Proper Response Saved a Life
I recently conducted electrical safety training at a large industrial plant that produces a food commodity used in every household in the U.S. and around the world. And, like most large industrial facilities, its electrical system consists mainly of 480 volts and lower for their various loads but uses 4160 volts as their primary distribution feeders.
During lunch, I learned from a supervisor that one of the electricians in my class had recently suffered a serious electrical shock accident when he inadvertently contacted an exposed part energized at 4160 volts. By the time the supervisor arrived at the scene, several co-workers were administering CPR to the unconscious victim.
The supervisor described the injured victim’s face was already a pale bluish color, and the victim was not breathing, so he immediately called for an AED (automatic external defibrillator), which arrived a few minutes later. Once the AED’s adhesive pads were placed on the victim’s chest, the machine notified “Shock Advised.”
Most AEDs analyze the patient’s cardiac rhythm and will only advise of a shock if it detects the heart is not beating normally. Following the AED’s audio commands, the supervisor instructed everyone to stand clear as a lifesaving shock was administered by this marvelous invention of science. While the victim didn’t regain breathing on his own again, apparently the shock from the AED was successful in restoring a normal heart rhythm. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitations and chest compressions were continued until the paramedics arrived.
Thankfully, the victim survived this near-death incident but only because his co-workers and supervisors were trained in basic lifesaving first aid, promptly administered it, and had an AED readily available. The local paramedics credited the quick actions by the co-workers for saving his life. While I don’t have all the details surrounding the event, the learnings I gained birthed this article.
CPR and First Aid Training Should Be a Critical Part of the ESP
The whole purpose of electrical safety training is to prevent electric shock accidents and to protect ourselves from life threatening burns from arc flashes. But people are humans, which means we are imperfect and will make mistakes. When errors are made with electricity, the outcome is often serious injury or death. It is for this reason why I’m stressing the critically important nature of having first aid/CPR/AED training as a part of your electrical safety program.
Where is Emergency Response Found in OSHA Regs / NFPA Standards?
Most reading this article are familiar with the emergency response training requirements driven by NFPA® 70E®, 110.4(C)(2). But under 70E, only “Employees responsible for responding to medical emergencies” are required to be trained in first-aid, CPR and AEDs. This technically means only those individuals who are designated as members of an emergency response team are required to be trained.
However, did you know OSHA regulations contain more stringent lifesaving training requirements specifically for electrical workers based on the amount of time an injured worker can be reached? Interestingly, mandatory first-aid training isn’t found in either 1910 Subpart S or 1926 Subpart K, but rather within the regulations governing electric utilities pursuant to 1910 Subpart R and 1926 Subpart V.
Both 1910.269(b)(1)(ii) and 1926.951(b)(2), apply to “Fixed Work Locations”, and they state the following:
For fixed work locations such as substations, the number of trained persons available shall be sufficient to ensure that each employee exposed to electric shock can be reached within 4 minutes by a trained person. However, where the existing number of employees is insufficient to meet this requirement (at a remote substation, for example), each employee at the work location shall be a trained employee.
What is More Important?
OSHA uses a maximum time parameter of four minutes when the victim of an electric shock must be reached by a trained person, regardless of whether the individual is officially ‘responsible’ to respond to medical emergencies or not. The basis for the four-minute criteria is on the maximum time before irreversible brain damage or death can occur. No fire department can reach the shock victim within this time frame, so having employees trained is the solution.
Some may argue this requirement only applies to those who work for electric generation, transmission and distribution companies but not to industrial or other non-electrical utility facilities. But the simple answer to this myopic position is, “Does it matter!?!?” The life of the employee suffering from ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest following a shock doesn’t discriminate on what side of the service point the electric current originated from.
Sure, I could refer them to the General Duty Clause under the OSH Act of 1970, but this would be arguing over technicalities rather than addressing a genuine life-threatening risk and, more importantly, its effective solution.
Any person who has ever been trained in first aid and CPR has learned, the quicker CPR is administered, the greater the chances of survival. For this reason, organizations such as the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Red Cross (ARC) emphasize CPR must be “immediately administered” because with every passing second, the odds are tilting.
CPR/FA/AED training is inexpensive and readily available. We at e-Hazard strongly recommend all electrical workers be trained, regardless of the industry they work in. The electrician who attended my class wouldn’t be here today if his company decided they were not an electric utility and relied solely on the local fire department for emergency response.
