In March 2019, an electrician was fault-finding on his own in a vent fan control panel during night shift. He was wearing 1000V Class 0 rubber gloves and attempted to remove a plastic cover to access control relays. The cover fell to the floor of the panel and adjacent to a control transformer (1000V/110V). He reached down to retrieve the cover and his glove caught on the sharp edges of exposed terminal lugs of the control transformer which punctured the rubber glove.
He received a 1000V electric shock through his wrist when the current arced between two exposed cable terminals through the puncture holes in the gloves. He was able to remove himself from the panel and drove to the workshop. Another worker drove him to a regional hospital. He was transported to Perth and has undergone multiple surgeries.
Direct causes
The electrician placed his hand between live 1000V terminals of a control transformer.
Contributory causes
- The electrician was working near energised electrical equipment.
- The electrician did not isolate or test before working on the equipment.
- There was no protective shroud over the 1000V control transformer terminals.
- The rubber insulating glove was punctured when pushed past sharp edges of the terminals.
- Inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) was being used.