 |
Electric Power Generation,
Distribution, and Transmission Industry |
|
| Industry
Hazards |
|
|
|
 |
Quick Link |
 |
|
|
Many of the specific hazards associated with this
industry are similar to those found in
other large industries. In addition, workers in other industries have
experienced electrocution injuries and fatalities from distribution lines, most notably in the telephone and cable industries (see
Hazards for
Other Workers). The most important hazards associated with
the electric power industry are:
Electrocution
Student Safety Manual
Electrocution Reports
-
Electrical Safety. National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health Topic. Provides links to in-house and
state based fatality investigation reports of incidents in which
electrical incidents resulted in worker deaths, NIOSH publications,
and other related web sites.
-
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Studies fatal
occupational injuries to prevent occupational fatalities across
the nation by identifying and investigating work situations at high
risk for injury and then formulating and disseminating prevention
strategies to those who may intervene in the workplace. It provides
users with access to the full text of hundreds of fatality
investigation reports, indexes reports by program, industry and cause
of fatality.
- US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Publications
-
Preventing Electrocutions by Undetected Feedback Electrical Energy Present in Power Lines.
Publication No. 88-104, (1987, December). Cautions workers and employers that
undetected feedback electrical energy in power lines is a
constant hazard. "Fuzzing," although an accepted practice to
check for high voltage in power lines, is not a reliable test method. Once
fuzzing has determined that high voltage is not present, low voltage testing
equipment, such as a glowing neon light or a light-emitting diode, should be
used to determine whether low voltage is present.
-
Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions of Crane Operators and
Crew Members Working Near Overhead Power Lines. Publication No. 95-108,
(1995, May). Describes five cases (six
electrocutions) that resulted from the hazards of operating
cranes near overhead power lines and makes recommendations for
preventing similar incidents.
- Request for Assistance in Preventing Falls and Electrocutions During Tree Trimming.
Publication No. 92-106, (1992, August). Describes eight incidents involving five electrocutions and
three fatal falls of tree trimmers. One recommendation made is
to notify the utility company when an aerial bucket truck or other
boomed vehicle must operate near a power line or when work must be
performed within minimum working distances specified by OSHA (see
Table 1). The utility company and the employer should then discuss the
options for protecting workers: de-energizing and grounding the power
lines or covering them with insulating hoses or blankets.
- Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions by Undetected Feedback
Electrical Energy Present in Power Lines. Publication No. 88-104,
(1987, December). Describes two cases of
workers who died as a result of feedback electrical energy,
which is one cause of occupational electrocutions. Workers
must provide proper grounding for the lines. If workers had followed
these standards and their companies' standard operating procedures and
safety precautions regarding personal protective equipment and
grounding, the fatalities described here might have been prevented.
- Request for Assistance in Preventing Fatalities of Workers Who Contact
Electrical Energy. Publication No. 87-103, (1986, December). Prompt emergency medical care can be lifesaving for workers who
have contacted either low voltage or high voltage electric energy. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
within approximately 4 minutes followed by advanced
cardiac life support (ACLS) within approximately 8 minutes has been shown to save lives.
-
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Worker Deaths from Uncontrolled Release of
Electrical, Mechanical, and Other Types of Hazardous Energy.
Publication No. 99-110, (1999 August). Describes
five fatal incidents in which workers contacted uncontrolled
hazardous energy during installation, maintenance, service, or
repair work.
-
Worker Deaths by Electrocution: A Summary of Surveillance Findings and Investigative Case Reports.
Publication No. 98-131, (1998, May). Provides an
overview of electrical hazards, including the effects of electrical
energy on the human body; a comprehensive summary of the epidemiology
of occupational electrocutions based on National Traumatic
Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) and Fatality Assessment and Control
Evaluation (FACE) data which identifies common risk factors for fatal injury due to contact with
electrical energy; and recommendations for elements of an effective
electrical safety program for the prevention of workplace
electrocutions. Part II includes a summary abstract for all 224 FACE
electrocution investigative reports prepared by NIOSH for further
information and reference.
-
For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages
on:
Falls
-
Worker Deaths by Falls:
A Summary of Surveillance Findings and Investigative Case Reports.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication
No. 2000-116, (2000, September). Also available as a 2 MB PDF,
334 pages. Reports that falls from
elevations were the fourth leading cause of occupational
fatalities from 1980 through 1994. The 8,102 deaths due to
falls from elevations accounted for 10% of all
fatalities and an average of 540 deaths per year. Between 1982
and 1997, NIOSH investigated 90 falls incidents that resulted
in 91 fatalities.
-
A Plant Operator at a Coal Fired Power Generation Plant in Texas, Died When He Fell
Between the Bypass Dampers Located in the Flu Gas Disulfurization Unit.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control
Evaluation (FACE) 98TX23501, (1998,
December 28). A 32-year-old plant operator died
while performing regularly scheduled
maintenance on bypass dampers in the flu gas disulfurization
unit at a power generation plant.
-
Electrician Falls to His Death From an Old Wooden Transformer Platform.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Iowa Fatality Assessment and Control
Evaluation (FACE) 981A053,
(1998). A 47-year-old city electrical supervisor
died from injuries suffered when he fell 25
feet from a wooden utility platform. The transformer platform
was not well designed for safe maintenance work. It was too wide to enable
accessing the transformers from a bucket, yet it was not built for safe
access while standing on the platform.
-
Lineman Dies from Fall from Utility Pole. National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control
Evaluation (FACE) 8839, (1988). The belt and
safety strap worn by the victim would have been adequate to prevent a fall
if used, but these were not utilized due to the difficulty in passing the
television cable. A second strap, to provide protection until the climber
had the primary strap in place above the lower cable, could have prevented
this fall. In this incident the victim was only wearing leather
(non-insulated) gloves when he contacted the energized line. If insulated
gloves and sleeves had been worn, the victim would not have received the
electrical shock which contributed to the fatal fall.
-
33 Year-Old Apprentice Substation Electrician Fatally Injured. National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment
and Control Evaluation (FACE) 8610, (1986).
A 33-year-old electrician came into contact with electrical energy
while cleaning a substation switch. He died from
injuries sustained as a result of falling from the aerial bucket from which
he was working. The victim did not have himself belted to the aerial bucket
as required. This would have prevented his fall and the injuries sustained
in the fall.
-
For additional information, see OSHA's Fall Protection Safety and Health Topics
Page.
Confined
Spaces
-
Worker Deaths in Confined Spaces: A Summary of NIOSH Surveillance and Investigative Findings.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-103, (1994,
January). From December 1983 through September 1993, the
deaths of 480 workers in 423 incidents were investigated.
Seventy of these investigations involved confined spaces where
109 persons died. In 25 of the confined-space incidents, there
were multiple fatalities, including those deaths which
involved persons attempting rescue.
-
Preventing Occupational Fatalities in Confined Spaces. US
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 86-110,
(1986, January). The deaths of workers in confined
spaces constitute a recurring occupational tragedy;
approximately 60% of these fatalities have involved
would-be rescuers. NIOSH investigations indicate that workers
usually do not recognize that they are working in a confined space and
that they may encounter unforeseen hazards. Testing and
evaluation of the
atmosphere are typically not initiated prior to entry and
monitoring is
not performed during the confined space work procedures. Rescue is seldom
planned and usually consists of spontaneous reaction in an emergency
situation.
- For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Page on:
Fires and Explosions
- Coal Dust Explosion Hazards. Mine
Safety and Health Administration Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (2001, March 3),
30 KB PDF,
10 pages. Discusses how explosions can occur within facilities. Describes the
five necessary elements which must occur simultaneously: fuel, heat, oxygen,
suspension, and confinement.
-
Potential for Natural Gas and Coal Dust Explosions in Electric Power Generation Facilities. OSHA
Technical Information Bulletin (TIB), (2000,
November 6), 69 KB PDF, 3 pages.
Provides a reminder
for employers who operate electrical power generation
facilities of potential explosion hazards during boiler
startup, operation, and shutdown.
-
Rouge Powerhouse Explosion. Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA)
News, (1999, Fall), 2 MB PDF, 20 pages.
Describes the settlement in the Dearborn, Michigan
powerhouse boiler explosion and secondary explosion from coal
dust accumulations.
-
Potential for Feed Water Pipes in Electrical Power
Generation Facilities to Rupture Causing Hazardous Release of Steam and Hot
Water. OSHA Hazard Information Bulletin (HIB), (1996, October
31). Describes how feed water pipe
failures were attributed to wall thinning as a result of single-phase
erosion/corrosion, leading to rupture of the pipes under high working
pressures.
- For additional information on fire and explosion hazards, see OSHA's
Safety and Health Topics pages on:
Sprains, Strains, and Fractures
Environmental
Stress
Industry Overview
-
Electric Power Annual. US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy
Information Administration (EIA),
(2005, November). Contains statistical data on the US Electric Power industry.
-
Inventory of Electric Utility Power Plants in the United States 1999.
US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Information Administration (EIA),
(2000, September), 1 MB
PDF, 342 pages.
Provides annual
statistics on generating units operated by electric utilities in
the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia),
that have ownership in generating units operated by electric
utilities.
-
Profile of the Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation Industry.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA/310-R-97-007, (1997), 669 KB
PDF, 164 pages.
Includes information on the industry description, processes, and regulatory and
compliance history.
The electric power industry is a large, diverse, and fully integrated combination
of several sub-industries. The major sub-industries and their SIC and NAICS
codes are:
2002
NAICS |
1987
SIC |
Corresponding Index Entries |
| 2211 |
4911 |
Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution |
| 22111 |
4911 |
Electric Power Generation |
| 221111 |
4911 |
Hydroelectric Power Generation |
| |
4911 |
Electric
services-hydroelectric power generation |
| 4931 |
Electric & other services
combined-hydroelectric power generation |
| 4939 |
Combination
utilities-hydroelectric power generation |
| 221112 |
4911 |
Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation |
| |
4911 |
Electric services-electric
power generation by fossil fuels |
| |
4931 |
Electric & other services
combined-electric power generation by fossil fuels |
| |
4939 |
Combination utilities-electric
power generation by fossil fuels |
| 221113 |
4911 |
Nuclear Electric Power Generation |
| |
4911 |
Electric services-electric
power generation by nuclear fuels |
| |
4931 |
Electric & other services
combined-electric power generation by nuclear fuels |
| 221119 |
4911 |
Other Electric Power Generation |
| |
4911 |
Electric services-other
electric power generation |
| |
4931 |
Electric & other services
combined-other power generation |
| |
4939 |
Combination utilities-other
power generation |
| 22112 |
4911 |
Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution |
| 221121 |
4911 |
Electric Bulk Power Transmission and Control |
| |
4911 |
Electric services-electric
power transmission and control |
| |
4931 |
Electric & other services
combined-electric power transmission |
| |
4939 |
Combination utilities-electric
power transmission |
| 221122 |
4911 |
Electric Power Distribution |
| |
4911 |
Electric services-electric
power distribution |
| |
4931 |
Electric & other services
combined-electric power distribution |
| |
4939 |
Combination utilities-electric
power distribution |
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
