ELECTRICAL SAFETY ACCIDENT

    As a Manager you have responsibility for a large kitchen. This contains a water softener unit through which water has to pass before being delivered to a dishwasher. The water softener unit had been causing problems recently so you agree with the kitchen manager to call in the maintenance contractor to look at the equipment. The equipment, which consists of a tall cylinder is located underneath a sink draining tray in the corner of the kitchen. After carrying out some remedial work the contractor decides to test out the functioning of the equipment. The equipment is fitted with a time clock which means that the operating cycle can be set by kitchen staff. To check that the unit is coming on and off according to the timed settings the contractor removes a cover from the unit. The cover is posted with an electrical hazard warning sign. Removal of the cover gave the contractor access to a cam, the rotation of which operates, or switches off, the equipment according to the time settings. This is a quick way of working through the time cycle. The electrical hazard warning sign relates to the hazard arising from two electrical terminals which depending on the position of the cam are either electrically live i.e. when equipment is switched on, or dead i.e. when equipment is switched off. During this simulation of the unit’s operating cycle the contractor was sat on the tiled floor underneath the sink draining board with his legs extending beyond the sink into the kitchen. While doing this a member of the kitchen staff went into this area and saw the contractor was ‘shaking’. At first she was slightly embarrassed as she thought the contractor was ‘having a fit’ and did not immediately mention it to her supervisor. When she did, they went to see the contractor and, getting no response from him, switched the equipment off at the mains before removing him from underneath the sink. An ambulance was then called and the contractor taken to hospital where he was detained overnight, then discharged. The contractor had sustained an electric shock rather than a ‘fit’. As Manager of this area, using the facts provided and any reasonable assumptions you wish to make, outline the (causative) factors leading to this accident with reference to failures in safe plant & equipment; competent staff; safety culture; and safe systems of work / safe procedures identify what are the responsibilities of your organisation for the contractor what health and safety information should have been obtained from the contractor what, if any, action should be taken against the contractor recommendations on what should be done to avoid a recurrence also identify possible breaches of statutory legislation and comment on how significant / serious these are Your submission should be between 500-750 words and must include your name, registration number, word count and set out the brief. Where appropriate, referencing should be provided.