A capacitor fell on to the live conductor, causing a "flashover" that severely injured Stevie and a colleague.
Stevie, who had carried out work on the plant for decades, had asked Raytheon to isolate the section he was working on from the electricity supply - but bosses at the American company refused, because they didn't want to interrupt production.
He said: "There was an electrical arc and it exploded in my face."
"My head went on fire and I had to pat it out with my hands. The skin was dripping off my face like wax. My ears were melting off - they're smaller now."
Raytheon, who last year made a profit of �65million in the UK alone, were last week fined �24,000 over the incident. Stevie hit out at the fine, saying: "I think �24,000 is a paltry sum for a global company of that size.
Electrician's apprentice, Christopher Lee Dasher was testing and repairing electrical transformers at a substation in Reddick when he was electrocuted by more than 10,000 volts.
On Oct. 15, 2014, Dasher used a circuit testing technique that bypassed safety protocols designed to protect workers from electrical currents. He contacted an energized circuit and later died from injuries he sustained. Duke Energy knew workers bypassed safety protocols to conduct testing, but it did not enforce safety standards. Due to this practice, the company has a history of nonfatal shock injuries.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected the utility company after learning of Dasher's injury. Proposed penalties total $90,000.
OSHA Inspectors found one willful and five serious violations.
One Willful Violation:
Failure to have a qualified observer present during testing that could immediately de-energize circuits.
Five Serious Violations:
Failure to ensure that transformers were grounded and safety checked between each test and to provide training to workers who assisted with transformer testing.
Failure to ensure controlled access to the test area to protect workers from electrical shock hazards.
OSHA has created resources to protect workers from electrical hazards and proposes that Duke Energy be placed in the agency's Severe Violator Enforcement Program for demonstrating indifference to its OSH Act obligations to provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees.
The 2015 edition of NFPA 70E introduces a major change in how stakeholders evaluate electrical risk -- so that owners, managers, and employees can work together to ensure an electrically safe working area and comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K.
Key changes throughout the Standard replace the phrase "hazard analysis" with "risk assessment" to enable a shift in awareness about the potential for failure.
Change in naming from "Hazard Risk Category" to "Arc Flash PPE Category."
Elimination of Hazard Risk Category 0.
Requirement added for proper maintenance of electrical equipment for both energized and de-energized maintenance.
Updated tables add clarity to requirements, such as the restricted approach boundary dimensions in Table 130.4 (D)(a).
New requirement 320.3 (A)(1) covers risk assessment associated with battery work.
New subsection in 130.2 (A)(4) provides requirements where normal operation of electric equipment is permitted.
Informative Annex E has updated text to correlate with the redefined terminology associated with hazard and risk. This annex provides clarity and consistency about definitions as well as risk management principles vital to electrical safety.
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