Electricity notifiable accidents
[ Last Updated 19 January 2010 ]
This is the list of the 6 Electricity notifiable accidents for which the investigation was completed between January and March 2009.
1 - Event summary: Factory worker received an electric shock while operating a bag sewing machine.
| Event ID |
081114-03 |
| Event date |
11/11/2008 |
| Site |
Industrial |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Hand Held motor operated tools |
| Event |
Burns |
| Casualty |
Injury |
| Injury |
Shock, Burn |
| Property damage level |
No property damage |
| Outcome if investigation |
On investigation the machine was found to be faulty. There was an unauthorised repair made on the machine. The person who made the repairs could not be identified. The company involved replaced the machine. |
2 - Event summary: A car hit a wood power pole and brought down the 11000v overhead line in Blenheim. On exiting the car two adults and child received electric shocks. One adult died while the other adult received burns and critical injuries.
| Event ID |
090116-01 |
| Event date |
22/11/2008 |
| Site |
Works or Distribution |
| Environment |
Outside (Above Ground) |
| Voltage |
11000 |
| Equipment |
Pole |
| Event |
Burns |
| casualty |
Fatality |
| Injury |
Shock, Burn |
| Property damage level |
Restricted to the direct vicinity of the equipment |
| Outcome of investigation |
On investigation it was found that the car was carrying two adults and three children. The two adults and a child were getting themselves out of the car when they touched the dangling wires and received electric shocks. The two other children were brought to safety by a neighbour. |
3 - Event summary: While working in a kiwifruit orchard a vine worker received an electric shock.
| Event ID |
081126 01 |
| Event date |
25/11/2008 |
| Site |
Commercial |
| Environment |
Outside (Above Ground) |
| Voltage |
11000 |
| Equipment |
Other |
| Event |
Electrical Shock |
| Casualty |
Injury |
| Injury |
Shock |
| Property damage level |
No property damage |
| Outcome of investigation |
The worker was pruning kiwifruit approximately 10 metres from a steel support riser pole. The riser pole was installed in close proximity to an 11kV line running through the orchard. During a windy condition the lines contacted the riser pole. Flashover marks indicate that the meshed wire kiwifruit support structures would have been momentarily livened. As a result the worker received an electric shock and was knocked over. The offending riser poles were removed and arrangements were made to raise the height of the overhead line. |
4 - Event summary: Energy Safety was notified of an incident which resulted with a child allegedly receiving a shock from a control light/fan switch in the bathroom area of an accommodation complex within a holiday park.
| Event ID |
081216-02 |
| Event date |
16/12/2008 |
| Site |
Commercial |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
400 |
| Equipment |
Light switch |
| Event |
Electrical Shock |
| Casualty |
Injury |
| Injury |
Shock |
| Property damage level |
No property damage |
| Outcome of investigation |
Energy Safety carried out a site visit with an investigation into the control/light switches. There are approximately 45 sleeping cabins with ensuite bathrooms within the complex that have a single intermediate switch rated at 250volts controlling a light and an extractor fan system. The switches have been installed with two phases (400volts) across the switch contacts which have resulted in the switches breaking down over period of time and arching across the two phases when the switch is operated. An electrician has been contracted to reconfigure the two phase installation and replace the switches. |
5 - Event summary: A lineman suffered electric shock and burns to his hands.
| Event ID |
081219-01 |
| Event date |
16/12/2008 |
| Site |
Works or Distribution |
| Environment |
Outside (Above Ground) |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Mains |
| Event |
Electrical Shock |
|
| Casualty |
Injury |
| Injury |
Shock |
| Property damage level |
No property damage |
| Outcome of investigation |
The lineman was attempting to lift up and secure a low hanging overhead low voltage conductor on a private service main to an old woolshed. Two phase broken conductors were wound together around the pole and one of these was alive the lineman who was working alone did not test prior to carrying out work. DoL investigated the accident. |
6 - Event summary: A serious injury occured to the face of a juicer appliance's user, due to a mechanical failure of that appliance.
| Event ID: |
090306 03 |
| Event date |
4/03/2009 |
| Site |
Domestic |
| Environment |
Building |
| Voltage |
230 |
| Equipment |
Kitchen machines; Blenders; Mixers |
| Event |
Non Compliant Equipment |
| Casualty |
Injury |
| Injury |
Mechanical |
| Property damage level |
No property damage |
| Outcome of investigation |
The subsequent Energy Safety investigation was unable to reliably confirm the cause of mechanical failure from a detailed examination of the remains. As the accident was the only incident attributed to this model of Juicer, that was about 7 years old and it was considered to be an isolated incident by the supplier. Energy Safety in this case is to maintain a watching brief for any similar incidents with respect to this model and other models of Juicer using similar construction. Any action necessary from such a future event, will take into consideration the circumstances and injuries sustained in this accident. |
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