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PT_BR 
One 18 year old worker was seriously injured, in Araguaína (TO), after receiving an electrical shock while doing the installation of a solar energy system at a distributor this Wednesday morning (14).
According to information from the Fire Department, O worker I was putting frames on the roof of the company when a metal part touches the high voltage network which passes in front of the establishment, causing electrical discharge.
According to the corporation, the man was not using safety equipment to perform the service and he had severe burns to hands and arms. He was taken to the Araguaína Regional Hospital (HRA) and his health status was not disclosed.
In an interview given to Solar Channel, Carlos Alberto Fernandes, electrical engineer with more than 30 years of experience in occupational safety, explains that cases like these have been frequent in the country because of the negligence of most companies in the sector.
“What I see today is a large number of companies entering this market without any type of preparation, simply because solar energy is on the rise. These are companies that are entering anyway and not paying due attention to the safety of their workers, who do not receive adequate training”, he stated.
According to him, in cases like these, it is necessary that two safety standards are duly respected, in order to prevent professionals from getting hurt or even losing their lives.
The first of them is the NR 10, which establishes the minimum requirements and conditions to guarantee the safety and health of workers who, directly or indirectly, interact with electrical installations.
The other is the NR 35, which establishes the minimum requirements and protective measures for working at height, involving planning, organization and execution, in order to guarantee the safety and health of workers involved in this activity.
“These are basic requirements, which every company that undertakes a photovoltaic installation should pay attention to. Companies need to look at this a little more seriously, because there is no point in just making money. If something serious happens, the company owner is the one who will be criminally liable,” he revealed.
For Fernandes, there is no doubt that the accident with the 18-year-old only happened because the company that provided the solar panel installation service did not provide the appropriate support and guidance for this professional.
“I doubt that this guy has received a single NR 10 training. If he had, he would know that he cannot climb on top of a roof, with an electrical network close to him, without insulation and adequate planning.”
The electrical engineer also drew the attention of companies to the importance of providing the correct safety equipment for their employees. In this case, the so-called PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).
“Offering safety courses for professionals won’t do any good if you don’t offer the correct PPE and even rescue training. They seem like silly things, but they are essential to guarantee the safety of workers and the continuity of a company’s business”, concluded Fernandes.
2 Responses
This is the importance of strictly following the legislation, especially those that regulate the protection of life, here in Santa Bárbara Minas Gerais we are witnessing the same situation, I hope that the inspection tightens the grip, otherwise we will witness very serious problems, including those related to electrical structures and connections. outside the norms.
In the electrical area there are no accidents, what happens are links in a chain of negligence that add up until someone ends up either losing their life or causing an incident.