Field Investigation of a Fast Food Restaurant's Electrical System and Related Fatality by Electrocution

摘要

A worker at a fast food restaurant located in West Virginia was fatally electrocuted while inserting an electrical plug into a power receptacle mounted in a floor box. The worker was an 18 year old man employed part time at this site for the past 15 months. He was engaged at the time of the accident in operations for closing the restaurant at the end of the day. This routine called for him to unplug a piece of electrical equipment from the floor receptacle, move the equipment which was mounted on wheels, and sweep and mop the floor. The equipment was then to be left unplugged till the following morning. He had completed his usual task and apparently was trying to reconnect the equipment. He was found face down with his right hand in contact with the plug and his face in contact with the electrical receptacle box. The author concludes that the fatality could have been prevented if a ground fault interrupter circuit breaker had been installed. The author recommends that ground fault interrupters be installed where applicable, and that floor mounted receptacles be reinstalled on a pedestal type mount to eliminate the possibility of water contacting the electrical system.