Arc Flash Fatality Video.wmv
Summary
TLDRThis video recounts the tragic death of Eddie Adams, an electrician at an OSB mill in Elkin, North Carolina, who lost his life in a 2,300-volt electrical explosion on January 18, 2001. The video explains the series of mistakes leading up to the accident, including Eddie's attempt to troubleshoot the system alone, his misjudgment of voltage levels, and the explosion that followed. Friends, coworkers, and safety experts share their reflections, stressing the importance of electrical safety and the need for vigilance to prevent such accidents from occurring again.
Takeaways
- ⚡ Eddie Adams, a mill shift electrician, tragically lost his life on January 18, 2001, due to burns from a 2300-volt starter explosion.
- 💔 Eddie left behind a wife, two children, and many friends, deeply impacting the community.
- ⚙️ The incident occurred while Eddie was working alone in an MCC room, which was against safety protocols requiring a partner for such high-risk tasks.
- ❗ Eddie mistakenly thought he was working on a 480-volt system when it was actually a 2300-volt system, a dangerous misjudgment.
- 🔥 A fireball explosion occurred when Eddie attempted to check the equipment with the wrong multimeter, leading to catastrophic burns.
- 🚨 The explosion caused a power outage across the mill, and it took time for workers to realize that the circuit had shorted through Eddie's body.
- 🏃 Eddie, severely burned, tried to escape but collapsed multiple times before eventually succumbing to his injuries.
- 💡 The video stresses the importance of following safety protocols, particularly in high-voltage environments, to prevent similar tragedies.
- 🛠️ The video also highlights the need for proper tools, safety gear, and double-checking voltage levels to avoid miscalculations and accidents.
- 🙏 Eddie’s family allowed the creation of the video in hopes of preventing future accidents and ensuring that safety is always prioritized.
Q & A
What caused Eddie Adams’ death in the incident described?
-Eddie Adams died due to severe burns caused by an explosion when he mistakenly tested a 2300-volt system with a 600-volt multimeter, which led to a catastrophic electrical arc.
What was Eddie Adams working on at the time of the fatal accident?
-Eddie Adams was working on a motor starter for a hog motor that was down at the mill, a machine responsible for grinding bark and waste material.
Why did Eddie Adams not realize the danger he was in?
-Eddie mistakenly believed he was working on a 600-volt system, despite clear markings and indicators that he was working on a 2300-volt system. His lack of focus and a failure to communicate with others contributed to this misjudgment.
What were some of the safety violations Eddie made during this incident?
-Eddie entered the MCC room alone, did not use a partner as required, used an incorrectly rated multimeter, and re-energized the circuit while troubleshooting without ensuring proper safety measures.
What happened when the explosion occurred?
-The explosion created a fireball that struck Eddie in the face. The lights in the mill went out, and Eddie was thrown against a cabinet, sustaining severe burns. He was on fire and attempted to exit the room but was unable to escape the flames.
What actions did Eddie take after the explosion?
-After the explosion, Eddie attempted to escape by moving towards the exit. He stumbled, possibly hitting a table, and eventually exited the room. However, he was already severely burned by this point and collapsed later.
What tools did Eddie Adams use during his work, and how did they contribute to the accident?
-Eddie used a 600-volt multimeter to test a 2300-volt system, which was not designed to handle that voltage level. This incorrect use likely caused the explosion when an electrical arc occurred.
How did Eddie’s coworkers and the mill initially react to the incident?
-When the explosion occurred, the lights in the mill went out, and most people thought it was just a power outage. No one initially realized that the outage was caused by Eddie’s fatal accident.
What was the purpose of producing the video described in the transcript?
-The video was produced by Eddie's friends and coworkers to share their thoughts on the tragedy and to prevent such an incident from happening again. It aimed to raise awareness of the importance of safety procedures and vigilance.
What safety lessons can be learned from this incident?
-Key lessons include the importance of never working alone, always using the correct equipment for the job, double-checking voltage levels, wearing appropriate protective gear, and following proper lockout/tagout procedures before starting electrical work.
Outlines
⚡ A Fatal Accident: The Tragic Night
On January 18, 2001, Eddie Adams, an electrician in North Carolina, lost his life due to burns from an explosion involving a 2,300-volt starter. This video is a tribute from his friends and co-workers to raise awareness and prevent future tragedies. Eddie made a series of critical safety errors while working alone in the MCC room, leading to a catastrophic explosion. Despite attempting to check the system, Eddie inadvertently created an arc that resulted in a fatal fire. The accident occurred during routine maintenance of a hog motor that was not in an urgent condition, emphasizing that the tragedy could have been avoided.
🔥 The Explosion and Its Immediate Impact
The explosion caused by Eddie's actions led to a massive fire in the MCC room, causing a power outage across the mill. Eddie, severely burned and disoriented, attempted to escape but fell and stumbled multiple times. His belongings, including his watch and melted multimeter, were found along his escape route. Eddie’s burns were severe, and his clothing was nearly incinerated. His brave attempt to fix the motor alone resulted in a devastating accident that tragically ended his life.
🚑 The Aftermath: A Failed Rescue
Though Eddie was still conscious when help arrived, he admitted to EMTs that he had misjudged the situation, thinking he was working on a 480-volt system. The seriousness of his condition became apparent to the rescue team as they transported him to the hospital. Despite his best efforts, Eddie succumbed to his injuries the next day. His death was a painful reminder of the risks involved in electrical work and the importance of following safety protocols, prompting the creation of this video to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡MCC Room
💡Lockout/Tagout
💡High Voltage (2300 volts)
💡Explosion
💡Multimeter
💡Arc Flash
💡Safety Protocols
💡Burn Injuries
💡Human Error
💡Emergency Response
Highlights
Eddie Adams, a mill shift electrician, lost his life due to burns from an explosion caused by a 2300-volt starter on January 18th, 2001.
Eddie Adams left behind his wife, two children, and many friends and colleagues.
The purpose of the program is to share lessons learned and prevent future tragedies like Eddie’s.
Eddie entered the MCC room alone, a significant mistake, as it's a safety rule to always have a partner when performing high-risk tasks.
Eddie was working on the hog motor, which grinds up bark and waste material, when the fatal incident occurred.
The motor failure was not a critical issue but still led Eddie to troubleshoot without proper precautions.
Eddie mistakenly used a 1000-volt meter on a 2300-volt system, creating a massive arc flash explosion.
The explosion caused a fireball that severely burned Eddie, knocking him to the floor and setting off fire suppression systems.
Eddie managed to walk a significant distance after the explosion but eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Eddie thought he was working on a 480-volt system, illustrating the critical importance of clear communication and understanding of equipment voltage levels.
Eddie’s colleagues described him as a helpful and dedicated person, always willing to drop everything to help others.
The video was made to help prevent future incidents by sharing the story and reminding workers to stay focused and communicate clearly.
Eddie's accident emphasizes the importance of using proper tools, like hot sticks and properly rated meters, when dealing with high-voltage systems.
The explosion damaged not only Eddie but the entire mill’s electrical system, leading to power outages and confusion.
Eddie was alert and able to talk to EMTs after the incident, telling them he believed he had been working on 480 volts when he had, in fact, made a mistake.
The video ends with a call for everyone to think twice before rushing into dangerous tasks, emphasizing the need for safety checks, proper equipment, and teamwork.
Transcripts
this particular night things were pretty
normal that's just that a person didn't
stay focused
everything was down and you can just
feel the steel in there it was like you
just know something was wrong
his worst thing I've ever seen in my
life useless he should've happened I'm
got a an image burned into my mind we'll
probably be there forever someone lost
their life for nothing
we lost it for you and he Smith's folks
missing
On January 18th 2001 eddie adams OSB
mill shift electrician in Elkin North
Carolina lost his life as a result of
burns received from the explosion of a
23 hundred volt starter Eddie left
behind his wife two children and
countless friends Eddie's friends and
co-workers produced the following
program in order to share their thoughts
and to prevent a tragedy like this from
ever happening again as we go through
this door we're entering the MCC room
number 1 which is the location of the
starter camp well anytime you go in the
MCC room you're supposed to have a you
know a partner and anytime you know
you've got a job and you can't do it
safely yourself you have to ask for
somebody to take you know hey come help
me a little bit and that's one of the
first mistakes he made he came in here
which this is the same room
will by itself nobody knew where is that
I'm not saying it nobody never goes in
there by themself you know I'm sure they
think well maybe I fix this right here
real quick I'll go check it out as we
come through the MCC room we have most
of our 480-volt cans located in this
area as we get down further toward the
end of the MCC room all of our 2,300
volt and high-voltage type of starter
camps are located down in this area they
had an issue with the hog motor cutting
out and that's what Eddie was working on
at the time of the fatality hog grinds
up our barking and waste material a hog
was down and the hog had failed
it wasn't a tremendous upset condition
it wasn't a life-or-death situation it
wasn't something that was so critical to
the process that it had to be done right
now this is the actual starter Ken that
Eddy came to work on as you can see it's
no longer in operation when we were at
the point that we were able to go ahead
and start putting the equipment back on
line this was damaged to the point that
we couldn't use it any longer
when Eddie came in to work on this piece
of equipment he had to have pulled the
handle down on the starter to do a
lockout this particular piece of
equipment you can't open the door unless
you disconnect the breaker there's no
way that you can open that can without
throwing the disconnects down you
Dewar's so he throwed it down he did
that part right but once he got in there
he throwed the breaker back up so then
it was loud when he did that he used a
multimeter and was using a multimeter
and we feel like that maybe he was
trying to check the fuses to see if he
had a blown fuse he thought he was on
600 volt has 600 altimeter foods across
phases of a 2,300 volt system even
though it was marked all over it and
there were all kinds of indicators he
was in a twenty three hundred volt panel
he didn't recognize it you can't check
twenty three hundred volts with a
thousand volt meter as he attempted to
do that whatever he did inside this box
created an arc with an explosion and as
the explosion or as that the starter
exploded of course a ball of fire came
out into Eddie's face we found Eddie's
hard hat here on the floor along with
his multimeter that had blown up it had
melted we know that from the impact that
Eddie was slammed into this cabinet here
we also found evidence of some tissue
and some hair on the panel itself when
the explosion took place every light in
the meal went off so we feel like it was
probably dark in here for a few seconds
and Eddie was on fire the dryers started
on fire they got fire suppression
signals that the suppression system was
activated no one knew what had happened
most people assume there had been a
power outage while there had been but
immediately no one understood that that
power outage is because the circuit was
shorted through Eddie Adams Eddie turned
at that point
and when in this direction there was a
small table type device sitting here and
it appears as though Eddie either
slipped or bumped into the table we
found his watch
we found some coins and some bits of
clothing laying on the floor here so it
appears as though Eddie might have
slipped and stumbled into this table he
got up and went in this direction
starting towards this door and we feel
like that Eddie realized that he was not
going to be able to get out this door so
he turned and started back in this
direction there was a roll around tool
box sitting here with some plastic
covers over the top and his Eddie went
by he swiped that top and it actually
melted the covers there he also started
on through here and again we found bits
and pieces of clothing throughout this
area he opened this door and went out
into the blending area it's pretty
obvious to tell what he did he took this
and took his meter probably laid it on
the floor down he had to squat down more
likely and you can see from the curtain
from the heat right here or the fireball
started
he put his meter on there just like that
as soon as he did it that was it blowed
the fireball blow dryer between me and
you can see the heat has melted the fuse
essentially welded defuses here's welded
stamps together all the fireball was
right here in front of his face and when
it blowed it blowed up in the energy
from that fireball caught him on fire
and
the rest is pretty much history this guy
was burnt plumb out of his clothes I
mean they was it was a t-shirt band the
waistband in his and his belt was all
that was on him I mean that was all that
was on he took it upon himself to go in
and try and do the last steps of
troubleshooting before making a decision
to change the motor and for whatever
reason what he was working on was not
foremost in his mind at that time and
what he was doing was not communicated
to others and others didn't ask
questions of Eddie I think in this case
we had somebody who was really anxious
to help as the pastor said at the
service Eddie would drop anything to
help you if you needed some help he
would drop whatever he's doing and come
over and help you they do that at home
he do that in the in the community do
that all the time and I think that
behavior I'll run and fix it I'll take
care of it because I know what to do
I'll run in there and I'll fix it is a
behavior that we have to watch as he
came through the door it appears as
though he slipped again we also found
some fluids body fluids
he proceeded to go up next to the forum
line
and down the former
and of course it is he was going down
the forum line it was still dark and
and different spots along the forum on
here we found pieces of his clothes some
of them told me that they had seen him
from you know from across the meal you
know and seeing something was on fire
and thought you know what is that on
fire and then go to look at it and see
that it is somebody after they put the
fire out in his body they brought him
into her station here's where they
started to administer first aid of
course at this time also a control
operator was on the phone with the
emergency response organizations in the
area every time the phone rings now
after nine o'clock and evening the fear
God runs right through me because it
could be the same phone call again and
watch a phone call that nobody ever
wants to get Jeff and I drove over to
Cathy's house we had to call Cathy from
the driveway inform her that we need to
talk to her Eddie was conscious and he
was still focused and was able to talk
with our first responders and with the
EMTs and really until we got to Winston
and and talked to the doctors down there
and kind of seen how the the trauma team
acted when we got to him or when they
got to him I knew then that you know
this is pretty grim as he talked with
the EMTs that were that transported him
to winston-salem he also told them that
he thought he was on 440 or 480 and that
he had really screwed up big-time
carelessness really it was it was
something that you just don't rush into
anytime you're dealing with electricity
you just don't rush into it you almost
have to try to get hurt you have to do
something that violates the policy
something that violates common sense no
yes sir there's something totally off
the wall to get hurt again Eddie was
alert and was able to talk with the EMTs
as they were transporting him to the
hospital
and the next day Eddie died
Elkins said no don't come we don't want
anything to do with the film
leave us alone let us be don't in Veda
and when they thought about it and you
realized that there might be a little
window to help the rest of the company
and the people we care about from going
through this they said okay I'll take
some more pain if by doing the video if
we can prevent one mill or one person
from having a tragic event similar to
this one then it's been worthwhile but I
thought maybe if I could just say
anything to help somebody in safety just
think twice about something before you
do it am I ready to be focused am I
ready to go in and do my job do it
safely so I can go home at the end of
the day in as good a shape that was when
I got there someone lost their wife for
nothing that they people they lost their
life to me nothing I don't want that to
happen again
attained me not at my facility or
anybody else
anytime you want to test your electrical
circuits to make sure that they're not
energized after you've locked it out and
you're going to be working on it you
always want to use two meters one you
use the tick tracer right here and pull
up below 600 volts you can hold it
without the hostage but when you go
above 600 volts you need to hold it with
the hot steam and also use a second
meter any time for a tea or blow that
once you get above 600 then you want to
use this hot stick always you're going
to want wire your proper rated gloves
and your face shield keep in mind who
you always want to partner with either
one 600 above and below
you
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