HUTCHINSON UTILITIES COMMISSION

ELECTRIC SHOCK - CONTACT WITH LIVE PART THROUGH KNIFE

DIESEL GENERATORS WERE SUPPLYING 4160-VOLT 3-PHASE POWER THROUGH 6 MAIN BREAKERS IN A SWITCHGEAR HOUSE FOR OVERHEAD AND UNDERGROUND DISTRIBUTION LINES. BREAKER #6 WAS AN OLDER-STYLE UNIT AND WAS TO BE ELIMINATED FROM USE SINCE REPLACEMENT P ARTS WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE. TWO QUALIFIED ELECTRICIANS, WHO HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE JOB FOR SEVERAL DAYS, HAD CUT THE PRIMARY LEADS TO THIS BREAKER ABOUT 2 F EET BEHIND THE TERMINAL CONNECTIONS ON THE GENERATOR SIDE OF THE BREAKER. THEY H AD TRANSFERRED THE LEADS OVER TO ANOTHER BREAKER. ONE OF THE ELECTRICIANS WAS CU TTING THE INSULATING TAPE LOOSE FROM THE TERMINAL CONNECTIONS ON THE GENERATOR S IDE OF BREAKER #6 SO THAT THE 2-FOOT-LONG STUBS COULD BE REMOVED. HE THEN REACHE D UPWARD AND BEHIND THE #6 BREAKER TERMINAL CONNECTIONS ABOUT 1.5 FEET IN AN ATT EMPT TO CUT THE INSULATING TAPE LOOSE FROM THE VERTICAL BUSBAR FOR ONE OF THE PH ASES ABOVE BREAKER #6. THE VERTICAL BUSBAR WAS STILL ENERGIZED FROM A COMMON OVE RHEAD BUS, BECAUSE A DISCONNECT SWITCH HAD NOT BEEN OPENED. WHEN THE ELECTRICIAN REACHED UP, HE CONTACTED THE ENERGIZED CONDUCTOR THROUGH THE KNIFE HE WAS USING . HE WAS GROUNDED AT HIS SHOULDER, WHICH WAS IN CONTACT WITH A METAL SUPPORT BAR . THE EMPLOYEE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS FOR A SHORT TIME AND FELL BACKWARD TO THE GROU ND. HE SUSTAINED SERIOUS BURNS TO HIS RIGHT HAND AND LEFT SHOULDER.