Homeowner Received Electrical Shock by Exposed Wires in Crawl Space

Location: Cowichan Valley, BC
Regulated industry sector: Electrical – Low Voltage Electrical System (30V to 1000V)

Incident Overview

A homeowner backing out of a crawlspace in his home saw a flash of blue light and received a shock when they contacted energized wires with the back of their left shoulder. The investigation found that recent work to the building’s electrical system was transitioned from one contractor to another without adequate communication, resulting in some unfinished work. The second contractor did not recognize the energized, exposed wires in the crawl space as the circuit breaker that was feeding the conductors was incorrectly labeled.