Direct exposure to electricity, unspecified · Electrocutions, electric shocks
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Harvard University, 122 Boylston Street, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02130
on — Electrocutions, electric shocks, affecting the bODY SYSTEMS.
Final narrative
While troubleshooting a light fixture, an employee sustained an electric shock and fell from a ladder.
An employee was using an A-frame step ladder to set up a stage for a performance. The employee fell approximately five feet off the step ladder onto the floor. The employee sustained a left hip injury requiring surgery.
An employee was carrying a stack of ceramic dishes in a dish room. The employee tripped over a bucket of sanitizer solution, stored on top of an upside-down milk crate. She fell to the floor, suffering a broken right hip and a lacerated right elbow.
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 611310)
An employee was removing boxes of filters from a skid when he tripped on a manual pallet jack. The employee fell and struck his back on the base of the pallet jack, resulting in hospitalization with fractured ribs.
An employee was walking through a parking garage. She tripped over a curb and fell forward onto her right knee, then her left knee, both hands, and her face. She suffered an injury to the left knee that required surgery, as well as scrapes on the chin and both palms and soreness in the left wrist.
An employee was using a hose to clear storm drains after a sewer backup. The employee fell backward and his head struck the curb, resulting in an Injury on the right side of his head, generalized bruising, and pain in his left ankle, right hip, left shoulder, and neck. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was working on an exhaust fan on the roof when he tripped on a wire and fell to the ground. The employee sustained scrapes on his elbow, and a fractured right knee with a torn ACL. The employee was hospitalized.
An employee was replacing the back bracket on a deep fryer when her screwdriver slipped, causing her to fall forward into hot oil. She suffered burns on both arms up to the elbows (including the hands and fingers), as well as on the face and neck. She was hospitalized.
An employee fell while exiting a trailer. The employee landed on their left side on the pavement, suffering multiple broken ribs on the left side. The employee was hospitalized.
Two employees were setting up a mandrel in the spindle of a machine. The mandrel was side-shifted while an employee's hand was on the mast of a powered industrial truck. The employee suffered crushing injuries that resulted in amputations to the middle and ring fingertips.
An employee had been loading a double deck press. The employee saw a mold had been sent in with the C-hook still attached on the belly bar. As he went to remove the hook from the mold, his right thumb got caught on the C-hook. The employee's thumb was partially amputated.
An employee was operating a roller and paving a small pathway next to a pavilion. The ground was on a slight pitch, causing him to reach up toward the roll cage to stabilize himself. His right fifth finger was pinched between the roll cage and the rafter of the pavilion. The employee sustained a partial degloving injury with partial traumatic amputation.
An employee was delivering home heating fuel when bees came from the ground and stung the employee's face, neck, torso, and hands. The employee proceeded to shut off the oil flow before losing consciousness. They were hospitalized due to an anaphylactic reaction.