Direct exposure to electricity, unspecified · Electrical burns, unspecified
At a glance
Federal OSHA recorded a severe workplace injury
at Nitro Construction Services, Inc., 1 Sugar Maple Ln, BUFFALO, WEST VIRGINIA 25033
on — Electrical burns, unspecified, affecting the multiple body parts, n.e.c..
Final narrative
An employee installed two 30-amp bus plugs and a 200-amp bus plug. While drilling through the cabinet with a hole saw to install conduit, the hole saw made contact with two phases of the bus, causing an arc flash/blast. The employee sustained electrical burns to the torso, arms, and head.
HospitalizedMultiple body parts, n.e.c.Electric parts, n.e.c.
More severe injuries at Nitro Construction Services, Inc.
An employee was evaluating an apartment complex for a fire suppression system and leaned on a job-made temporary handrail at the second-story landing. The handrail gave way and the employee fell 11 feet to the floor below. The employee was hospitalized for multiple back fractures including the L1 and T12 vertebrae and a bruised spinal cord.
On May 2, 2018, an employee was observing a crane lift when the load shifted and struck the employee, pinching him between a demolished walkway and existing handrail. He suffered six broken ribs, two broken transverse processes, a lacerated kidney and a lacerated liver, resulting in hospitalization.
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 238990)
A crew was relocating a dumpster (containing approximately 200 pounds of demolished wire) to access the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units they were servicing. During movement of the dumpster, a section of carpet tile dislodged from the floor, causing an employee to lose his footing, slip, and fall. He landed on his right wrist, resulting in a fracture.
An employee was cutting a board using a circular saw. The saw pinched, kicked back, and cut the employee's left ring and little fingers. The employee suffered an amputation to the little finger.
An employee was using an aluminum extension ladder to remove gutters at a height of approximately 20 feet. As they were removing the gutters, part of the gutter collapsed and struck the ladder, causing it to move sideways. The employee fell from the ladder and sustained fractures to ribs on the left side and their right forearm.
An employee was using an electric saw to cut a piece of wood for a fence. The saw slipped out of his hand and lacerated his left leg. He was hospitalized.
An employee was erecting a scaffold. A side bracket was not secure. The employee stepped on the bracket to test it and fell 18 feet to the concrete floor resulting in fractures to the ankles and femurs. He was not using fall protection equipment.
An employee was conducting routine maintenance on a mixer. New lid pins had been installed, and the employee was rotating by hand to ensure they had been installed correctly. The employee's left middle finger was caught between the lid and top of a pin. The momentum from the mixer continued, causing a crushing injury to the finger. The employee underwent a medical amputation from the top knuckle to the tip of the finger.
An employee was climbing down a 15-foot multipurpose ladder. The employee fell about 8 feet, landing on the concrete floor and the ladder itself. The employee suffered several injuries, all on the right side: broken ribs, a broken sternum, a broken temporal bone, broken shoulder, multiple fractures to the cheekbone, and a brain bleed.
An employee was rolling up the landing gear on his trailer when the handle began to unwind and struck his face, fracturing his jaw. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.