Electrical not properly isolated
During an interior renovation to a store, the electrical contractor had to disconnect & make safe power leads to allow a neon sign to be removed.
The electrical contractor turned off the breaker and put a piece of tape across it (vs. properly locking it out and tagging it).
The sign was removed but the leads remained in the wall.
Another party turned the breaker back on (as it also powered other devices) re-energizing the leads. A worker removing a filler piece above the coolers came in contact with the live leads and received a minor shock.
What can we learn from this event?
- The JSA was not properly completed – the POST procedure for Electrical Isolation (Lock-out/Tag-out) which should have been attached to the JSA was not completed or followed.
- The Site Superintendant did not review/sign-off on the JSA – another breakdown in the process.
- Don’t take short-cuts. If you don’t know the proper process, ask and get proper training before proceeding.
- Report Near Misses – We can all learn from these and hopefully prevent similar events happening in the future.
POST Processes must be followed! No matter how busy you are
Safety comes first – “Journey to Zero” is our #1 Priority