On 7/31/18, one of our crews was replacing fixtures at a retail store that was installed using RELOC system, and because this allowed the installer to have exclusive control of the disconnecting means while working on the system, and lock-out tag-out was not required, the installers did not take the time to locate the electrical panels at the store. At roughly 1 in the morning, a contactor failed inside the lighting panel, and caught fire. Because the access to the switchgear was not obtained prior to starting work, it took over an hour to turn off the power to the store, and resulted in extensive damage to the panel, wiring, equipment and contactors inside the affected enclosure. While a properly designed electrical system should have prevented this from happening, it is not possible to be sure that every bit of the system was correctly specified, manufactured and installed prior to our arrival on site, so it is very highly recommended that you familiarize yourself with the electrical system on site.
SAFETY STEPS
Prior to starting work:
- Locate the lighting panel(s).
- Locate the contactor panel(s) and override controls.
- Locate MSB/MDP (main distribution panel), locate the breaker(s) in the MSB/MDP that power the lighting panel(s).
- Locate the main service disconnect.
- Talk about a contingency plan with the crew, assign a competent person to handle the situation shall an emergency arise.
Note: When scheduling, PM’s should request access to all electrical rooms from the management.