Electrician lucky to escape arc flash injury
Background
An electrician was lucky to escape serious injury after an arc flash occurred in the electrical sub-board he was working on. The circuit the electrician was working on was isolated, but other exposed circuits in the sub-board remained live.
Initial enquires indicate the electrician was attempting to remove a switching relay from a din rail, when a loose screw fell onto exposed live parts triggering an initial arc flash, which then caused the din rail to drop which triggered another arc flash.
Disclaimer
The above information is based on preliminary findings from NT WorkSafe’s initial enquiries. Enquiries are ongoing to determine the cause of the incident and the appropriate regulatory response.
Safety Information
NT WorkSafe reminds all electrical contractors and workers of the dangers of working on, or near energised electrical parts.
Since 2019, two electrical workers have died in the Northern Territory due to contact with electricity, another 38 electric shock notifications were received involving electrical workers (13 involving apprentices), of these 15 electrical workers were injured requiring medical assistance and workers compensation.
The most effective control measure is to de-energise the supply to the circuit or equipment and eliminate the risk of contact with electricity.
Don’t work live. Before starting a job, always follow the following process:
- Follow the Northern Territory’s Work health and safety consultation, cooperation and coordination Code of Practice, and regularly consult your workers on conducting risk assessments and following safe work procedures.
- Communicate with your client on the need to disconnect the power so you can safely work.
- If required, schedule a time when it is convenient to disconnect the power.
- Identify the circuit(s) or equipment that require isolation:
- Include circuits or equipment with exposed live parts in the vicinity of your work area.
- De-energise supply and isolate the circuit(s) or equipment.
- Check that the circuit(s) or equipment does not have an alternative or auxiliary power source, or a backup source such as a generator or photovoltaic systems.
- Lock-out and tag-out to prevent accidental re-energisation.
- Always test before you touch.
- Isolation should be completed in line with Section 3 of Australian Standards AS/NZS 4836:2023 - Safe working on or near low-voltage and extra-low voltage electrical installations and equipment (the Standard).
- Appendix B of the Standard provides detailed guidelines on managing the risks of arc flashes.
Further Information
For further information, please refer to the following.
Safety Alerts
- Power off switchboards before entering ceiling space
- Dangers of working on or near energised (live) electrical equipment safety alert (WorkSafe NSW)