Direct exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts · Third or fourth degree electrical burns
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Florida Power & Light Company, 4010 Faraday Way, PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA 33418
on — Third or fourth degree electrical burns, affecting the face, unspecified.
Final narrative
An employee tapping in a set of electrical cables into the secondary side of a pad mounted transformer received second and third degree burns to the face when an arc flash occurred.
An employee was operating a forklift when the wooden pallet on the forklift struck a material rack, causing the pallet to move and strike the employee in the lower leg. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured leg.
Two employees were troubleshooting a post-fire event in a pump room. It was found that one or two nuts were missing from the bolts that secured the loose blow-out panel. One of the two employees placed the blow-out panel back in its original position. As he closed the oil chamber, the vacuum increased. Mixing conditions changed and the oil dispersion exploded. The two employees in front of the blow-out panels sustained severe burns.
An employee was installing personal protective grounds at a substation when their hand contacted the end of the ground that was not energized, but induced voltage was created by wind and shocked them. This resulted in a burn on their thumb.
An employee was installing a power pole when his finger got caught in the chain that was lifting the pole, resulting in a left ring fingertip amputation.
An employee was installing a ground wire to a power transmission pole. The ground wire contacted an energized portion of a cut-out, causing an arc-flash. The employee was hospitalized with second degree burns to their chest and arms.
An employee was connecting a utility transformer for underground service to a home. The employee's impact drill went across two connection bars with 240 volts of potential, creating an arc flash. The employee sustained burns to the face and eyes due to the arc flash and molten aluminum.
On December 15, 2023, at 9:15 AM, an employee was changing 60-amp fuses in a 480-volt panel when an arc flash occurred. The employee was hospitalized with burns to both hands.
An employee was setting up communication equipment for a meeting. They were walking and tripped over a speaker on the ground. The employee sustained a leg injury.
An employee (a lineman) was working to restore power by installing a hand line when he contacted a high-voltage device (7,200 volts), resulting in electrical burns to his upper body and hands.
A chain sling failed while a utility pole was being removed. A chain link struck an employee who was operating a front-end loader, puncturing the employee's chest.
An employee was working with an underground crew to troubleshoot a BUD failure. The employee was removing a fuse from the fuse holder when the fuse blew on the riser and an arc flash occurred. The employee was hospitalized with burns to his face, nose, lips, and neck.
An employee was connecting two wires when his rubber insulated gloves failed and he suffered an electric shock to his right hand, resulting in an electrical burn.
An employee was helping a coworker transport a tall palm tree with a mini skid steer. The employee was severely shocked by a high-voltage electrical wire above the ground.
An employee was retrieving a Christmas tree from a shelf using a ladder. He missed a step and fell to the concrete floor. He sustained injury to his head and wrist.
An employee was operating an agricultural tractor during sugarcane harvesting. The employee sustained a lumbar sprain due to vibration or motion from the tractor.
An employee was moving a 3-ton condensing unit, strapped down on a dolly, out of a garage. The strap broke, causing the employee to fall backward onto the brick pavered driveway. The employee suffered injury to a spinal ligament in the neck.