On Friday, March 23, 2012, a 37-year old electrician, with approximately 3½ years experience (approximately 1½ years as an electrician), was killed when he contacted the energized conductors of a shuttle car trailing cable. He was making the final electrical connections for a replacement cable reel when he was electrocuted.

Best Practices

• Develop a hazard analysis work plan before conducting repairs.
• Always lock and tag-out electrical equipment prior to electrical work.
• Perform your own lock and tag-out procedure. Never rely on others to de-energize or disconnect a circuit for you.
• Use proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all electrical work.
• Ensure that all electrical circuits and circuit breakers are identified properly before troubleshooting or performing electrical work.
• Use properly rated non-contact voltage testers to ensure that circuits are de-energized.
• Eliminate personal distractions when working on equipment.

For more information related to Lock and Tag safety, click on the following link on the MSHA Web site: Lock and Tag Safety

Click here for: MSHA Preliminary Report (pdf),  MSHA Investigation Report (pdf).