Negligent Building Maintenance Causes Fatal Electrical Explosion

Case Overview

This case involves a maintenance worker who was killed by an electrical explosion while working in a residential building. The maintenance worker had recently been hired and was tasked with clearing out a storage space adjacent to the electrical control panel room. The control panel room housed an electric panel that powered the heating and cooling system as well as the bus ducts and the transformer. A recent storm had caused water to leak into the control panel room. Although the building superintendent was aware of this leak, she did not notify the maintenance worker. In addition, the area surrounding the room did not have any signage to indicate the ambient electrical hazards. In the course of completing his maintenance task, the bus duct exploded. The worker sustained burns covering more than 80% of his body and later died from his injuries. Further investigation of the incident revealed no record of the electrical bus system having ever been inspected. It was alleged the superintendent was negligent in the electrical maintenance of the building.

Questions to the Electrical expert and their responses

Please describe your familiarity with electrical fires.

I am a professional engineer with 20+ years of experience in electrical and electronic engineering failure analysis. My main engineering strength is technical aspects of electrical and electronic design, installation, maintenance, reliability, and usability. I have conducted forensic investigations and analysis of incidents involving bus duct failures, electrical shocks, and fatal electrocutions.

Have you published or lectured on this topic?

I have previously served as a product and systems designer and have almost 2 years of experience as an expert witness in incident, forensic, and failure analysis.

Based on the description, how might the incident have been avoided?

This incident, as described, could have been avoided if the power to the bus duct was turned off for the time the workers were in the area. Another way to avoid this incident would have involved temporarily rerouting the electrical power during the work.

About the expert

This expert has investigated the root cause of hundreds of electrical and electronic equipment failures in commercial, residential, industrial, and military systems. He belongs to the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, & Geophysicists of Alberta and has served as the lead on a number of design and research projects in the engineering space. He has held a number of positions in the field and currently serves as an electrical failure analysis engineering specialist at a private engineering firm in Canada.