Liquefied natural gas facilities depend on extensive electrical systems to operate compressors, pumps, refrigeration equipment, instrumentation, control systems, lighting, loading equipment, and other critical infrastructure. LNG export terminals may also contain substations, transformers, switchgear, motor control centers, temporary construction power, and large networks of energized cables.
That electrical infrastructure creates serious risks for workers who construct, operate, maintain, and repair LNG facilities. Electrical incidents can result in electrocution, arc flash burns, fires, explosions, falls, neurological injuries, and death.
Electrical injuries are one part of the broader range of hazards that can result in an LNG plant accident. When a worker is seriously injured, an LNG plant accident lawyer may need to determine whether the equipment was properly maintained, whether the system should have been de-energized, whether isolation procedures were followed, and which company controlled the electrical work.
Electrocution and Energized Equipment
Direct contact with energized equipment can cause severe or fatal injuries.
Workers may be exposed through damaged wiring, exposed conductors, improperly guarded equipment, defective components, or systems that were believed to be de-energized. Electricity passing through the body can affect the heart, nervous system, muscles, and internal organs.
The investigation should not stop at identifying the energized component. The more important question is often why the worker was able to contact it.
A circuit may have been mislabeled. Electrical drawings may have been outdated. Another contractor may have restored power while work was still underway. A worker may have been told that equipment was safe when it was not.
An LNG plant accident attorney may need to review permits, isolation records, electrical drawings, training materials, and communications between the companies involved to determine how the exposure occurred.
Arc Flash and Electrical Explosions
Workers do not need to directly touch energized equipment to suffer catastrophic electrical injuries.
An arc flash occurs when electrical energy travels through the air between conductors or from a conductor to ground. The event can release tremendous heat and energy within a fraction of a second.
Workers may suffer severe burn injuries, eye injuries, hearing damage, fractures, or traumatic injuries caused by the force of the event. Clothing can ignite, and hot or molten material may be projected from damaged equipment.
Electrical failures can be especially dangerous at LNG facilities because an arc or spark may also ignite combustible gas if a separate release is present nearby. Investigators may therefore need to examine both the electrical system and the surrounding process conditions.
Lockout and Tagout Failures
One of the most important protections during electrical maintenance is ensuring that equipment cannot become energized while someone is working on it.
Proper lockout/tagout procedures are intended to isolate hazardous energy before servicing begins. That process may require identifying every source of electrical power, applying locks and tags, and verifying that the equipment is actually de-energized.
At an LNG facility, this can involve more than shutting off a single breaker. Equipment may have multiple sources of power, backup systems, or control circuits capable of energizing components unexpectedly.
If a worker is shocked by equipment that was supposedly isolated, the investigation should determine who performed the isolation, whether all energy sources were identified, and whether the system was properly verified before work began.
Commissioning and Construction Risks
Electrical hazards can change quickly as an LNG construction project approaches completion.
Early in construction, many systems are not energized. During commissioning, switchgear, motors, pumps, instrumentation, and other systems begin transitioning from construction status to active operation.
That transition creates danger when workers are not clearly informed that equipment has become energized.
A worker may have performed tasks around the same cabinet or motor for months while it was inactive. Contractors performing punch-list work may remain nearby after the system has gone live. Temporary power systems may also remain in use while permanent electrical systems are activated.
An LNG plant accident lawyer investigating an injury during commissioning may examine energization plans, contractor notices, work permits, daily meetings, and access controls to determine whether workers received adequate warning.
Poor Maintenance and Defective Equipment
Electrical accidents can also result from equipment that has deteriorated or failed.
Transformers, switchgear, breakers, control panels, and other components can develop problems involving damaged insulation, loose connections, corrosion, overheating, contamination, or internal faults.
Some failures are preceded by warning signs. Inspection or maintenance records may document overheating, repeated breaker trips, arcing, or recommended repairs that were never completed.
Other accidents may involve defective equipment from the outset. A switch, breaker, protective device, or other component may fail because of a design or manufacturing defect. In those circumstances, a product liability claim may arise in addition to claims against companies responsible for operating or maintaining the facility.
Preserving the failed component can be critical. Repairing or discarding damaged equipment before it can be inspected may destroy evidence about why the failure occurred.
Multiple Contractors May Share Responsibility
Electrical work at LNG plants is often divided among several companies.
A facility operator may control whether equipment remains energized. An electrical contractor may install or service the system. A commissioning contractor may perform testing. Another company may control access to the work area.
The injured worker’s employer may therefore be different from the company that created or controlled the electrical hazard.
Those circumstances can raise issues of third-party liability. An LNG plant accident attorney may need to determine who controlled the equipment, who authorized the work, who knew the system was energized, and who had authority to correct the dangerous condition.
Written contracts can be useful, but actual jobsite practices may be equally important in determining responsibility.
Evidence After an Electrical Accident
Electrical incidents can leave important physical and electronic evidence.
Relevant evidence may include damaged components, photographs, surveillance video, electrical drawings, maintenance records, inspection documents, lockout records, permits, energization plans, training materials, and witness statements.
Protective devices and control systems may also record breaker trips, alarms, or other operating conditions surrounding the event.
Technical questions may require an electrical engineer or another expert witness to determine whether the incident resulted from improper work, inadequate maintenance, defective equipment, or a combination of failures.
Because damaged electrical equipment may be repaired quickly so operations can resume, prompt preservation can be important.
Serious Injuries From LNG Electrical Accidents
Electrical injuries can be deceptive because the visible skin damage may not reflect the full extent of the trauma.
Electrical current can damage nerves, muscles, internal organs, and the cardiovascular system. Arc flashes may cause deep burns and permanent scarring and disfigurement.
Electrical shock may also cause involuntary muscle contractions or loss of balance. A worker on a ladder, platform, or elevated structure can suffer additional injuries from a fall after the initial contact.
Severe accidents can result in traumatic brain injury, spinal injuries, amputations, chronic pain, or permanent neurological damage.
Victims may require surgery, burn treatment, rehabilitation, and substantial future medical costs. Some workers may never be able to return to the same industrial occupation.
Speak With an LNG Plant Accident Lawyer After an Electrical Injury
Electrical accidents at LNG plants may involve energized equipment, arc flash events, failed isolation procedures, defective components, inadequate maintenance, or failures during commissioning.
An LNG plant accident lawyer can investigate who controlled the electrical equipment, whether the system should have been de-energized, whether safety procedures were followed, and whether another contractor or equipment manufacturer contributed to the incident.
Spagnoletti Law Firm represents workers and families affected by serious industrial accidents. Our LNG plant accident attorneys can preserve critical evidence, investigate responsible companies, and evaluate potential personal injury claims.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by an electrical accident at an LNG plant or export terminal, call us. Contact Spagnoletti Law Firm at 713-804-9306 or contact us online for a free consultation.
We handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning our clients do not owe attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for them.