In a March 2018 arc-flash incident, two workers were injured while working at Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant.
Day & Zimmerman NPS Inc., the contractor and employer of the injured workers, received proposed penalties amounting to $71,599 in relation to the March arc-flash incident. The work was being performed on a 6.9 kilovolt electrical bus at Sequoyah. Neither worker was shocked or contaminated by any radiation, but they did receive treatment for 1st and 2nd degree burns.
OSHA penalized the company for failing to maintain adequate safety practices for work, including the following:
- failing to require that employees wear protective clothing and equipment
- not conducting pre-job briefings with employees on energy source control
- failing to remove a ground and test device, which allowed the potential for residual electrical energy accumulation
The Chattanooga-based contractor has 15 days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) operates the Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant, located near Soddy-Daisy, TN. TVA is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies
TVA spokesperson Malinda Hunter said the accident occurred in a non-nuclear section of the power plant and did not jeopardize operations of either of the power-generating reactors.
