Manufacturer Fined $100,000 after Worker Suffers Electrical Burns

Workers at a manufacturing facility were replacing a set of cooling fans in a capacitator panel. Part of the capacitator panel was locked, disabling one energy source to the panel. A worker was left alone at the panel when the supervisor and another worker left. He was removing the second of two cooling fans when it fell, making contact with an exposed power terminal and initiating an arc flash, which caused significant burns to his body. An MOL investigation determined that the exposed power terminal had remained live and that the worker hadn’t been provided with appropriate PPE. The manufacturer pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a worker uses rubber gloves, mats, shields and other protective equipment and procedures adequate to ensure protection from electrical shock and burns while performing work. The court fined it $100,000 [Linamar Corp., Govt. News Release, April 17, 2014].