Posted on 12/22/2004 2:32:31 PM PST by nickcarraway
Stanford University officials have convened a blue-ribbon panel to review safety at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center following a blistering report by federal energy officials that concluded safety was secondary to getting the job done.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
RE: On Oct. 11, Simon, 51, had started to install the switch when a 480-volt electrical arc he described in an interview as a `` horrible flash'' shot out from the panel. The arc blew Simon backward six feet into a cabinet and lit his clothing on fire, SLAC officials said.
Happened to me with a sputtering machine, plugging it in for the first time. Wall wiring for 480 was incorrect, hot, neutral and ground all mixed up. The arc went right through my hand, I was thrown about 5 or 6 feet, landed on my ass in the middle of the clean room. Thankfully nothing caught on fire and I drank a couple beers the same night telling my story. My life flashed before my eyes, no pun intended.
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