Direct exposure to electricity, unspecified · Electrical burns, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC, 2303 County Place Drive 1, RICHMOND, TEXAS 77406
on — Electrical burns, unspecified, affecting the upper and lower limb(s).
Final narrative
On March 31, 2020, an employee was standing on the ground, using an extended chainsaw to cut a tree limb that was near an energized wire. The wind blew the tree limb into the wire. The employee suffered entry and exit burn wounds on his right hand and left foot. He was hospitalized.
HospitalizedUpper and lower limb(s)Electric parts, unspecified
More severe injuries at CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, LLC
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 walking along an area of ground to survey the location for the replacement of cable and equipment. They tripped on an area of loose soil near the pad mounted electrical distribution cabinet and contacted it. The cabinet was open and exposing interior switches. The employee received burns to both hands and wrists. The employee also went into cardiopulmonary arrest.
An employee was servicing an electric meter at a customer location. The employee tapped the lock band on the electric meter with a tool to loosen it up when an arc flash occurred, resulting in burns to their face and right hand.
On July 10, 2023, an employee had been working as a line mechanic at multiple locations and started to feel disoriented. The employee was hospitalized with heat stroke.
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 221122)
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.
After cutting a slab of beef short ribs, an employee turned to grab the pieces he had cut and his right hand contacted the saw blade. The employee sustained an amputation to his right index finger.
An employee was unloading a carpet pad from a truck when they fell from the truck dock to the concrete below, resulting in five fractured ribs and an injury to their left lung.
An employee was walking up a walkway to enter a building through the back entrance when she tripped over the lip of the cement ramp. The employee fell and sustained a fractured right hip.