Case report: #2018OR40 Publisher: Oregon Mortality Assessment and Control Assessment (FACE) Planned Event Date: September 26, 2018

A 28-year-old lighting technician worked in a family agency for three weeks and had no electrical trade experience. He was electrocuted while handling energized lighting equipment. He is a member of the subcontracted technicians of a large retail chain who replace the lights when the lighting circuit is energized during the night shift. No danger was found in the shop’s workplace, and there were no trained and qualified personnel on site. The foreman thought the lights were on a 208/120 volt single-phase panel, but they were on a 480/277 volt three-phase panel that was energized. At the time of the incident, the victim was working on a fixed device that was not quickly disconnected. At about 3:30 in the morning, colleagues saw the victim collapse on the scaffold, motionless. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated and a colleague called 911. Emergency medical services arrived and declared the victim dead on the spot. After the victim was removed and law enforcement officers left, the foreman and the remaining staff continued to work, completing the victim's ongoing disconnection installation, exposing themselves to similar-and possibly fatal-dangers.

To help prevent similar incidents, employers should:

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