Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) for Colorado: A Car Wash Employee is Electrocuted While Working on Equipment

摘要

In September 1995, a 15-year-old white non-Hispanic male employee of an automated full-service car wash in Colorado was instructed to remove a defective motor from the car wash machine. This motor operated the spinning car washing wands and was powered by 460-volt electricity. The manager of the car wash disconnected the three wires supplying power to the motor, but power to the circuit was not de-energized. The teenager was then instructed to remove the motor. While he was doing this task, a car entered the system and the computer controlled equipment was activated. The metal conduit that contained the wires to the motor was energized. The employee's arm was contacting the conduit and he was electrocuted.