An electrician has died after receiving a 240 V shock while working on a lift motor. The operative, who was working alone, was not found until the following day.

The equipment within the lift motor cabinet that the electrician was working on had a separate, inadequately marked on/off switch that he had not noticed because the area was extremely poorly illuminated. While the rest of the cabinet was switched off, when the operative came into contact with the live equipment he received a shock that proved fatal.

The accident highlights obvious implications of working alone, as well as that of poor equipment labelling and badly lit working areas. The employer Otis Investments was fined £50 000 and the client was fined £30 000.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor