Steel Pipe Manufacturer Fined $70,000 after Electrical Workers Are Burned

Two electrical maintenance technicians for a steel pipe manufacturer were decommissioning an out-of-service motor control centre when a de-energized control cable came into contact with a 480-volt energized panel. The resulting arc flash caused one of the workers to sustain burns to his hand and the other to suffer burns to his hand, forearm and face. The MOL found that the manufacturer had failed to ensure that the workers used rubber gloves, mats, shields or other protective equipment and procedures adequate to ensure protection from electrical shock and burns while performing the work. It pleaded guilty to a safety violation and was fined $70,000 [Algoma Tubes Inc., Govt. News Release, May 1, 2013].