Electrical shock from containerised portable office
What happened?
Whilst tidying a mobile office (freight) container, an employee sustained a mild electric shock by inadvertently touching an exposed live electrical cable which was obscured by several boxes below a desk. The cable had been left in position following the removal of a piece of fixed equipment whilst the container was in storage (out of use).
What were the causes? What went wrong?
- Checks on the container, pre and post mobilisation, did not identify the potential risk;
- No formal verification of the condition and safety of the electrical installation in the container had been carried out prior to energising.
Lessons
Some of these lessons and actions may be a regulatory requirement in some locations.
- The condition and safety of any electrical equipment should be established before and after mobilisation, but particularly – as in this case – electrical equipment that is wholly within other installations such as freight containers;
- Accurate inspection records and wiring diagrams should be maintained, and defective equipment and redundant wiring removed or labelled as such;
- To ensure the safety of the installation, testing and inspection protocols should be in place coupled together with an approval process which includes the appropriate test and inspection results / records.
Actions
Our member:
- Isolated and inspected the container electrical installation and the termination of exposed electrical cables;
- Reviewed and assessed mobile container electrical installations elsewhere in its operation;
- Developed and implemented formal work instructions for the fit out and/or modification of mobile offshore containers including the electrical installation.
Members may wish to refer to
Safety Event
Published: 25 August 2020
Download: 
IMCA SF 25/20
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