Direct exposure to electricity, unspecified · Electrocutions, electric shocks
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at General Dynamics - Nassco Norfolk, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA 23703
on — Electrocutions, electric shocks, affecting the bODY SYSTEMS.
Final narrative
An employee working onboard the U.S.S. Eisenhower at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard contacted a piece of energized wire that was encased in a steel pipe conduit.
At about 8:30 a.m. on February 11, 2025, four employees were removing a 5-foot-long waster sleeve from under a vessel. A raised platform was being used to allow a pneumatic jack to press out the waster sleeve. The employees stacked four wooden blocks, about 12 inches by 12 inches by 51 inches, and placed a 3/8-inch blank plate on the blocks. They then placed the pneumatic jack on the top of the blank to press up the waster sleeve from the underside of the vessel. The jack was put into action, but the waster sleeve did not move. The block structure became unstable, collapsed, and struck an employee in the lower left shin area. The employee developed swelling in the lower leg that resulted in hospitalization for compartment syndrome that required surgery.
Employees were on the port side catwalk of an amphibious assault ship, pinning a chaff launcher to a foundation unit. As the injured employee was aligning the launcher, his left index fingertip was amputated in the bolt/pin hole.
At 9:30 a.m. on March 7, 2022, an employee was operating a drill press when the drill paddle bit became hung up in the block. The employee began backing out the bit, and was trying to pry it free, when the shaft of the bit bent. When it came out of the block, it came around and struck the employee in the left elbow, then the upper left side of his ribs. He suffered a collapsed lung, as well as a laceration, and was hospitalized.
On July 2, 2015, at 1425 hours, an employee was cutting inside a water tank on the U.S.S. Bataan at BAE Shipyard in the TITAN Dry-dock when he received an electrical shock from a welding lead. He was hospitalized.
An employee was installing a 15-amp breaker in an electrical panel when a 12-gauge ground wire touched the positive busbar of the panel, resulting in an arc flash. The employee sustained a second-degree burn to their left hand.
An employee was repairing an HVAC system in the drop tile ceiling of a conference room when they were shocked, causing them to fall from the ladder. The employee sustained burns to their right middle and ring fingers.
An employee was replacing a contactor inside an electrical panel attached directly to a press. The press itself was receiving power from another main panel. After replacing the contactor, the employee flipped the switch and an arc flash occurred, burning the employee's elbow, bicep, and neck.
An employee was attempting to switch a medium-voltage primary cable and install a 200-amp fuse barrel. The employee contacted the bottom of the switch gear cradle for the fuse barrel, causing an arc blast. The electricity entered the employee s left hand and exited his big toes, resulting in electric shock and burns to the left hand, arm, shoulder, and both feet. The employee was hospitalized.
On December 6, 2023, an employee of Duke Energy was working on a single-phase 120-/240-volt parallel service re-tap when a secondary flash occurred in an underground service. The employee suffered a second-degree burn to the face and was hospitalized.
More severe injuries in this industry (NAICS 336611)
An employee was hooking up bundled tie-downs with a chain. While he was holding a hook, the other hook was unlocked. This caused the employee's hook to slide down and pinch his right index finger between the chain and the shackle. He suffered an amputation to the fingertip (without bone loss), as well as an open fracture.
An employee was preparing to bend a flat bar in a brake press. When the machine was jogged, the stock rotated up and crushed his left middle fingertip against the outer frame of the die. The fingertip was amputated.
An employee was cutting metal with a torch. A piece of metal struck the employee's left foot, causing multiple fractures to metatarsal(s). The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was descending a ladder carrying a bag of trash. He fell, landed on the ground about 10 feet below, and suffered fractures to his right hip and pelvis.
A building engineer was inspecting a generator. As he closed the generator enclosure door, his right ring finger was caught between the door and the door frame. The fingertip was amputated.
An employee was walking back to a carrier case with mail in her hand when she tripped over a tub. Her back overarched as she fell, resulting in a fractured back that required hospitalization.
An employee was driving a utility tractor rig when it struck the rear trailer of another utility tractor rig, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The glancing impact caused damage to the cab, and he sustained a laceration on right side of his face, a cervical fracture, two fractured left ribs, and a pelvic fracture. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was washing an aircraft from a scissor lift when they fell to the floor. The employee sustained a back injury and lacerations to their head and neck.