An employee for a marina was using a submersible utility pump to pump out the bilge of a work barge. The pump was equipped with float switch and was connected via an extension cord to a dockside 125-volt receptacle outlet. The receptacle was improperly wired with the line and neutral connections reversed. Also, the cord set had been repaired and the receptacle cord cap was missing the equipment grounding prong.
The employee was electrocuted when he stepped into the water-filled bilge of the barge and contacted a grounded surface. The employee also had second-degree electrical burns on his back and above his right eye.
What went wrong?
The use of a submersible pump is highly dangerous. A supervisor should have inspected the equipment for proper connections and shielding before allowing it to be used by an employee standing in water.
