Serious Accident in the Hungarian Medium Voltage Grid During Live Working

Although statistics prove that live working methods are safer than de-energized activities, in some cases accidents may occur due to the neglect of safety rules. Generally, more than one safety factor shall apply individually to guarantee the expected level of safety; however, routine, hurry, or inattention might be very dangerous even during quite simple activities. The rubber glove method is widely used in the whole territory of Hungary and is a common practice in the area of surroundings of Budapest for almost ten years. In the fall of 2018, an unfortunate and serious accident occurred during dismounting a pole-mounted switch. Although the terrain and the geometry were not usual, this looked like a routine job for the practiced crew. While the job was performed, one of the workers suffered a major electric shock. Despite the immediate medical help, permanent damage has occurred. This paper introduces the circumstances of the accident and the measures which were performed by the responsible DSO in cooperation with the training center of BME.