Assembly Line Worker Electrocuted

A mobile home assembly worker was electrocuted while installing a roof on a mobile home.

The worker died after he touched the exterior of the home. It was electrified due to a short in the wiring of another mobile home on the assembly line. Four workers were installing the metal roof in their workstation. In the station next door, a home had a hot-to-ground short because an exterior nail pierced the wiring in the wall.

Electrical power (120 volts) is connected to mobile homes on the assembly line in order to use interior lights and electrical outlets during assembly. In this case, there was no ground wire. The short energized the metal frame, which was connected to the other homes by a chain. It was a very humid day, and the man was sweating, possibly contributing to the accident.

Investigators made two recommendations to prevent this sort of tragedy:

  • Electrical and non-electrical metal parts in a mobile home must be grounded. After the accident, the firm designated one individual to complete this connection.
  • Prior to connecting power to mobile homes, the wiring should be subjected to appropriate testing between live parts and the mobile home ground. This should be done after all exterior screws and nails are in place.