Two 11th Grade Students Shocked in Separate Incidents in the Same Electrical Technology Vocational School Program - Massachusetts
Massachusetts Case Report: 11MA1NF
December 19, 2011
SUMMARY
Within a nine month timeframe in 2010 and 2011, two 11th grade students enrolled in an Electrical Technology program in the same Chapter 74 approved public regional vocational technical high school education program sustained electrical injuries in two separate incidents. One of the two students was assigned a task of using an existing de-energized wire located in a ceiling as a snake to feed a new higher voltage wire. While standing on a ladder, the student mistakenly grabbed a wire that was energized, resulting in an electrical shock. The second incident involved a student who was shocked while feeding wire into a piece of metal conduit, a task that reportedly went beyond the assigned scope of work; the wire was live and caused the metal conduit to become electrified shocking the student. In both cases, the students were being supervised by an instructor, but during the actual time of these incidents the instructor had stepped away to check on other Electrical Technology program students. The school nurse was called for both injuries and performed an evaluation of the students and then called for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). EMS responded to each incident within minutes and transported the students by ambulances to local hospitals. Both students were released from the hospital on the same day they were injured. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health concluded that to prevent similar occurrences in the future, schools with vocational shops should: