A contractor sustained series burns while working in an electrical panel and touching an electrified feed line with a screwdriver, according to a serious accident alert issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
MSHA has issued best practice guidelines following the incident.
Best Practices:
- Develop, communicate, and follow a written plan before performing electrical work to ensure that safety is maximized for all miners involved in the task.
- Miners performing electrical work should have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the task.
- Ensure all electrical circuits and circuit breakers are identified properly before troubleshooting or performing electrical work.
- Prior to conducting any electrical work, identify hazards, establish safe limits of approach.
- Wear properly rated and well maintained PPE (including coveralls, jackets, eye protection, insulated gloves and tools).
- Before working on equipment, always de-energize, lock and tag out the circuit with your lock and tag.
- Test to ensure electrical circuits are de-energized using properly rated test equipment prior to performing work.
