October 23, 2024

Safety Alert - Electric Shock

Description of event

An apprentice was finished packing up for the day and leaving site to go home. They walked
past a suspended extension lead, which was hanging a little low.

Not realising that the lead was damaged, the apprentice used their hand to move the lead up
as they walked underneath. When doing this, the apprentice came into contact with an
exposed active conductor and received an electric shock from the damaged lead.

The lead was not in serviceable condition and the inspection tag was out of date. The RCD
protecting the lead did not trip as the path to earth did not produce more than the 30ma
leakage needed to activate the RCD.

The lead was immediately removed from the nearby temp board and taken to the site office
to report to the site supervisor.

The apprentice was taken to RediMed Belmont for an ECG which proved all clear, and they
returned to work the next day.

This was a reportable incident to the regulator.

Root Cause

Job/System Factors

Maintenance Management

The Builder/Other Contractor allowed damaged and dangerous equipment on site. Even in
the best designed and rigorous system, there can be human error through behaviours that
can lead to damaging consequences.

Inadequate work procedures and practices

Be aware of your surroundings and don’t assume all contractors work to the same level of
safety that you do. Remember to think of your safety and the safety of those in your work
crew. Do not assume that the best practices you employ are universal to all those on site.

Contributing Factors

Inadequate maintenance

The other contractor did not follow the site procedure of having all appliances and leads
tested and tagged prior to use on the site. Nor did the other contractor do their due diligence
in keeping their electrical equipment in safe working order.

Even if the other contractor was aware of the problem, they should have had the
competency to tag out or destroy of the lead, instead of allowing the poorly maintained
equipment to be used on site.

Recommendations

EGT apprentices should be aware of not only their own safety practices, but of those
of all on site.
Never assume that an uncontrolled electrical item is in safe working order. Lead
with doubt until the item is verified as safe.
The work environment needs to be added to and assessed in your RAC’s or JHAs,
as the environment is always changing, especially when working with or near other
trades.
Always check equipment for damage. If damage is sighted, tag out and safely
remove the item from work area. This controls the risk of others using damaged
equipment.
Remember - whenever in doubt, stop and ask the question of your supervisor.
Communication is key not only for situational assessment but for learning as well.