Electricity Distributor Fined $110,000 after Worker Is Burned in Arc Flash

At a mall construction project, an electricity distributor was attempting to send power from a transformer in one location to a transformer in another location. As power was sent to the second transformer, a worker was in the area routing a metal tape through a duct. The tape came into contact with a newly energized electrical conductor, causing an arc flash. He was badly burned. The MOL found that an adequate job plan that identified all known hazards and implemented controls for each hazard to protect workers hadn’t been documented. The distributor pleaded guilty to failing to establish and implement such a job plan before installing and energizing the transformers. The court fined it $110,000 [Waterloo North Hydro Inc., Govt. News Release, July 18, 2012].