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Case 350 – Eye bolt failure results in fatality

Two workers were injured, one fatally, when an eye bolt failed during an attempt to hoist a mould weighing about 29,500 kg (65,000 lbs.).

Eye bolts are used in rigging and hoisting of heavy equipment and parts, for example, in automotive manufacturing, in tool and die shops, and in manufacturing and installing heavy equipment. Shoulderless or ring bolts are used for vertical loading only; angle loading on shoulderless bolts will bend or break them.

In this case, four shoulderless eye bolts, 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) in diameter, had been screwed in close to the four corners of the mould. Four chains were hooked into the eye bolts and attached to the hook of an overhead travelling crane.

One eye bolt snapped before the mould lifted off the floor. The chain, with part of the eye bolt attached, swung up and struck the first worker, then hit the second as it came down.

This incident illustrates the need to follow these safety precautions:

• The manufacturer’s identification and the safe load-lifting capacity must be stamped onto all eye bolts to ensure safe use, as required by occupational health and safety regulations for industrial establishments.

• Shoulderless eye bolts should be used only where the hoist chain or sling is aligned with the axis of the bolt (so it pulls in exactly the same line as the length of the bolt). The bolt must be fully screwed into the load.

• Shouldered eye bolts must be used whenever the chain or sling is rigged at an angle from the axis of the bolt. When the eye bolt is screwed into the load, the shoulder must be at right angles to the axis of the hole tapped or drilled for the bolt and fit flat against the surface of the load.

• To make sure the eye bolt will not be bent sideways, the chain or sling must be in the plane of the eye. To ensure the shoulder is firmly seated on the surface of the load when the eye has been correctly aligned with the chain or sling, a metal washer of suitable size and shape may be used under the shoulder. As the angle between the chain or sling and the axis of the eye bolt increases, the available load-lifting capacity of the eye bolt is reduced from the stamped capacity.
For further precautions, refer to https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/materials_handling/eye_bolts.html

Eye bolt failure results in fatality

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CASE #350 – Eye bolt failure results in fatality

Two workers were injured, one fatally, when an eye bolt failed during an attempt to hoist a mould weighing about 29,500 kg (65,000 lbs.).
Eye bolts are used in rigging and hoisting of heavy equipment and parts, for example, in automotive manufacturing, in tool and die shops, and in manufacturing and installing heavy equipment. Shoulderless or ring bolts are used for vertical loading only; angle loading on shoulderless bolts will bend or break them.

One eye bolt snapped before the mould lifted off the floor. The chain, with part of the eye bolt attached, swung up and struck the first worker, then hit the second as it came down.

This incident illustrates the need to take these preventive measures:

The manufacturer’s identification and the safe load-lifting capacity must be stamped onto all eye bolts to ensure safe use, as required by occupational health and safety regulations for industrial establishments.
Shoulderless eye bolts should be used only where the hoist chain or sling is aligned with the axis of the bolt (so it pulls in exactly the same line as the length of the bolt). The bolt must be fully screwed into the load.
Shouldered eye bolts must be used whenever the chain or sling is rigged at an angle from the axis of the bolt. When the eye bolt is screwed into the load, the shoulder must be at right angles to the axis of the hole tapped or drilled for the bolt and fit flat against the surface of the load.
To make sure the eye bolt will not be bent sideways, the chain or sling must be in the plane of the eye. To ensure the shoulder is firmly seated on the surface of the load when the eye has been correctly aligned with the chain or sling, a metal washer of suitable size and shape may be used under the shoulder. As the angle between the chain or sling and the axis of the eye bolt increases, the available load-lifting capacity of the eye bolt is reduced from the stamped capacity.

For further precautions, refer to https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/materials_handling/eye_bolts.html

Cas 350 – Une défaillance du boulon à œil entraîne la mort

Deux travailleurs ont été blessés, dont un mortellement, lorsqu’un boulon à œil s’est brisé lors d’une tentative de levage d’un moule pesant environ 29 500 kg (65 000 lb).

Les boulons à œil sont utilisés pour le montage et le levage d’équipements et de pièces lourds, par exemple dans la fabrication automobile, dans les ateliers d’outillage et de matrices, ainsi que dans la fabrication et l’installation d’équipements lourds. Les boulons sans épaulement ou à anneau sont utilisés uniquement pour le chargement vertical ; une charge angulaire sur des boulons sans épaulement les pliera ou les cassera.

Dans ce cas, quatre boulons à œil sans épaule, de 6,5 cm (2,5 pouces) de diamètre, avaient été vissés à proximité des quatre coins du moule. Quatre chaînes étaient accrochées aux boulons à œil et fixées au crochet d’un pont roulant.

Un boulon à œil s’est cassé avant que le moule ne se soulève du sol. La chaîne, avec une partie du boulon à œil attaché, s’est relevée et a heurté le premier travailleur, puis le deuxième en descendant.

Cet incident illustre la nécessité de prendre ces mesures préventives:

• L’identification du fabricant et la capacité de levage de charge sécuritaire doivent être estampillées sur tous les boulons à œil pour garantir une utilisation sécuritaire, comme l’exigent les règlements sur la santé et la sécurité au travail pour les établissements industriels.

• Les boulons à œil sans épaule doivent être utilisés uniquement lorsque la chaîne ou l’élingue du palan est alignée avec l’axe du boulon (de sorte qu’elle tire exactement sur la même ligne que la longueur du boulon). Le boulon doit être entièrement vissé dans la charge.

• Des boulons à œil à épaulement doivent être utilisés chaque fois que la chaîne ou l’élingue est fixée à un angle par rapport à l’axe du boulon. Lorsque le boulon à œil est vissé dans la charge, l’épaulement doit être perpendiculaire à l’axe du trou taraudé ou percé pour le boulon et s’adapter à plat contre la surface de la charge.

• Pour vous assurer que le boulon à œil ne sera pas plié latéralement, la chaîne ou l’élingue doit être dans le plan de l’œil. Pour garantir que l’épaule est fermement appuyée sur la surface de la charge lorsque l’œil a été correctement aligné avec la chaîne ou l’élingue, une rondelle métallique de taille et de forme appropriées peut être utilisée sous l’épaule. À mesure que l’angle entre la chaîne ou l’élingue et l’axe du boulon à œil augmente, la capacité de levage de charge disponible du boulon à œil est réduite par rapport à la capacité estampillée.

Pour plus de précautions, consultez https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/materials_handling/eye_bolts.html

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The material contained in this document has been prepared from sources believed to be accurate and reliable. Application of this information to a specific worksite should be reviewed by a safety professional. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all liability arising therefrom. Specific medical advice should be obtained through consultation with a physician or other trained health care practitioner.

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Case 348 – Worker breaks neck vertebrae in short fall

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Case 348 – Worker breaks neck vertebrae in short fall

A worker was attempting to remove a jam from the sliver chute of a whole-tree chipper. He was standing on a flat fuel tank pulling wood slivers from the chute when the jam unexpectedly released. As a result, the worker lost his balance, and fell backwards off the fuel tank, less than 1.5 metres (five feet) to the ground, suffering fractures to the vertebrae in his neck.

Many large pieces of mobile equipment are not ideally designed for safe maintenance procedures. When performing maintenance on this type of machinery, there is a well-known risk of slipping, tripping or falling.

In this case, as is common with large pieces of equipment, there was limited access for maintenance purposes, which meant the worker had to stand awkwardly on top of the fuel tank to perform maintenance. And so, regardless of height distances, there is a significant risk of serious injury to workers falling from this unprotected location.

This incident illustrates the need to follow these safety precautions:

Conduct a risk assessment of the hazards, and develop safe work procedures for doing maintenance-related tasks.
Ensure safe maintenance methods are followed — jobs are well-planned, and the work area is cleared of debris and other slip and fall hazards.
When working at any height and there is potential for a fall, workers must be protected by engineering controls (in this case, after the incident, the employer installed a guardrail system on the fuel tank) and fall protection equipment appropriate for the situation.
Workers who are unsure of a safe way to conduct work should always consult with the supervisor.

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Case 346 – Radial arm saw amputation danger

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Case 346 – Radial arm saw amputation danger

A worker operating a radial arm saw lost the thumb and fingers on his left hand when he pulled the saw across with his right hand while his left hand was in the blade path.

Injuries from radial arm saws are generally serious, involving contact with the exposed saw blade. Their operation often calls for adjustments of the articulated arm and head; which can create additional hazards for the operator if the corresponding modifications to the guarding system are not made.

The dangers are present in many sectors, but most notably woodworking shops and retail lumber outlets.

This incident illustrates the need to follow these safety precautions:

• Ensure that the saw blade is properly guarded and by providing instruction to the worker in safe operating procedures.
• It is essential that these saws be equipped with upper and lower blade guards, an anti-kickback device, and a guarding system ensuring that travel of the blade does not present a hazard to the worker.
• Make sure the hand holding the stock is never in line with the blade.
• Stand on the handle side when cross-cutting. Pull the cutting head with the hand nearest the handle and maneuver the stock with the other hand.

• Return the cutting head completely to the back of the saw table after each cut. The saw should be designed so the blade will not move forward under its own weight or if the machine is vibrating.
• When ripping, make sure that the overall length of the saw table (both infeed and outfeed) is twice the length of the longest pieces of lumber. Also, make sure the stock is fed against the direction of the blade (from the side where the saw blade rotates upward toward the operator). The blade should extend slightly into the table. The motor head must be locked at the correct height and angle.

• Make sure that the cutting table is wide enough so that no part of the saw blade overhangs the front edge of the table.
• Clamp stock to the table on one side of the saw blade, when making mitre, bevel or compound mitre cuts. Clamping prevents the wood from sliding along the fence during the cut.
• Turn off the saw and unplug the electricity when making any adjustments or changes in the set-up.
• When taking measurements, turn off the saw and place the wood to be cut against the stop gauge.

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Case 345 – Injured by spilled drain cleaner

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CASE 345 – INJURED BY SPILLED DRAIN CLEANER

An employee was using a utility cart to move an acid-based drain cleaner that was wrapped in a plastic bag. During transport, the bottle fell off the cart. The employee did not notice the bag had split and that the container was broken and leaking fluid.

When the employee picked up the bag, the cleaner leaked out and spilled onto the employee burning their clothes and causing minor burns to their stomach.

An incident investigation found the employee was not wearing PPE while transporting the product. It also revealed that the product was stored in multiple locations where it posed a risk of causing dangerous reactions if it leaked.

This incident illustrates the need to follow these safety precautions:

• Review the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) before you work with unfamiliar chemicals.
• Ensure chemicals are stored and transported in suitable containers.
• Wear the appropriate PPE when handling hazardous chemicals.
• Consider using safer, alternative products

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CASE #281 – Bark and mulch blower systems can kill

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CASE #281 – Bark and mulch blower systems can kill

Truck-mounted systems used to blow mulch, bark, aggregate, and other landscaping materials have killed two workers and seriously injured a third in separate incidents. All occurred shortly after workers climbed or fell into the truck hopper (cargo area) while the exposed mechanical equipment was running.

This incident illustrates the need to take these preventive measures:

Before work begins, use the manufacturer’s safety instructions and prohibitions in addition to applicable safety rules to develop work procedures for clearing jams and other potentially hazardous tasks.
Establish lockout-tagout procedures for opening the rear hatch (tailgate) of the truck, to ensure hydraulic and other stored energy can’t suddenly release, cause the hatch to fall, and hurt workers below.
Train crews so they know the hopper interior is considered a confined space and that entry exposes them to hazards of moving belts, shafts, and augers that can trap and amputate body parts, crush, or kill. They’ll also need additional required safety training including how to select, properly set up, and use appropriate pushing tools, safe ladders or scaffolds, PPE, and when applicable, fall protection.
Should entry become necessary, use permit-required confined space entry procedures that address lockout-tagout of mechanical and hydraulic stored energy, any possible engulfment hazards from material inside the hopper, and other safety precautions such as provision and use of fall protection, when applicable.
Ensure low-literacy and non-English speaking employees understand all written safety procedures and verbal instructions.

CAS #281 – Les systémes de soufflante d’écorce et de paillis peuvent tuer

Les systèmes montés sur camion utilisés pour souffler du paillis, de l’écorce, des agrégats et d’autres matériaux d’aménagement paysager ont tué deux travailleurs et en ont grièvement blessé un troisième lors d’incidents distincts. Tous se sont produits peu de temps après que les travailleurs sont montés ou sont tombés dans la trémie du camion (zone de chargement) alors que l’équipement mécanique exposé fonctionnait.

Cet incident illustre la nécessité de prendre ces mesures préventives:

Avant le début des travaux, utiliser les instructions et les interdictions de sécurité du fabricant en plus des règles de sécurité applicables pour élaborer des procédures de travail pour le dégagement des embouteillages et d’autres tâches potentiellement dangereuses.
Établir des procédures de cadenassage pour ouvrir la trappe arrière (hayon) du camion, afin de s’assurer que l’énergie hydraulique et autre énergie stockée ne peut pas se libérer soudainement, provoquer la chute de la trappe et blesser les travailleurs.
Former les équipes afin qu’elles sachent que l’intérieur de la trémie est considéré comme un espace confiné et que l’entrée les expose aux dangers des courroies, des puits et des tarières mobiles qui peuvent piéger et amputer des parties du corps, écraser ou tuer. Ils auront également besoin de la formation supplémentaire requise en matière de sécurité, y compris la
façon de sélectionner, de configurer correctement et d’utiliser les outils de poussée appropriés, les échelles ou les échafaudages sûrs, l’EPI et, le cas échéant, la protection contre les chutes.
Si l’entrée devient nécessaire, utiliser des procédures d’entrée dans les espaces clos requises par un permis qui traitent de l’étiquette de verrouillage de l’énergie stockée mécanique et hydraulique, de tout danger d’engloutissement possible du matériau à l’intérieur de la trémie
et d’autres précautions de sécurité telles que la fourniture et l’utilisation d’une protection contre les chutes, le cas échéant.
S’assurer que les employés peu alphabétisés et non anglophones comprennent toutes les procédures de sécurité écrites et les instructions verbales.

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CASE #280 – Block storage wall collapse can be deadly

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CASE #280 – Block storage wall collapse can be deadly

Walls built from interlocking concrete blocks, often called “ecology blocks,” can become unstable and pose a deadly threat to workers, customers and passersby.

The blocks, made from surplus concrete, are dry-stacked to create outdoor storage bins for sand, gravel, soil, animal feed, and other bulk materials used in landscaping, agriculture, construction, and manufacturing.

In one incident, a worker was crushed and killed by falling blocks, while another, a non-injury incident, left a powerful “near miss” warning.

This incident illustrates the need to take these preventive measures:

Although blocks are designed to interlock, it’s important to assure the stability of the entire wall system. Whole sections of walls, including corners, can gradually or suddenly destabilize and collapse due to forces exerted by the static or changing weight of bulk materials during storage, filling, and emptying of bins. These forces can also dislodge and push individual blocks enough to tip and fall. Inadequate footings may cause entire walls or sections to lean and collapse.
Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and specifications for safe setup and ongoing stability. In the absence of such information, rely on a professional engineer to determine what’s safe for your particular workplace.
In addition, make sure your required accident prevention program and employee safety training address safe lifting and transporting of blocks to prevent equipment from tipping over and other hazards, ways to keep employees out of hazard zones, and how to recognize, report, and resolve stability problems.

CAS #280 – L’effondrement d’un mur de stockage de blocs peut être mortel

Les murs construits à partir de blocs de béton imbriqués, souvent appelés « blocs écologiques », peuvent devenir instables et constituer une menace mortelle pour les travailleurs, les clients et les passants.

Les blocs, fabriqués à partir de béton excédentaire, sont empilés à sec pour créer des bacs de stockage extérieurs pour le sable, le gravier, la terre, les aliments pour animaux et d’autres matériaux en vrac utilisés dans l’aménagement paysager, l’agriculture, la construction et la fabrication.

Dans un incident, un travailleur a été écrasé et tué par des chutes de blocs, tandis qu’un autre, un incident non blessé, a laissé un puissant avertissement de « quasi-accident ».

Cet incident illustre la nécessité de prendre ces mesures préventives:

Bien que les blocs soient conçus pour s’emboîtement, il est important d’assurer la stabilité de l’ensemble du système mural. Des sections entières de murs, y compris les coins, peuvent progressivement ou soudainement déstabiliser et s’effondrer en raison des forces exercées par le poids statique ou changeant des matériaux en vrac pendant le stockage, le remplissage et la vidange des bacs. Ces forces peuvent également déloger et pousser des blocs individuels suffisamment pour basculer et tomber. Des semelles inadéquates peuvent faire pencher des murs ou des sections entières et s’effondrer.
Assurez-vous de suivre les instructions et les spécifications du fabricant pour une configuration sûre et une stabilité continue. En l’absence de telles informations, comptez sur un ingénieur professionnel pour déterminer ce qui est sûr pour votre lieu de travail particulier.
De plus, assurez-vous que votre programme de prévention des accidents et la formation en sécurité des employés traitent de la sécurité du levage et du transport des blocs pour empêcher l’équipement de basculer et d’autres dangers, des moyens de garder les employés hors des zones de danger, et comment reconnaître, signaler et résoudre les problèmes de stabilité.

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Case 279 – Teen badly hurt by flying gas cylinder

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CASE #279 – Teen badly hurt by flying gas cylinder

A teenaged restaurant worker was assigned to connect a compressed gas cylinder to a soft drink dispenser. The worker was not experienced or adequately trained in handling gas cylinders and this one was not secured against falling.

During installation, the relief valve was mistakenly removed. The force of the escaping compressed gas caused the cylinder to become a high-speed projectile and fly wildly about the work area. Before it came to rest, it struck the worker who was unable to get out of the way in time. Her ankle was shattered.

This incident illustrates the need to take these preventive measures:

Adequate training and supervision to prevent the relief valve from being removed accidentally and to ensure proper securing of the cylinder.Occupational health and safety regulations typically require employers to ensure that no worker is permitted to perform work unless he or she is sufficiently experienced or instructed to do so safely and in accordance with regulations or where the work is done under close and competent supervision.
Regulations also require the employer to ensure that: the contents of every compressed gas cylinder are conspicuously identified on the cylinder; compressed gas cylinders, piping and fittings are located or protected in such a manner as to prevent damage from physical contact; and every compressed gas cylinder is secured against falling during transportation, storage and use.

CASE #279 – Adolescent gravement blessé par la bouteille de gaz volante

Un employé de restaurant adolescent a été chargé de brancher une bouteille de gaz comprimé à un distributeur de boissons gazeuses. Le travailleur n’avait pas d’expérience ou n’avait pas reçu une formation adéquate sur la manipulation des bouteilles de gaz, et celui-ci n’était pas protégé contre les chutes.

Lors de l’installation, la soupape de secoursa été enlevée par erreur. La force du gaz comprimé qui s’échappait a fait en sorte que la bouteille est devenue un projectile à grande vitesse et a volé sauvagement dans la zone de travail. Avant de s’immobiliser, il a frappé le travailleur qui n’a pas été en mesure de s’écarter du chemin à temps. Son ankle a été brisé.

Cet incident illustre la nécessité de prendre ces mesures préventives:

Une formation et une supervision adéquates pour empêcher que la soupape de décharge ne soit retirée accidentellement et pour assurer une bonne fixation de la bouteille. Les règlements en matière de santé et de sécurité au travailexigent généralement des employeurs qu’ils veillent à ce qu’aucun travailleur ne soit autorisé à effectuer un travail à moins qu’il n’ait suffisamment d’expérience ou d’instruction pour le faire en toute sécurité et conformément aux règlements ou lorsque le travail est effectué sous une supervision étroite etefficace.
Les règlements exigent également que l’employeur s’assure que : le contenu de chaque bouteille de gaz comprimé est bien en vue sur la bouteille; les bouteilles, tuyauteries et raccords à gaz comprimés sont situés ou protégésde manière à prévenir les dommages causés par le contact physique; et chaque bouteille de gaz comprimée est protégée contre les chutes pendant le transport, le stockage et l’utilisation.

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24 Apr 2023

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CASE #274 – Young worker injured clearing composting bin

At a food composting site, a newly-hired young worker was inside a large digester bin, clearing composted material out of the bin. He was standing on top of an auger at the bottom of the bin. The auger began moving unexpectedly and crushed the worker against the side wall of the bin, causing serious injuries.

Investigation found that workers entering the digester bin were exposed to an energized auger that was able to start turning while they were next to or on top of it. The victim entered the bin when the auger on the bottom of the bin was not locked out. Another worker started up the auger from a control panel across the yard and the worker inside the bin was drawn into
the auger.

This incident illustrates the need to take these preventive measures:

• Identify hazards and conduct risk assessments. The employer failed to recognize that the work process its workers used to clear material from the bin included two hazards that posed a high risk of injury: entry into a confined space and unexpected energization of equipment.

• Safe work procedures. Workers entering digester bins should have been trained based on written procedures that included all the necessary steps required to clear out the bins in a safe manner.

• Adequate instruction, training, and supervision. Young and new workers with little to no experience were performing high-risk work activities. Neither they nor their supervisor received a level of instruction, training, and supervision adequate to safely perform the work being conducted.

Cas #274 – Un jeune travailleur blessé dans un bac de

Compostage d’aliments Sur un site de compostage alimentaire, un jeune travailleur nouvellement embauché se trouvait à l’intérieur d’un grand bac de digesteur, nettoyant le matériel composté du bac. Il se tenait au-dessus d’une tarière au bas du bac. La tarière a commencé à bouger de façon inattendue et a écrasé le travailleur contre la paroi latérale du bac, causant de graves blessures.

L’enquête a révélé que les travailleurs qui entraient dans le bac du digesteur étaientexposés à une tarière sous tension qui était capable de commencer à tourner alors qu’ils étaient les suivantsou sur le dessus. La victime est entrée dans le bac lorsque la tarière au fond du bac n’était pas verrouillée. Un autre travailleur a démarré la tarière à partir d’un panneau de commande de l’autre côté de la cour et le travailleur à l’intérieur du bac a été aspiré dans la tarière.

Cet incident illustre la nécessité de prendre ces mesures préventives:

• Identifier les dangers et effectuer des évaluations des risques. L’employeur n’a pas reconnu que le processus de travail utilisé par ses travailleurs pour éliminer les matériaux du bac présentait deux dangers qui présentaient un risque élevé de blessure : l’entrée dans un espace clos et la mise sous tension inattendue de l’équipement.

• Procédures de travail sécuritaires. Les travailleurs qui entrent dans les bacs de digesteurs auraient dû être formés sur la base de procédures écrites qui comprenaient toutes les étapes nécessaires pour nettoyer les bacs dans un préposé sûr.

• Instruction, formation et supervision adéquates. Les jeunes et les nouveaux travailleurs ayant peu ou pas d’expérience effectuaient des activités professionnelles à risque élevé. Ni eux ni leur superviseur n’ont reçu un niveau d’instruction, de formation et de supervision adéquat pourexécuter efficacement le travail effectué.

Weekly Safety Reminder – It Really Happened A weekly micro-learning email to keep safety top of mind.Every Monday morning, we send out a brief safety incident report, of one actual workplace accident, along with preventative measures that could have prevented the accident. Not all events will pertain to everyone’s industry, but the goal of keeping safety top of mind is global. This micro-learning email takes only 2-3 minutes to review and gives valuable insight into a real-life situation. And more importantly, reminds us all to stay vigilant when it comes to safety practices.

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Our mailing address is: 2010 Winston Park Drive, Suite 200 Oakville ON L6H 5R7

CASE #266

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CASE #266 – Worker electrocuted fixing light tower

A young worker apprenticing as a heavy-duty equipment technician was troubleshooting a portable light tower running off a diesel-powered generator. The lights on the tower were not working.

The apprentice tried various tactics, to no avail. With the tower running on its internal generator, he inserted a 12-volt automotive circuit tester into a lamp socket on the side of a junction box marked 440 V. This created an electrical pathway across his chest and electrocuted him.
Light towers, commonly used in the oil and gas industry and in construction, are complex, potentially dangerous pieces of equipment.Investigation found that the apprentice was not qualified to work on

electrical systems such as the light tower. Only a qualified electrician should have performed maintenance or troubleshooting other than changing bulbs on the tower. An electrician would have recognized that the circuit tester, which was labelled for use below 12 V, was the wrong tool for testing a 440 V socket.

This incident illustrates the need to take these preventive measures:

Employers

Ensure that workers carry out work on equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Develop written safe work procedures for work on portable light towers. Consider using a hazard assessment to establish such procedures
Ensure that young workers receive workplace-specific orientation before they begin work, as well as adequate training on any equipment they will be using.

Workers

When testing electrical equipment, ensure that you are qualified and authorized to perform the testing, and that the voltage rating on testing tools matches the voltage of the item being tested.
Guards and protective devices must be properly designed/constructed, fitted, securely held in place, not easily defeated, located at an adequate distance from the danger zone and cause minimum obstruction to view the production process/hazard.

CAS #266 – Un ouvrier électrocuté en réparant la tour d’éclairage

Un jeune travailleur en apprentissage comme technicien d’équipement lourd dépannait une tour d’éclairage portative alimentée par un générateur à moteur diesel. Les lumières de la tour ne fonctionnaient pas.

L’apprenti a essayé diverses tactiques, en vain. La tour fonctionnant sur son générateur interne, il a inséré un testeur de circuit automobile de 12 volts dans une douille de lampe sur le côté d’une boîte de jonction marquée 440V. Cela a créé une voie électrique à travers sa poitrine et l’a électrocuté.

Les tours d’éclairage, couramment utilisées dans l’industrie pétrolière et gazière et dans la construction, sont des pièces d’équipement complexes et potentiellement dangereuses. L’enquête a révélé que l’apprenti n’était pas qualifié pour travailler sur

systèmes électriques tels que la tour d’éclairage. Seul un électricien qualifié doit avoir effectué l’entretien ou le dépannage autre que le changement des ampoules sur la tour. Un électricien aurait reconnu que le testeur de circuit, étiqueté pour une utilisation en dessous de 12V, n’était pas le bon outil pour tester une prise de 440V.

Cet incident illustre la nécessité de prendre ces mesures préventives:

Employeurs

Assurez-vous que les travailleurs effectuent des travaux sur l’équipement conformément aux instructions du fabricant.
Élaborer des procédures de travail sécuritaires écrites pour les travaux sur les tours d’éclairage portatives. Envisagez d’utiliser une évaluation des risques pour établir de telles procédures.
Veiller à ce que les jeunes travailleurs reçoivent une orientation spécifique au lieu de travail avant qu’ils ne commencent à travailler, ainsi qu’une formation adéquate sur tout équipement qu’ils utiliseront.

Travailleurs

Lorsque vous testez un équipement électrique, assurez-vous que vous êtes qualifié et autorisé à effectuer le test et que la tension nominale des outils de test correspond à la tension de l’élément testé.

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24 Apr 2023

CASE #266

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