Electrical shock from containerised portable office

  • Safety Flash
  • Published on 25 August 2020
  • Generated on 14 March 2025
  • IMCA SF 25/20
  • 2 minute read

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?

  • 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.
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

Lessons learned

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.

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