A 48-year-old electrician suffered second and third degree burns to his hands, arms and torso when an arc flash occurred while he was working on an electrical cabinet.
An OSHA investigation into the Oct. 27, 2015 incident found that Georgia Power Co. failed to ensure the electrical cabinet was not powered down before allowing work to begin and did not specific steps to power down machinery and prevent starting up during maintenance and servicing. Georgia Power was previously cited for similar violations in 2014 at this facility.
“This incident was totally preventable if his employers simply followed OSHA standards," said Christi Griffin, OSHA's director of the Atlanta-West Office.
The company received five citations for serious violations for its failure to:
- Ensure proper grounding of electrical equipment.
- Inform other employers of their electrical lockout program.
- Provide adequate procedures for electrical energy isolation.
ABB Inc., the worker’s employer, was issued two serious citations for failing to coordinate with other employers on the specific requirements of removing power from equipment before maintenance and servicing and exposing workers to electrical hazards.
Proposed penalties from the incident total $122,780.
