Welder is Killed by Damaged Electrical Connection on Welding Generator

Case Overview

This case involves a welder who was killed by an improperly insulated cable running from a welding generator to an electrode. At the time of the incident in question, the welding cable was being fed through a ventilation shaft, with the generator and the welder on different floors of the building. The building was not sealed against the weather, and there was noted to be a significant amount of moisture in the room at the time of the accident. In addition, the cable that connected the welding electrodes to the generator were noted to have multiple cuts and abrasions on its insulation, some of which were exposed directly to the moisture in the room. When the welder first struck an arc against the work piece, he was immediately electrified, dying at the hospital a few hours after the incident.

Questions to the Engineering expert and their responses

Do you have extensive experience working as a welder with long wires in a similar situation as described in this case?

I have more than 16 years of experience as a welding inspector and have rigged welding cable on numerous occasions.

Have you ever served as an expert on a similar case? If so, please explain.

Maintenance of the machine and cables in use is primarily the responsibility of the construction firm.

About the expert

After earning his BFA from NYU and pursuing a successful vocation in film making, this expert embarked upon a career in construction inspection and quality control: a field, in which he now has 16+ years of experience. He currently serves as the Chief Inspector for a New York construction firm that has been responsible for the construction of numerous Manhattan edifices. A certified Welding Inspector, he can address the proper safety and quality control procedures for building work sites.