Arc flash incident leaves worker with serious burns

Energy Safe Victoria has expressed disappointment that two electrical workers have been hospitalised in the same month.

The energy safety regulator is investigating the most recent incident, in which an electrical arc event resulted in a worker sustaining serious burns.

The 29-year-old electrical worker made contact with live electrical parts on high-voltage equipment while undertaking cleaning at a Burwood East building on Saturday, 22 July. He was hospitalised with burns to his hand, arms and face.

An electrical arc event is an unexpected, violent, electrical short circuit in the air that produces an arc of electricity flow.

The electrical worker had been carrying out annual maintenance and cleaning on 22 kV switchboards that had been de-energised. Energy Safe is investigating how and why the electrical worker came into contact with energised equipment that was close to the de-energised equipment he was assigned to work on.

In the previous incident, which occurred on Tuesday, 4 July, an electrician was hospitalised with burns after he pierced a live cable with his pliers at a residential property in Clifton Hill, causing an explosion and resulting in burns on his left hand.

The electrician had turned off the power to the property via the circuit breakers before starting work; however, he did not remove the service fuse.

Energy Safe CEO Leanne Hughson said it appeared that both incidents could have been avoided if safety precautions had been properly followed at each of the respective sites before work commenced.

“Hopefully, they can serve as important reminders for electricians and supervisors to ensure that worksites are safe,” she said.

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