NOTW

Well, I'm looking for a safety position again so I've some free time to revise the blog. A good place to restart is to visit the NOTW postings that have been so popular over the past several years.

Here's one from April of this year. Once I get my routine down, I'll post some new ones and you are all encouraged to send some "nitwit" photos for the blog.

Unfortunately, this situation is all too common on construction sites. “Hot-Punch” is a term to describe the process by which recently installed circuits are tested before the electric meters have been installed. In this case, our electrician found the nearest power source (see inset) which was the temporary electrical panel outside, opened the junction box cover and installed a temporary wire leaving the junction box open and available for accidental contact by passers-by. He then proceeded to connect his newly energized cord to an open panel inside the building. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

Admittedly, the likelihood of a passer-by contacting the energized wiring at the junction box may be slight, but the open, energized panel presents a significant hazard. The really sad thing is that this operation can be accomplished safely by utilizing one of the many knock-outs on the panel while leaving the cover in place. But, that might take a couple of extra minutes.

By now you know that lack of adequate training contributes to many hazards on construction sites. This, however, is not one of those situations. Assuming that the electrician is licensed (which he should be), he was tested on his knowledge of the National Electric Code and should know better.

Hey Lee County - here's one in your backyard

The News-Press reported that an electrician had an accident yesterday in a City of Cape Coral Park. It seems that he was working on a hot line when he received a shock that made him fall and hit his head. I guess since the City of Cape Coral doesn't have a safety director anymore, the electrician figured lockout/tagout procedures weren't necessary.

Anyway, here's a good training example about the types of injuries caused by electrical hazards. It could have been worse if he had been working at an elevation. So, was this an electrical accident or a fall accident?

Worker Dies In Fall

The Times-Picayune yesterday reported that "A man working on a billboard plunged to his death Friday after accidentally receiving an electrical shock, New Orleans authorities said.

About noon, Guy Willmon, 30, climbed a ladder attached to a 30-foot-high billboard near the corner of Tulane Avenue and South Rendon Street, hauling a metal object over his shoulder, said officer Garry Flot, an NOPD spokesman.

When Willmon reached the top, the object touched an electrical wire, and Willmon received a shock, Flot said.

Willmon, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, was thrown from the ladder. He fell to the ground about three stories below and died, said John Gagliano, the coroner's chief investigator.

An autopsy later revealed that Willmon died from injuries he sustained in the fall, not from the electric current, Gagliano said.

Flot said it wasn't known what kind of work Willmon was doing. The name of the company he was working for wasn't available Sunday."

It seems that, no matter how often safety guys warn workers of the hazards associated with overhead electrical lines, our warnings are all too often ignored. The significant part of this story is that, although the electrical line contact caused the accident, the fall killed the worker!